The Royal Naval Division 1914-1919

[The Sailor]

When the First World War began, the Reserves of the Royal Navy were found to have a surplus of thousands of sailors even though the warships were fully crewed. This war would be conducted mainly on land so there was an obvious solution.

Reserves, reserve personnel from the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Fleet Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and a brigade of Royal Marines, Royal Navy and army personnel were brought together at Crystal Palace to form the Royal Naval Division (RND) in September 1914.

The RND was commonly known as "Winston's Little Army" because it was founded by Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty.

The Royal Naval Division fought alongside the army but at first the Admiralty retained control. This contributed to tensions around the RND, as did their observance of naval traditions; for example, the RND used naval ranks, they flew the white ensign, they were allowed to grow beards and they remained seated during the toast to the King's health.

The names of the battalions reflected naval history. Initially they were:

1st Brigade: Collingwood, Hawke, Benbow, Drake
2nd Brigade: Howe, Hood, Anson, Nelson
3rd Brigade (Royal Marines): Portsmouth, Plymouth, Chatham, Deal
The RND transferred to France in May 1916. The following month the Division was transferred to Army control. From this time they were known as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and they were supplemented by army battalions:

188th Brigade: Anson, Howe, 1 and 2 (Royal Marine) Battalions
189th Brigade: Drake, Hood, Nelson, Hawke
190th Brigade: Honourable Artillery Company, 7 Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 4 Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 10 Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers
The Royal Naval Division was demobilised in France in April 1919 after an inspection and an address by the Prince of Wales. In June 1919 the Division took part in its final parade and was disbanded.

I'm afraid that joining the navy didn't work out as a way to avoid the slaughter on the Western Front. They went too.

Total casualties killed wounded and missing were 44829

And famously fought at Gallipoli alongside the 29th Div.

Using .303 rifles that took a different bullet to the .303 issued to the 29th Div.

Just another disastrous mistake made at Gallipoli.

[Commodore Armiger]

Summary history of the division

At the outbreak of the War, there was a surplus of some 20-30,000 men on the Reserves of the Royal Navy who would not find jobs on any ship of war. It was recognised that this was sufficient to form two Naval Brigades, and a Brigade of Marines. The Royal Marine Brigade was formed at once, and was moved to Ostende on 27th August 1914, although it returned 4 days later. On 20th September it arrived at Dunkirk with orders to assist in the defence of Antwerp. The two other Brigades moved to Dunkirk for the same purpose on 5th October 1914. In the haste to organise and move the units to Belgium, 80% went to war without even basic equipment such as packs, mess tins or water bottles. No khaki uniform was issued. The two Naval Brigades were armed with ancient charger-loading rifles, only 3 days before embarking. The Division was orginally titled the Royal Naval Division, and was formed in England in September 1914. At this stage, it had no Artillery, Field Ambulances etc.

The Defence of Antwerp

RND units that withdrew from Antwerp returned to England, arriving 11th October 1914. Approximately 1,500 troops of the 1st Royal Naval Brigade crossed the Dutch frontier and were interned in the Netherlands. After a lengthy period of refit and training (scattered in various locations, and still short of many of the units that ordinarily made up the establishment of a Division), the Division moved to Egypt preparatory to the Gallipoli campaign.

Gallipoli

By the end of the Division's part in the Gallipoli campaign, very few men with sea service remained. The Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29th April 1916, and was redesignated the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 19th July 1916. The Division moved to France, arriving Marseilles 12-23rd May 1916, after which it remained on the Western Front, participating in the following actions:

The Battle of the Ancre (tenth phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916)

Operations on the Ancre

The Second Battle of the Scarpe (second phase of the Arras Offensive)

In the above action, the Division captured Gavrelle.

The Battle of Arleux (third phase of the Arras Offensive)

The Second Battle of Passchendaele (eighth phase of the Third Battle of Ypres)

The Action of Welch Ridge

The Battle of St Quentin (first phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918)

The First Battle of Bapaume (second phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (second phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918)

The Battle of the Canal du Nord (third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)

The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)

The Passage of the Grand Honelle

This unique Division was demobilised in France by April 1919. It had suffered over 47,900 casualties.

Order of Battle

1st Royal Naval Brigade

By April 1915, this was redesignated 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade. On 2 August 1915, the Brigade was redesignated 1st Brigade. The Brigade was broken up on 2 July 1916, the staff joining the 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade.

