The British 16th (Irish) Division was a New Armydivision formed in Ireland in September 1914 as part of the K2 Army Group. The division moved to France in December 1915 and spent the duration of the First World War in action on the Western Front. The division required a substantial refit in England between June and August 1918 which involved the introduction of many non-Irish battalions.
14th (Service) Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment (from June 1918)
9th (Service) Battalion, Black Watch (from July 1918)
2nd Battalion, The Prince of Wale's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) (from February 1918 until April 1918)
48th Brigade
8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers (disbanded May 1916)
7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (until August 1917)
8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (merged with 9th Battalion October 1917)
9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (merged with 8th Battalion October 1917)
1st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers (from May 1916 until November 1916)
1st Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (from October 1917 until April 1918)
2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers (from February 1918 until May 1918)
22nd (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (from June 1918)
18th (Service) Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (from July 1918)
11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (from June 1918 until August 1918)
5th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (from August 1918)
10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (from June 1917, disbanded February 1918)
The 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers combined to form the 8/9th Battalion in October 1917 which was subsequently disbaned in February 1918.
49th Brigade
7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (merged with 8th Battalion October 1916, disbanded February 1918)
8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (merged with 7th Battalion October 1916, disbanded February 1918)
7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (merged with 8th Battalion August 1917)
8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (merged with 7th Battalion August 1917)
2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (from October 1916 until April 1918)
7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (from August 1917 until October 1917)
7th (South Irish Horse) Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (from October 1917 until July 1918)
18th (Service) Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment (from July 1918)
The 7th and 8th Battalions of the Royal Irish Fusiliers combined to form the 7/8th Battalion in October 1916 which was subsequently disbanded in February 1918. The 7th and 8th Battalions of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers combined to form the 7/8th Battalion in August 1917 which was subsequently disbanded in February 1918.
According to the divisional historian, at Cambrai, the "swift and successful operation by 16thDivision was a model of attack with a limited objective." In addition to securing 3,000 yards of trench, 635 prisoners were captured from the German army's 470th and 471st Regiments and 330 German bodies were counted in the trenches.
Unfortunately, 3rd Division had failed in its attempt to capture the trench network immediately to the right of 16thDivision, and the flank of the Connaught Rangers was thus exposed to a savage counterattack.
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