The 36th (Ulster) Division of the British Army in 1914-1918 http://www.1914-1918.net/36div.

htm

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The British Army of 1914-1918 - for family historians

The 36th (Ulster) Division in 1914-1918

The history of 36th (Ulster) Division

In September 1914, the Ulster Division was formed from the Ulster Volunteer Force which raised thirteen
battalions for the three Irish regiments based in Ulster: the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Fusiliers and
the Royal Irish Rifles. A unique situation existed. This summary is from Ray Westlake’s “Kitchener’s Army”:

“It took several weeks after war was declared that permission to form an Ulster Division was granted.
The Ulster Volunteer Force, a Protestant organisation created by Sir Edward Carson as a force to
counter the threat of the Home Rule Bill, was already in existence and its members were as eager as
any to join the war. However, due to the political situation in Ireland, things were held up. Many volunteers
refused to wait and either crossed to England or Scotland to enlist, or joined the 10th or 16th Divisions already
being formed by the War Office in Ireland.

With over 80,000 members, it was clear that the UVF was in a position to make an important contribution to the
recruitment of the New Armies. Lord Kitchener met with Sir Edward Carson in London who, although eager to
help was concerned at how the situation in Ireland might turn while his force was away at war. The Government
were not able to give any guarantees that might put Sir Edward’s mind at rest. However, he later agreed to raise
a Division, without any conditions, and within days had placed an order for 10,000 uniforms with a London firm of
outfitters.”

The UVF was not only organised, but trained to some extent as a military force, and had been armed. It was
therefore considerably more advanced as a formed body of men than the similar formations of the New Armies
now being created elsewhere.

These battalions were clothed and administered by their raisers in the same way as the locally raised New Army
battalions in Great Britain, although the UVF was at a high state of readiness in August 1914 as a result of
heightened tensions in connection with the Home Rule debate that had occurred earlier in the year".

1914
August: Formed in Ireland as the Ulster Division, with Brigades numbered 1,2 and 3. On 28 August 1914, the
Division and its Brigades adopted the titles shown on this page.

1915
July: the Division moved to Seaford on the Sussex coast of England. Lord Kitchener inspected the Division there
on 27 July 1915, and later remarked to Carson “your Division of Ulstermen is the finest I have yet seen”. Another
inspection took place, by King George V, on 30 September
3-6 October: the Division moved to France, although the artillery remained in England until November.

The Ulster Division initially concentrated in the area around Flesselles, some ten miles north of Arras. Gradually,
men were sent in groups for familiarisation with trench warfare conditions, and were attached to the regular army
4th Division for the purpose in the (at this time) quiet are north of the River Ancre near Albert.

On 21 October the Division was moved away from the fighting area towards Abbeville, where it spent most of the
winter of 1915-16 continuing training. One of the Brigades was attached to 4th Division for several weeks at this
time and the artillery finally rejoined.

1916
The whole Division finally took over a complete section of the front line on 7 February, between the River Ancre
and the Mailly-Maillet to Serre road. Division HQ was at Acheux. In the first week of March, the Division extended
its front, the 109th Brigade taking over the sector south of the Ancre, known by the name of Thiepval Wood.

The Division remained in the Wesrern Friont in France and Flanders throughout the rest of the war and took part in
the following engagements

The Battle of Albert* in which the Division attacked at the Schwaben Redoubt near Thiepval.

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The 36th (Ulster) Division of the British Army in 1914-1918 http://www.1914-1918.net/36div.htm

This map, an extract of a larger map from the British Official History, shows the ground over which the Ulstermen attacked on 1 July.
Their front line skirted the northern edge of Thiepval wood, facing a gentle upward slope toward Schwaben Redoubt, a defensive
complex in the second main German trench system north of Thiepval.

The Division was relieved on 2 July, having suffered 5104 casualties of who approximately 2069 died.
* the battle marked * is a phase of the Battles of the Somme 1916

1917
The Battle of Messines, in which the Division captured Wytschaete
The Battle of Langemarck**
** the battles marked ** are phases of the Third Battles of Ypres 1917
The Cambrai Operations, including the capture of Bourlon Wood

1918
The Division was substantially reorganised in February 1918.
The Battle of St Quentin+

On 21 March 1918 the Division was holding a sector of the British front line and Forward Zone south west of St Quentin. The main
defences consisted of a number of isolated redoubts, in which the Ulstermen held on for several hours while under bombardment and
ultimately being surrounded and cut off.