1st (Drake) Bn (joined August 1914, left May 1916)

2nd (Hawke) Bn (joined August 1914, left May 1916)

3rd (Benbow) Bn (joined August 1914, disbanded 9 June 1915)

4th (Collingwood) Bn (joined August 1914, left 30 May 1915)

5th (Nelson) Bn (joined by April 1915, left May 1916)

7th (Hood) Bn (joined August 1915. Split into 1/Hood and 2/Hood Bns during the period 1 June - 5 July 1916. Left July 1916)

12th (Deal) Bn (joined 12 March 1915, left 30 May 1915)

2nd Royal Naval Brigade

By April 1915, this was redesignated 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade. In July 1915, the Brigade was broken up. It reformed on 2 August 1915, and was redesignated 2nd Brigade. It was further redesignated the 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade, on 7 July 1916, and on 19 July 1916, 189th Brigade.

1st (Drake) Bn (joined by 5 July1916)

2nd (Hawke) Bn (joined May 1916)

4th (Collingwood) Bn (joined 30 May 1915, disbanded 9 June 1915)

5th (Nelson) Bn (joined August 1914, left by April 1915, rejoined May 1916)

6th (Howe) Bn (joined August 1914, left July 1916)

7th (Hood) Bn (joined August 1914, left 2 August 1915 and rejoined July 1916)

8th (Anson) Bn (joined August 1914, left by May 1916)

Chatham & Deal Bn (amalgamated and joined 2 August 1915; renamed 1st Bn , Royal Marines ten days later; left May 1916)

Portsmouth & Plymouth Bn (amalgamated and joined 2 August 1915; renamed 2nd Bn , Royal Marines ten days later, left May 1916)

The battalions of both above Brigades were redesignated by April 1915. e.g. 6th (Howe) Bn became Howe Bn.

189th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 188th Brigade 8 May 1917 originally as 224th Brigade MG Company to but transferred to 189th on 12 June 1917, and moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918)

189th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 21 July 1916)

Royal Marine Brigade

By April 1915, this was redesignated 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. On 2 August 1915, the 4 Battalions of the Brigade were reorganised into 2; these units were then transferred to the 2nd Brigade. The Royal Marine Brigade ceased to exist.

Royal Marine A. Bn (joined August 1914, left 31st August 1914)

9th (Chatham) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915)

10th (Portsmouth) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915)

11th (Plymouth) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915)

12th (Deal) Bn (joined 31st August 1914, left 12 March 1915, rejoined 30 May 1915)

3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade

On arrival in France, 22 May 1916, the Royal Marine Brigade was reformed as this unit. On 7 July 1916, with the staff of the 1st Brigade, it was redesignated the 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade. This was itself redesignated 188th Brigade on 19 July 1916.

6th (Howe) Bn (joined July 1916)

8th (Anson) Bn (joined May 1916)

1st Royal Marines (joined May 1916)

2nd Royal Marines (joined May 1916)

2nd Bn, the Royal Irish (joined April 1918)

2/4th (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined August 1915, left January 1916)

188th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 4 August 1916, transferred to Base Depot 17 May 1917. 223rd MG Company arrived 8 May 1917 initially with 189th Brigade, but transferred 12 June 1917, and moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918)

188th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 21 July 1916)

190th Brigade

The Brigade was formed in July 1916.

7th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined July 1916)

4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the Bedfords (joined July 1916)

1/4th Bn, the KSLI (joined August 1917, left February 1918)

10th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (joined August 1916, left June 1917)

1/1st Bn, the Honourable Artillery Company (joined July 1916, left June 1917)

1/28th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined June 1917)

2/2nd (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined October 1915, left January 1916)

190th Brigade Machine Gun Company (moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918)

190th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 25 July 1916)

Divisional Troops

14th (Service) Bn (Severn Valley Pioneers), the Worcesters (joined June 1916)

Armoured Motor Machine-Gun Squadron (joined 17 March 1915, left late May 1915)

223rd Machine Gun Company (joined 7 September 1917, joined Divisional MG Battalion 1 March 1918)

No 63 Machine Gun Battalion (formed 1 March 1918)

Divisional Mounted Troops

Royal Naval Divisional Cyclist Company (broken up June 1916)

Divisional Artillery

CCXXIII (H) (1/IV Home Counties) Brigade, RFA (joined 9 June 1916, broken up 26 July 1916)

Divisional artillery joined in July 1916, having been transferred from the 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division, TF.

