The 74th (Yeomanry) Division was a Territorial Force infantry division formed in Palestine in early 1917 from three dismounted yeomanry brigades. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, mostly as part of XX Corps. In May 1918 it was sent to the Western Front where it remained until the end of the war.

The division's insignia was a broken spur to signify that its units were once mounted but now served as infantry.

History

Formation

On 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades (then with the Suez Canal Defences) be reorganized as the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades.

On 23 February 1917, Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Murray, the General Officer Commanding EEF, sought permission from the War Office to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. On 25 February, the War Office granted permission and the new 74th (Yeomanry) Division started to form.

! Formation / Organization

! Units

|-

|rowspan=7| 229th Brigade

|16th (Royal 1st Devon and Royal North Devon Yeomanry) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

|-

|12th (West Somerset Yeomanry) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

|-

|12th (Ayrshire and Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers

|-

|14th (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry) Battalion, Black Watch

|-

|4th Company, Machine Gun Corps

|-

|229th Trench Mortar Battery

|-

|229th Field Ambulance, RAMC

|-

|rowspan=7| 230th Brigade

|10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

|-

|12th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment

|-

|15th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment

|-

|16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

|-

|209th Company, Machine Gun Corps

|-

|230th Trench Mortar Battery

|-

|230th Field Ambulance, RAMC

|-

|rowspan=7| 231st Brigade

|24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers

|-

|25th (Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers

|-

|24th (Pembroke and Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion, Welsh Regiment

|-

|10th (Shropshire and Cheshire Yeomanry) Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry

|-

|210th Company, Machine Gun Corps

|-

|231st Trench Mortar Battery

|-

|231st Field Ambulance, RAMC

|-

|rowspan=4| Artillery

|XLIV Brigade, RFA (A and B Batteries)

|-

|CXVII Brigade, RFA (A, B and C (H) Batteries)

|-

|CCLXVIII Brigade, RFA (A, B and C (H) Batteries)

|-

|74th Divisional Ammunition Column

|-

|rowspan=6| Divisional Troops

|A Squadron, 1/2nd County of London Yeomanry

|-

|5th Field Company, Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers

|-

|5th Royal Anglesey Field Company, Royal Engineers

|-

|74th Divisional Signal Company

|-

|59th Mobile Veterinary Section

|-

|74th Divisional Train (447th, 448th, 449th and 450th Companies, ASC)

|}

Palestine 1917–18

The 74th Division took part in the invasion of Palestine in 1917 and 1918.

The division was not fully formed when it participated in the Second Battle of Gaza between 17 and 19 April 1917. It acted as reserve to the Eastern Force and was not engaged. Thereafter, the division was assigned to XX Corps where it remained for the rest of its time in Palestine.

The artillery was also restructured in March and April 1918 before departing for France. On 21 March, 'A' Battery of CCLXVIII Brigade, RFA (A/CCLXVIII) returned to 60th (2/2nd London) Division where it resumed its original identity as B/CCCI. It was replaced by 425 Battery which was redesignated A/CCLXVIII. Then, between 11 and 21 April, the artillery was reorganized as two brigades at Lydda:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"

! Old designation

! New designation

|-

|XLIV Brigade, RFA || XLIV Brigade, RFA

|-

|    A Battery ||     resumed identity as 340 Battery

|-

|    B Battery ||     resumed identity as 382 Battery

|-

| ||     former A/CCLXVIII resumed identity as 425 Battery

|-

| ||     former C (H)/CCLXVIII as D (H) Battery

|-

|CXVII Brigade, RFA || CXVII Brigade, RFA

|-

| ||     former B/CCLXVIII resumed identity as 366 Battery

|-

|    A Battery ||     A Battery

|-

|    B Battery ||     B Battery

|-

|    C (H) Battery ||     D (H) Battery

|-

|CCLXVIII Brigade, RFA || broken up

|-

|    A Battery ||     transferred to XLIV Brigade as 425 Battery

|-

|    B Battery ||     transferred to CXVII Brigade as 366 Battery

|-

|    C (H) Battery ||     transferred to XLIV Brigade as D (H) Battery

|}

Each brigade now consisted of three batteries of six 18-pounders and a battery of four 4.5" howitzers. Each of the howitzer batteries were later made up to six 4.5" howitzers in France (on 21 May 1918 at Noulette).

Due to a lack of replacements, British infantry divisions on the Western Front had been reduced from 12 to nine battalions in January and February 1918. To conform with this new structure, on 21 June, 12th Royal Scots Fusiliers (of 229th Brigade), 12th Norfolk Regiment (of 230th Brigade) and 24th Royal Welsh Fusiliers (of 231st Brigade) left the 74th (Yeomanry) Division. On 16 May, the Pioneer Battalion, 1/12 Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was reduced from a 4-company to a 3-company organization.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"

|+Order of Battle, June 1918

Battles

  • Second Battle of Gaza
  • Battle of Beersheba
  • Third Battle of Gaza
  • Battle of Jerusalem
  • Battle of Tell 'Asur
  • Second Battle of Bapaume
  • Battle of Épehy

See also

  • List of British divisions in World War I
  • British yeomanry during the First World War

Notes

References

  • The British Army in the Great War: The 74th (Yeomanry) Division

Bibliography

  • }