The British 36th (Ulster) Division was a New Armydivision formed in September 1914. Originally called the Ulster Division, it was made up of members of the Ulster Volunteer Force who formed 13 additional battalions for three existing Irish regiments; the Royal Irish Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The division served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War.
They believed that the British were exhausted by the four major efforts in 1917 (Arras, Messines, Passchendaele and Cambrai).
At the same time as German strength was growing, the British Army was depleted, having to face up to a manpower crisis and resultant reorganisation, and at a low point of morale after enduring the conditions of Passchendaele and the disappointment after early success at Cambrai.
The greatest losses were to 36th (Ulster) Division [7,310], 16th (Irish) Division [7,149] and 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division [7,023].
Also, since the British positions were everywhere overlooked, the Germans had plenty of time to range their artillery and site their machine gun emplacements to the most deadly advantage.
At Thiepval Wood where the UlsterDivision attacked the distance to the first line of German trenches was about 500 yards with a further 400 to the notorious Schwaben Redoubt.
This is the Ulster Tower, built as an almost exact replica of Helen's Tower in Clandeboye Estate near Bangor in County Down where many of the soldiers of the UlsterDivision trained.
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