CCCXV (2/I Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916, left 11 February 1917)

CCCXVI (2/II Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916, broken up 31 August 1916)

CCCXVII (2/III Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916)

CCCXVIII (2/IV Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined July 1916)

63rd Divisional Ammunition Column

V.63 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (joined from 29 July 1916, when a single weapon arrived; broken up 2 February 1918)

X.63, Y.63 and Z.63 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (joined 5 July 1916; on 2 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each)

Engineer Units, RE

RE Detachment of 2 officers and 32 other ranks arrived France with the Royal Marine Brigade on 20 September 1914.

247th Field Company (Originally No 1 Company, joined before embarkation for Gallipoli; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated)

248th Field Company (Originally No 2 Company, joined before embarkation for Gallipoli; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated)

249th Field Company (Originally No 3 Company, joined on Gallipoli in July 1915; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated)

63rd Divisional Signal Company

Field Ambulances

No 1 Field Ambulance

No 2 Field Ambulance

No 3 Field Ambulance

These units were redesignated , e.g, 1st (R.N) Field Ambulance, on arrival in France

RND Divisional Train ASC (joined in Egypt 26 March 1915, the two original Companies left 15 March 1916; replaced by complete Divisional Train in France 14 June 1916. Train renumbered 63rd on 19 July 1916, composed of 761, 762, 763 and 764 Companies ASC.)

19th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 31 March 1915, left 18 February 1916)

53rd Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 18 June 1916)

Royal Naval Sanitary Section ( joined in Egypt 30 March 1915; remained in Egypt when Division moved to France)

63rd Sanitary Section ( formed 31 May 1916, left for First Army area 8 April 1917)

Divisional command

Br-Gen. Sir G. Aston (21/09/1914) Sick
Br-Gen. A. Paris (29/09/1914)
Maj-Gen. A. Paris (03/10/1914) Wounded
Br-Gen. C. de Rougemont (12/10/1916) Acting
Maj-Gen. C. Shute (17/10/1916)
Maj-Gen. C. Lawrie (19/02/1917)
Maj-Gen. C. Blacklock (30/08/1918)

What an extremely thorough post!

I understand that the division came together at the instigation of Churchill.

I do know how thoroughly competently they fought at Gallipoli.

I believe there that they were issued with the Mark 6 0.303 whereas the rest of the troops at Hellas had the Mark 7. Apparently different ammunition was needed for each model and this caused many problems there.

[Commodore Armiger]

For those interested in researching family links to the RND, www.findmypast.com may be the first place to look.

The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War is a uniquely accurate and comprehensive register of the deaths of servicemen of the Royal Navy who served in the Royal Naval Division (RND) in the Great War, compiled from original service records and all other sources listing RND casualties. As the title suggests, this database is dedicated to the memory of CH/19403 Private John (Jack) Clegg RMLI, 1st Royal Marine Battalion, Royal Naval Division, who was "wounded and missing" at the Battle of the Ancre 13/11/16. The author, Jack Marshall, is the great nephew of Private Clegg.

Pictures of Jack Clegg, as well as many other images relating to the Royal Naval Division are available to view for free on this site.

Definitive Roll of Honour for The Royal Naval Division

Originating from a desire to list the names of all those killed with Private Clegg in the 1st Royal Marine Battalion on the Ancre 13/11/16, this database has been compiled in order to "set the record straight" and provide a definitive Roll of Honour for the RND.
This database effectively rewrites the Royal Naval Division casualty lists, due to the great many errors and omissions discovered during research and compilation. Over the last six years, well over 100 cases were forwarded to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the names of approximately 70 RND servicemen have now been added to their Registers.

[Commodore Armiger]

In 2003 the national memorial to the RND was returned from Greenwich to its original site on the corner of Horse Guards Parade opposite St James's Park in central London. It is tucked between the Old Admiralty Building (now part of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) where Churchill worked when First Lord, and the Citadel (a naval communications centre from WWII still I think manned by matelots).

The monument was officially unveiled in 1925 by Winston Churchill, but was dismantled and put into storage in 1939 when preparations were made for war. The memorial was rebuilt at Greenwich in 1951, but when links with the Royal Navy were severed with the closure of the Greenwich College the memorial was returned to its original site. On its return it was re-dedicated by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

The memorial commemorates some 45,000 men of the Royal Naval Division who laid down their lives in the 1914-1918 war.

The words on the memorial are taken from Rupert Brooke’s poems “1914. III. The Dead”.

