The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was an
infantrydivision of the
British Army raised in 1915 during the
Great War as a second-line reserve for the first-line battalions of the
48th (South Midland) Division. The division was sent to the
Western Front in May 1916 and served there for the duration of the First World War.
Unit history
The division landed in France in May 1916.[1] On 19 July 1916, together with the 5th Australian Division, the 61st Division fought the
Battle of Fromelles, designed as a feint attack as part of the Somme Offensive.[1] The attack, against well prepared German positions based on a ridge, was a disaster and responsible for the subsequent poor reputation of the Division.[2] The division later took part in the advance to the
Hindenburg Line and the
Third Battle of Ypres.[1]
V.61 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA formed by 16 August 1916; left 7 February 1918
X.61, Y.61 and Z.61 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA formed June 1916; on 7 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each
^"Richard Bannatine-Allason". Centre for First World War Studies, University of Birmingham. Archived from
the original on 16 February 2006. Retrieved 26 May 2020.