At first the division, headquartered at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire,[1] merely supplied the first-line Territorial divisions with drafts to replace losses through casualties. In late 1915 the division began to be equipped for field operations although it was not sent to France until July 1916, after 88 trains had conveyed the men to Southampton from camps around Warminster, Heytesbury, and Codford stations.[2]
As a "lesser" division it was sent to the minor fronts of Salonika and finally Palestine. In mid-1918, most of its British battalions were replaced with Indian battalions and sent to the Western Front, the division effectively becoming a British Indian Army division.[4]
Order of Battle
Monument to the 9 December 1917, surrender of Jerusalem to the 60th London Division.
The division had the following composition:[3][4][5]
2/V London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery – joined 9 June 1915; renamed CCC (300) Bde and original batteries became A, B & C 17–18 May 1916; broken up 30–31 August 1916
2/12th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounder guns – A Bty; joined CCCII Bde 30–31 August 1916
2/13th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – B Bty; joined CCCII and CCCIII Bdes 30–31 August 1916
2/14th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – C Bty; broken up between A and C Btys 30–31 August 1916
1/3rd Wessex Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – joined 28 April 1916; became A/CCCIII Bty May 1916
2/21st London (H) Battery – 4.5-inch howitzer – joined from CCCIII Bde and became D (H) Bty May 1916; became D (H)/CCCI Bty 30–31 August 1916
2/V London Brigade Ammunition Column – absorbed by Divisional Ammunition Column before embarkation for France
2/VI London Brigade, RFA – joined 15 June 1915; renamed CCCI (301) Bde and original batteries became A, B & C 17–18 May 1916
2/15th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – A Bty; broken up between B and C Btys 30–31 August 1916; reformed in Macedonia
2/16th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – B Bty
2/17th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – C Bty
3/2nd Wessex Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – joined 28 April 1916; became B/CCCIII Bty May 1916
D (H) Battery – 4 x 4.5-inch – joined from CCC Bde 30–31 August 1916
519 (H) Battery – 4 x 4.5-inch – joined from England 20 October 1916 and became A (H) Bty; became D (H)/CCC Bty, then joined 3rd (Lahore) Division.
2/VI London Brigade Ammunition Column – absorbed by Divisional Ammunition Column before embarkation for France
2/VII London Brigade, RFA – joined 9 April 1915; renamed CCCII (302) Bde and original batteries became A, B & C 17–18 May 1916
2/18th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – A Bty; made up to six guns by R Section A/CCC Bty August 1916
2/19th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – B Bty; made up to six guns by L Section A/CCC Bty August 1916
2/20th London Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – C Bty; made up to six guns by a Section of B/CCC Bty August 1916
3/3rd Wessex Battery – 4 x 18-pounders – joined 28 April 1916; became C/CCCIII Bty May 1916
2/22nd London (H) Battery – joined from CCCIII Bde and became D (H) Bty May 1916
2/VII London Brigade Ammunition Column – absorbed by Divisional Ammunition Column before embarkation for France
X.60, Y.60, Z.60 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries – joined 6 July 1916
W.60 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery – formed in France 28 July 1916; remained in France when division left for Macedonia
60th (2/2nd London) Divisional Ammunition Column
Before leaving for Macedonia the 18-pounder batteries reverted to four-gun establishment: A/CCC Bty was reformed from its original two sections and one from B/CCC; B/CCC Bty was reformed from the other section and those of C/CCC. A/CCC Battery then joined 5th Division and B/CCC Bty became an instructional battery at First Army School.
In Macedonia, Egypt and Palestine
CCCI Brigade, RFA
A Bty – 6 x 18-pdr – from B Bty + half A Bty, 20 December 1916
B Bty – 6 x 18-pdr – from C Bty + half A Bty, 20 December 1916; to 74th (Yeomanry) Division 17 June 1917; rejoined 25 March 1918
D (H) Bty – 4 x 4.5-inch – C (H) Bty from 20 June 1917
CCCI Brigade Ammunition Column – reformed in Macedonia; disbanded on arrival in Egypt
CCCII Brigade, RFA
A Bty – 6 x 18-pdr – from A Bty + half C Bty, 22 December 1916
B Bty – 6 x 18-pdr – from B Bty + half C Bty, 22 December 1916
D (H) Bty – 4 x 4.5-inch – to 74th (Yeomanry) Division 17 June 1917
413 (H) Bty – 4 x 4.5-inch – joined and became C (H) Bty 10 October 1917
CCCII Brigade Ammunition Column – reformed in Macedonia; disbanded on arrival in Egypt
CCCIII Brigade, RFA
A Bty – 6 x 18-pdr – from A Bty + R Section C Bty, 10 January 1917
B Bty – 6 x 18-pdr – from B Bty + L Section C Bty, 10 January 1917
D (H) Bty – 4 x 4.5-inch – C (H) Bty from 20 June 1917
CCCIII Brigade Ammunition Column – reformed in Macedonia; disbanded on arrival in Egypt
Trench Mortar Brigade
X.60, Y.60, Z.60 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries – disbanded on arrival in Egypt
60th (2/2nd London) Divisional Transport and Supply Column, Army Service Corps
No 1 (HQ) Company (Horse Transport) – became 517 Company, ASC
No 2 Company (Horse Transport) – became 518 Company, ASC
No 3 Company (Horse Transport) – became 519 Company, ASC
No 4 Company (Horse Transport) – became 520 Company, ASC
On arrival in Macedonia the HT companies became the Wheeled Echelon and a Pack Echelon was formed on 27 October 1916; merged back into the wheeled echelon June 1917 in Egypt):
861, 862, 863, 864 Companies, ASC
Engagements
Maj-Gen J.S.M. Shea, GOC 60th Division
The division was engaged in the following actions:[3][4]
Becke, Maj A.F. History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN1-847347-39-8.
Dalbiac, Col P.H. (2003) History of the 60th Division (2/2nd London Division, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1927/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, ISBN978-1-84342-873-2.
Watson Graham E. & Rinaldi, Richard A. (2018) The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018, Tiger Lily Books, ISBN978-171790180-4.
Young, Lt-Col Michael (2000) Army Service Corps 1902–1918, Barnsley: Leo Cooper, ISBN0-85052-730-9.
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United Kingdom
British Army
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