List of orders of battle for the British 6th Division

An order of battle is a list of the various elements of a military formation organised within a hierarchical command structure. It can provide information on the strength of that formation and the equipment used. An order of battle is not necessarily a set structure, and it can change depending on tactical or strategic developments, or the evolution of military doctrine. For example, a division could be altered radically from one campaign to another through the adding or removing of subunits but retain its identity and prior history. The size of a division can vary dramatically as a result of what forces are assigned and the doctrine employed at that time.

The 6th Division is an active division of the British Army, which was first formed in October 1810. It has since been raised and disbanded numerous times numerous times from then through to present.

Napoleonic Wars

During the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the British Army grew in size. On 18 June 1809, Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley, commander of the British forces in Spain and Portugal, ordered the creation of the army's first four divisions. This was followed by the creation of the 6th Division the following year, on 6 October 1810.

On formation (October 1810) During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division

The division's first brigade: 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion, 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot One company from the 5th Battalion, 60th (Royal American) Regiment

Portuguese brigade: 8th Portuguese Line Regiment Loyal Lusitanian Legion

Battle of Fuentes de Onoro (May 1811) During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division

The division's first brigade: 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion, 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot One company from the 5th Battalion, 60th (Royal American) Regiment

The division's second brigade: 2nd Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot

Portuguese Brigade 8th Portuguese Line Regiment (two battalions) 12th Portuguese Line Regiment (two battalions)

Battle of Salamanca (July 1812) During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division

The division's first brigade: 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion, 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot One company from the 5th Battalion, 60th (Royal American) Regiment

The division's second brigade: 2nd Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot

Portuguese Brigade 8th Portuguese Line Regiment 12th Portuguese Line Regiment 9th Caçadores

1813 campaign, including the Battle of Sorauren During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division

The division's first brigade: 1st Battalion, 42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameron Highlanders) 1st Battalion, 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot One company from the 5th Battalion, 60th (Royal American) Regiment

The division's second brigade: 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot

Portuguese Brigade 8th Portuguese Line Regiment 12th Portuguese Line Regiment 9th Caçadores

1814 campaign, including the Battle of Toulouse During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division

The division's first brigade: 1st Battalion, 42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameron Highlanders) 1st Battalion, 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot

The division's second brigade: 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot

Portuguese Brigade 8th Portuguese Line Regiment 12th Portuguese Line Regiment 9th Caçadores

Waterloo campaign (1815) 6th Division

British Tenth Brigade 1st Battalion, 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion, 81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers)

Fourth Hanoverian Brigade Landwehr Battalion Verden Landwehr Battalion Lüneburg Landwehr Battalion Osterode Landwehr Battalion Münden Captain Rettberg's Foot Battery

Divisional troops Major Unett's British Foot Battery Captain Sinclair's British Foot Battery

Second Boer War On mobilisation in December 1899 6th Infantry Division

12th Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment

13th Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 1st battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry

Divisional troops Divisional artillery, Royal Field Artillery 76th Battery 81st Battery 82nd Battery Ammunition column Divisional engineers, Royal Engineers No. 7, 10, and 23 Companies, Army Service Corps Royal Army Medical Corps

February 1900 6th Infantry Division

13th Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 1st battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry

18th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) 1st Battalion, Welsh Regiment 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment

1st Mounted Infantry Brigade (attached) 1st Mounted Infantry Regiment 3rd Mounted Infantry Regiment 5th Mounted Infantry Regiment 7th Mounted Infantry Regiment New South Wales Mounted Rifles Roberts' Horse Kitchener's Horse Grahamstown Volunteers Mounted Infantry

Divisional troops Divisional artillery, Royal Field Artillery 76th Battery 81st Battery Ammunition column 38th Company, Royal Engineers

First World War On 28 July 1914, the First World War began. On 4 August, Germany invaded Belgium and the United Kingdom entered the war against the German Empire.

The war establishment (on-paper strength), of an infantry division in 1914 was 18,179 men, 5,594 horses, 18 motor vehicles, 76 pieces of artillery, and 24 machine guns. While there was a small alteration to the number of men and horses were supposed to be in a division in 1915, the main change was the decrease in artillery pieces to 48 and an increase in motor vehicles to 54. The establishment in 1916 increased the division size to 19,372 men, 5,145 horses, 61 motor vehicles, 64 artillery pieces, 40 trench mortars, and 200 machine guns. The 1917 changes saw a decrease to 18,825 men, 4,342 horses, 57 motor vehicles, and 48 artillery pieces, although the number of trench mortars remained the same, and the number of machine guns increased to 264. By 1918, the number of front line infantry within the British Army in France had decreased because of casualties and a lack of eligible replacements, and this led to a manpower crisis. To consolidate manpower and to increase the ratio of machine guns and artillery support available to the infantry, the number of battalions in a division was reduced from twelve to nine. This resulted in the 1918 establishment of 16,035 men, 3,838 horses, 79 motor vehicles, 48 artillery pieces, 36 trench mortars, and 400 machine guns.

First World War (1914–1918) 9 September 1914 6th Division

16th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General E. C. Ingouville-Williams) 1st The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 1st The Leicestershire Regiment 1st The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) 2nd The York and Lancaster Regiment 17th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General W. R. B. Doran) 1st The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1st The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) 2nd The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) 3rd The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) 18th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General W. N. Congreve) 1st The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) 1st The East Yorkshire Regiment 2nd The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) 2nd The Durham Light Infantry Divisional Troops Mounted Troops C Squadron, 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars 6th Cyclist Company Artillery II Brigade, RFA 21st Battery, RFA 42nd Battery, RFA 53rd Battery, RFA XXIV Brigade, RFA 110th Battery, RFA 111th Battery, RFA 112th Battery, RFA XXXVIII Brigade, RFA 24th Battery, RFA 34th Battery, RFA 72nd Battery, RFA XII (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA 43rd (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 86th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 87th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 24th Heavy Battery, RGA Engineers 12th Field Company, RE 38th Field Company, RE

Later in the War 6th Division 16th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Buffs (East Kent) Regiment 1st Battalion, King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (from 71st Bde. November 1915, disbanded February 1918) 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (to 71st Bde. November 1915) 1/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (from February 1915 to June 1915)

17th Infantry Brigade (until 14 October 1915) 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) 2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) 1/2nd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) (from February 1915)

The brigade transferred to the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 71st Brigade.

18th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (until November 1915) 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 11th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment (from 71st Bde. October 1915) 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (to 71st Bde. October 1915) 14th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (from November 1915, disbanded February 1918) 1/16th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen's Westminsters)(until February 1916)

19th Infantry Brigade (until 31 May 1915) 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 1/5th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Originally an independent brigade before being attached to the division, the 19th Brigade moved to the 27th Division in May, 1915 and was not replaced, reducing the division to the standard three infantry brigades.

71st Infantry Brigade (from 11 October 1915) 9th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (disbanded February 1918) 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (to 16th Bde. November 1915) 11th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment (to 18th Bde. October 1915) 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (from 16th Bde. November 1915) 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (from 18th Bde. October 1915)

The brigade joined from the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 17th Brigade.

Royal Field Artillery II Brigade, RFA XXIV Brigade, RFA