63rd (Royal Naval) Division

Forming a Division

Long before the war it was realised by the Royal Navy that, enormous it might be, but it still had too many reservists for the number of sailing vessels it would have available in time of war.

The idea was put forward that units could be trained as infantry to fight for ports or naval installations and then to defend them. I think that the RAF Regiment serves a similar purpose today only for airfields etc.

The Royal Naval Division was sent to Antwerp in October 1914 in an attempt to defend the Belgian Fortress. Badly out gunned and without adequate support those that weren't killed or captured were forced to withdraw with the rest of the BEF towards Ieper.

At the end of February 1915 the Division set sail for the military disaster that was to become the Dardenelles campaign. A year later following the remarkably well organised and successful evacuation of the beaches the RND was garrisoned on a number of the Aegean Islands. Like many soldiers the belief in a quick war and a speedy clean victory had been battered out of the sailors by the reality of all they had suffered and witnessed.

Worse for the Division was that they faced an uncertain future and found themselves awaiting news from London as to what was to become of them.

It needs to be realised that at this time the Admiralty was enormously powerful and rather than just let the unit be disbanded it was agreed that they would be placed under command of the Army, whilst retaining their legal status as sailors.

France

Thus in May 1916 the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, as it was now designated, arrived in Marseilles.

It consisted of three Brigades, the 188th, 189th and 190th. The first two were exclusively Navy, whilst the latter was actually made up of soldiers.

188th Brigade	189th Brigade	190th Brigade
Howe Battalion	Hood Battalion	1st Bn HAC
Anson Battalion	Hawke Battalion	4th Bn Bedford Regt
1st Royal Marines LI	Drake Battalion	7th Bn Royal Fusiliers
2nd Royal Marines LI	Nelson Battalion	10th Bn Dublin Fusiliers

From Marseilles the Division was brought north to Abbeville a town which sits astride the Somme river as it flows out to the bay and the seaside town of Le Crotoy (The bay is especially worth visiting by the way - with large varieties of bird life, the largest colony of seals in France as well as a steam train to take you round the bay).

Following a short period further north the Division was brought back south and it soon became evident that they were going to be used in the area of the Ancre Valley. Fittingly enough perhaps as Ancre is the French for Anchor.

This entire area had withstood all attempts by the British to take it, and it was only now after the fall of the Thiepval that another attack could be launched with any degree of real confidence.

The attack by the Ulster Division on 1 July 1916

Unfortunately for the Division they suffered a telling blow in the loss of their commander: Major General Archibald Paris, who lost a leg when he was wounded by shellfire on 12 October.

The man chosen to replace him was Major General Cameron Shute who found the Division's Naval traditions and manners complete anathema. Much has been written about the effects on morale within the Division by the arrival of Shute and his attempts to hammer the sailors into a conforming Army Unit. In later years he was to become an admirer of the Division but for the moment a spell-checker is essential when typing his name!

The weather had been unfavourable and the attack had been postponed several times causing a lot of stress for those waiting to take part.

On the 10th November it was finally decided that it would go ahead on the 13th.

As the official history records, the infantry had a long and trying march up to the lines in cold and wet conditions:

...in the early hours of 13th November, when the whole battlefield had become shrouded in dripping fog.

The taking of Beaucourt 13/14 November 1916