The Actions at the Somme Crossings+

The Battle of Rosieres+

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The 36th (Ulster) Division of the British Army in 1914-1918 http://www.1914-1918.net/36div.htm

+ the battles marked + are phases of the First Battles of the Somme 1918
The Battle of Messines++
The Battle of Bailleul++
The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge++
++ the battles marked ++ are phases of the Battles of the Lys
The Battle of Ypres^
The Battle of Courtrai^
The action of Ooteghem^
^ the battles marked ^ are phases of the Final Advance in Flanders

On 11 November the Division was at Mouscron, north east of Tourcoing. It remained there throughout the period
of demobilisation. It ceased to exist on 29 June 1919.

The Great War cost 36th (Ulster) Division 32186 men killed, wounded or missing.

The order of battle of the 36th (Ulster) Division

107th Brigade
This brigade was attached to 4th Division for instructional purposes between 5 November 1915 and 3 February
1916
8th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
9th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
10th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
15th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
107th Machine Gun Company
107th Trench Mortar Battery
1st Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers
1st Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
2nd Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
(East Belfast) renamed as 8/9th from August 1917 and
disbanded 7 February 1918
(West Belfast) merged into 9th Bn from August 1917
(South Belfast) disbanded 20 February 1918
(North Belfast)
joined 18 December 1915, moved to 36th Bn MGC 1 March
1918
joined 1 April 1916
joined August 1917, left for 108th Bde February 1918
joined February 1918
joined February 1918

108th Brigade
11th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
12th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
13th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
9th Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers
108th Machine Gun Company
108th Trench Mortar Battery
7th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
2nd Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
1st Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers
(South Antrim) renamed as 11/13th from 13 November 1917 and
disbanded 18 February 1918
(Central Antrim)
(County Down) merged into 11th Bn on 13 November 1917
(County Armagh)
joined 26 January 1916, moved to 36th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
joined 1 April 1916
joined October 1917, merged into 2nd Bn November 1917
joined November 1917, left February 1918
joined from 107th Bde February 1918

109th Brigade
9th Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
10th Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
11th Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
14th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
109th Machine Gun Company
109th Trench Mortar Battery
1st Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
2nd Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
(County Tyrone)
(Derry) disbanded January 1918
(Donegal and Fermanagh) disbanded February 1918
(Young Citizens) disbanded February 1918
joined 23 January 1916, moved to 36th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
joined 1 April 1916
joined February 1918
joined February 1918

12th Brigade
This brigade was attached from 4th Division in exchange for 107th Brigade between 4 November 1915 and 3
February 1916

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The 36th (Ulster) Division of the British Army in 1914-1918 http://www.1914-1918.net/36div.htm

Divisional Troops
16th Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles
1st Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers
266th Machine Gun Company
36th Battalion MGC
(County Down Pioneers) Divisional Pioneer Battalion
joined August 1917, left for 107th Bde same month
joined 17 January 1918, moved to 36th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
formed 1 March 1918

Divisional Mounted Troops

Service Sqn, the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons left June 1916
36th Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist broken up 31 May 1916
Corps

Divisional Artillery
The original artillery of 36th (Ulster) Division, shown below, did not accompany the Division to France in
November 1915, but rejoined it there in December. The artillery of the 56th (1st London) Division moved to
France with 36th (Ulster) Division and remained under command until 12 December 1915.
CLIII Brigade, RFA
CLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA broken up late September 1916
CLXXII Brigade, RFA broken up 31 January 1917
CLXXIII Brigade, RFA
36 Heavy Battery RGA raised with that Division but broken up while still at home
36th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA
V.36 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA joined 20 June 1916; disbanded 11 February 1918
X.36, Y.36 and Z.36 Medium Mortar Batteries, formed 1 June 1916; on 11 February 1918, Z broken up and
RFA batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers
121st Field Company
122nd Field Company
150th Field Company
36th Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

108th Field Ambulance
109th Field Ambulance
1110th Field Ambulance
76th Sanitary Section left April 1917

Other Divisional Troops

36th Divisional Train ASC 251, 252, 253 and 254 Companies.
48th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC
233rd Divisional Employment Company joined 21 July 1917
35th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop disbanded April 1916

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The 36th (Ulster) Division of the British Army in 1914-1918 http://www.1914-1918.net/36div.htm

.
The Ulster Memorial Tower near Thiepval stands on the ground over which the Division attacked on 1 July 1916. It houses a small
museum and affords from the grounds superb views over the Ancre valley towards Beaumont Hamel.

This page is dedicated to the memory of 36th (Ulster) Division men like

Private 16434 Samuel Neill of the Royal Irish Fusiliers landed in France on 4 October 1915, serving with the
original contingent of the 9th (Service) Battalion, which was also known as the Armagh, Monaghan and Cavan
Volunteers. A resident of Tamnaghvelton, Tandragee, he was a 1912 signatory of the Ulster Covenant. Samuel
was wounded during the war and transferred to the Labour Corps.

Samuel was researched in detail for a private client by fourteeneighteen|research

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