The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division first formed in 1908. It was reformed in 1920 as part of the rebuilding of the Territorial Army, and raised a second line duplicate, 45th (Wessex) Division, on the doubling of the Territorial Army in 1939. In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Poland Nazi Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Gerd von Rundstedt Strength XXX Corps, 35,000 airborne 20,000 Casualties 18,000 casualties 13,000 casualties Operation Market Garden (September 17-September 25, 1944) was an Allied military operation in World War II. Its tactical objectives were... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Ardennes: Battle of the bulge Wacht Am Rhein redirects here. ... Combatants Britain, Canada Germany Commanders Lt. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ... The 45th (Wessex) Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army division during the Second World War . ...

History

The Division was a formation created with the rest of the Territorial Force in 1908. On 24 September 1914, it accepted overseas service in India in order to relieve regular units required for active service. Divisional and Brigade HQs, both artillery and infantry, did not embark for India. The "Division" sailed on 9 October 1914, and moved to India where it remained throughout the Great War.

In World War II it was organised as an infantry division and fought in Normandy, where it faced off against two elite German SS Divisions at Hill 112 during Operation Epsom?. It performed well, and is considered one of the best British Divisions in the 2nd World War. It later played a major role in Operation Market Garden , as the support to Guards Armoured Division. During Market Garden, a Battalion (4th Dorsets) successfully crossed the Rhine as a diversion, so that 1st Airborne could withdraw more safely, but many men of the 4th Dorsets were themselves left behind on the north Bank of the Rhine when the Division withdrew Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Free France Poland Nazi Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (absent) (Heeresgruppe B) Friedrich Dollmann () Strength 326,000 (by June 11) Unknown, probably some 1,000... During World War II, Operation Epsom (Allies, 1944) was a British attack to seize Caen, France. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Poland Nazi Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Gerd von Rundstedt Strength XXX Corps, 35,000 airborne 20,000 Casualties 18,000 casualties 13,000 casualties Operation Market Garden (September 17-September 25, 1944) was an Allied military operation in World War II. Its tactical objectives were... The Guards Armoured Division was a World War II British Army formation. ...

The division later played a small part in the Battle of the Bulge, where it was placed on the Meuse as a reserve, and a large part in the invasion of Germany and the Crossing of the Rhine (Operation Veritable). Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Ardennes: Battle of the bulge Wacht Am Rhein redirects here. ... Operation Veritable was the northern part of the Second World War pincer movement by Field Marshall Bernard Montgomerys 21st Army Group to clear the land between the Rhine and Roer rivers. ...

Commanders

• Major-General G. Thomas. Thomas was often called "The Butcher" by his men, because of his obliviousness to casualties when pursuing objectives, and was one of the most Loathed men in the British Army.

Order of Battle

129th Infantry Brigade

• 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
• 4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
• 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment

The 129th Infantry Brigade was a 1st Line Territorial Army brigade during the Second World War . ...

130th Infantry Brigade

• 7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
• 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
• 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

The 130th Infantry Brigade was a Territorial brigade of the British Army. ...

214th Infantry Brigade

• 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
• 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment
• 5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

Support Units

• 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
• 43rd Reece, Royal Armoured Corps
• 94th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 112th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 59th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 13th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers
• 204th Field Company, Royal Engineers
• 207th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers (from Bath, Somerset).
• 260th Field Company, Royal Engineers (from Chippenham, Wiltshire).
• 553rd Field Company, Royal Engineers
• 54th Company, RASC
• 504th Company, RASC
• 505th Company, RASC
• 506th Divisional Company, RASC

Sources

• http://www.1914-1918.net/43div.htm
• http://orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/017_britain/39_org/div_inf.html