Blow out, you bugles, over the rich dead There's none of these so lonely and poor of old But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold These laid the world away, poured out the red Sweet wine of youth, gave up the years to be of work and joy, and that unhoped serene that men call age, and those who would have been their sons they gave, their immortality.

Rupert Brooke was himself an officer in RMD and took part in the disastrous Antwerp expedition in October 1914. In February 1915, he set sail for the Dardanelles. On board ship he developed septicaemia from a mosquito bite. He died on 23 April 1915 on a hospital ship off the Greek island of Skyros and was buried in an olive grove on the island.

Brooke's funeral was attended by the high and mighty. That they took time off from the Gallipoli planning shows the high regard they felt for the man.

And how apt his famous poem became: There is a corner of a foreign field ... ...

A sad and tragic loss. I've often wondered what he might have created had he survived.

Too many significant men died in WW1 Significant meaning that they were leaders in a particular field.

For instance, Henry Mosely, the discoverer of the atomic number of the elements, was also killed at Gallipoli. He would have undoubtedly received the Nobel Prize had he lived. He was a signaller. What a loss. What where they doing allowing men like this to go to war???

[limey43]

through reading this post I have just found out what RFR finally means, thank you. I have my Grandfathers record and a lot of it is confusing. He joined the Navy as a boy2 in 1915 at aged 16. J46647 He trained on land and ships until he went to sea on the Berwick in June of 1916. He stayed with the ship till Aug 1918. Then went on the Attentive 2 (Morris) dont know what Morris means. He then changed to SS 120468 as a stoker and served on the Grafton and Tiger. Upon his release Dec 7th 1922 it says paid war gratuity HMS Europa and war gratuity HMS Grafton. Reccomended for R.F.R. and there is an Unemployment Ministry of Labour Stamp 25117. Does this mean he did not join the R.F.R.? and if he did is there a way of looking up these records too.
Kind of a long post for a first time but am so confused with these records.!
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Dave Gee

[Batstiger]

Hello Limey

Interesting in as much as serving on the Berwick, she was the cruiser that rammed and sank the Destroyer HMS Tiger. I presume the Tiger he served on was her namesake the Battle cruiser Tiger.
Here are three of the ships that he served on. Also the destroyer Tiger thet was sunk by the Berwick.

Bob.

[jonti]

Re: Rupert Brooke.
In the 1950s and 60s, a ship from the Med Fleet, usually a destroyer or frigate was detailed off to Skyros to attend ,clear,and maintain the gravesite each year. In 1953, a ship from the Commonwealth Fleet cruise, assembled after the Coronation Fleet Review, did the job, whilst Lagos and Diamond attended in 1957 and 1961 respectively. Skyros was not the holiday mecca it is today and I wonder if that tradition continues. Rob T

I'm sure it does. A man of this significance is probably known to all.

[siggy63]

Okay
Apart from collecting this and that, I've also got a small space for items relating to the Royal Naval Division including kit, badges, photos and stories.

Will use this section to give some of these an airing so to speak

This first one shows Lt E Copeland RND MG Bn

The photo resided in my collection for a few years and then sold on, recently seen it go thru ebay for a sum quite more than that price originally sold for.... bugger LOL

Danny

[siggy63]

This one shows a Royal Naval Division AB, dated about 1915 and before the introduction of the Tommies Steel Helmet.

Danny

[berry]

G'day all'
The words of Winston Churchill need no embellishment.
Unveiling of the R.N.Division memorial 1925
We are often tempted to ask ourselves what we gained by the enormous
sacrifices made by those to whom this memorial is dedicated.But that was never the issue with those who marched away.No question of advantage presented itself to their minds.They only saw the light shining on the clear path to duty.They only saw their duty to resist oppression,to protect the weak.to vindicate the profound but unwritten law of nations.They never asked the question "what shall we gain?" They only asked the question "where lies the right?".It was thus that they marched away for ever.And yet from their uncalculating exaltation and devotion,detached from all consideration of material gains,we may be sure that good will come to their countrymen and to this Island they guarded in it's reputation and safety,so faithfully and so well.
Best regards
Sid

[stontamar]

For those interested in the history of the Royal Naval Division Leonard Sellers published a series of quarterly magazines from June 1997 (Issue 1) through to March 2003 (Issue 24). ISBN 1368-499X refers. This monumental work and absolute mine of information ran to 2443 pages and included three separate indexes.

After publishing Volume 24 Len decided that it was becoming very labour intensive to print and publish the quarterly volumes although he stated there was still extensive material available and it was intended that future issues would be made on CD. Although I may be wrong I do believe that this idea was never pursued and the total work ran in the end to the original 24 volumes plus three indexes.

