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The British 53rd (Welsh) Division was a Territorial Army division. During the First World War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East.
Unit history
The division landed at Suvla on August 9.
On March 26, 1917, the 53rd Division bore the brunt of the First Battle of Gaza where the three brigades, along with the 161st Brigade of the 54th Division, had to advance across exposed ground, withstanding shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire, to capture the Turkish fortifications. Despite gaining the advantage towards the end of the day, the British commander called off the attack so that the division's casualties, close to 3,500, were suffered in vain.
Formation
The division comprised three infantry brigades. Some original battalions were detached early in the war to reinforce other divisions.
- 158th (North Wales) Brigade
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- 159th (Cheshire) Brigade
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- 1/4th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment (until February 1915)
- 1/7th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment
- 2/5th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment (until April 1915)
- 2/6th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment (until April 1915)
- 1/4th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment
- 160th (Welsh Border) Brigade
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- 2/4th Battalion, the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
- 1/4th Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment
- 2/4th Battalion, the Royal West Kent Regiment
- 2/10th Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment
- 1/1st Battalion, the Monmouthshire Regiment (until February 1915)
- 1/3rd Battalion, the Monmouthshire Regiment (until February 1915)
Battles
External links
The British Army in the Great War: The 53rd (Welsh) Division (http://www.1914-1918.net/53div.htm)
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