A great work if any one is interested in the subject. Individual copies do come up for sale on E-bay but whether at this stage it would be possible to collect the full set is open to question. My copies were bound and I feel very privileged to own these volumes and very grateful to Len for the tremendous amount of work he put into the project.

stontamar

[siggy63]

I too have the printed editions from Len, whilst not bound and stored mine are in a binder of sorts and weighing heavily on a set of wooden shelves that make noises everytime you walk past them!

Excellent source of information for the researcher

Danny

[CE REYC]

AB John Allan, Clyde Z/3996 RNVR was a member of Anson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division. He fell on 24th April 1917 and his name appears in bay 1 of the Arras Memorial. He was a member of the family of a friend of mine who has the "Death Penny" that was sent to the family in commemoration. This is a resin copy I made of the disc.

[jainso31]

That is an amazingly good copy of the Death Penny-when I first saw it I thought it was real-did you copy it for a purpose

[CE REYC]

I first saw a death penny set into a headstone in a burial ground some distance from here. Mentioned it to my mate who produced the original of my copy and allowed me to take a mould of it. I made a couple of copies for myself and another ex Sapper who collects militaria. I also have a pewter copy but the definition is not so good as when they are resin cast. For info of others doing this kind of thing, the mould is made in RTV(Room Temperature Vulcanising) silicone rubber which sets quite quickly. With plasticene and card or hardboard a vertically placed disc could be copied. The resin is 'extended' by adding up to 50% by weight of inert filler powder and the brassy finish is achieved by rubbing on "Finger Gold" an oil paint product obtainable through art and craft outlets.

[jainso31]

All too Hi Tech for me to assimilate I'm afraid-but it sure is a nice piece
Mine are originals, to my Grandfathers.
PS Maiwand

jainso31

[Stan.J]

I raised a post recently about the dead mans penny it is in the W.W.1 anything else section.
Cheers Stan

[bert-261]

My small contribution to this section is a picture of The Hood Battalion badge. bert.

[jainso31]

The Royal Naval Division fought throughout the Great War and was in F&F from 1916-1918 in all the major battles including the Somme,Arras,Passchendaele,the German Spring offensive of 1918 and the Final 100 Days to Victory.
The Division suffered almost 48000 casualties in that war.

jainso31

[KizmeRD]

The initial batch of RND comprising of RM, RFR & pre-war RNR & RNVR who mobilized in August 1914 were sent directly to camps in Walmer and Bettshanger in Kent where they waited under canvass for a call to action.
Following the Battle of the Aisne, attention turned to the Channel ports because their importance in supplying the BEF. On 2 Oct. 1914 the Germans broke through near to Antwerp, driving back the Belgian army and threatening to seize the port. In response Churchill (as First Lord of the Admiralty) sent the RND to support and reinforce Belgian forces in the defence of Antwerp.

The RND was in truth a slender military asset, hastily assembled without clear orders and lacking equipment. Following the disintegration of the Belgian defenders, the RND was ordered to retire to Zwyndrecht 14 miles west of Antwerp. However the situation was fairly chaotic and not all battalions received the order, and soon after all cohesion was lost.
The RND expedition to Belgium suffered the loss of 7 officers and 53 men. Another 37 officers & 1,442 men made it over the border to Holland (where they were interned for the duration) and a total of 5 officers & 931 men were taken prisoner by the enemy.

Meanwhile Crystal Palace had been established in mid-September 1914 as a training depot to deal with the surge in enlistment consequent on the outbreak of hostilities. Crystal Palace recruits were therefore used to rebuild the battalions lost and depleted in the abortive defence of Antwerp.

As we know, the RND then went on to serve in Galliopli in 1915, and then in May 1916 it transferred to France. The following month the Division was placed under Army control and from this time on they were known as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.

Michael

[somme traveller]

AHOY THERE
what an interesting and thorough post,,
i have recently been to belgium and france and posted a thread
on the subject ,and whilst i wouldnt want to take any thing away from our army counterparts ,
i am glad to find like minded souls who care enough to publicise,
the RN In wwi i have been to a cemetry in ancre on the somme
and seen for myself the sacrifice my forbears made as i am ex RNR my self
and felt a great empathy with them more so than the army lads
i did spend time with them in silent contemplation and my thoughts and prayers go out to them
peter
EX HMS SUSSEX RATING.............................