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17th (Northern) Division    17th (Northern) Division was established by the Northern Command in September 1914, as part of the Army Orders authorising Kitchener's Second New Army, K2. Early days were somewhat chaotic, the new volunteers having very few trained officers and NCOs to command them, no organised billets or equipment. The units of the Division initially concentrated in the Wareham - Lulworth - Swanage - Wool- Bovington area of Dorset but moved in late May 1915 to the Winchester area. After receiving an order that the Division would be retained for home defence (subsequently cancelled), advance parties left for France on 6th of July. Main embarkation began on 12 July and units moved to concentrate near St Omer. The Division served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war, taking part in many of the significant actions: 1915 The Division spent its initial period of trench familiarisation and then holding the front lines in the southern area of the Ypres salient. 1916 The Actions of Spring 1916. The Battle of Albert - Somme in which the Division captured Fricourt The Battle of Delville Wood - Somme 1917 The First Battle of the Scarpe - Arras Offensive The Second Battle of the Scarpe - Arras Offensive The Capture of Roeux - Arras Offensive The First Battle of Passchendaele - Third Battles of Ypres The Second Battle of Passchendaele - Third Battles of Ypres 1918 The Battle of St Quentin - Somme The Battle of Bapaume - Somme The Battle of Amiens - Somme The Battle of Albert - Somme The Battle of Bapaume - Somme The Battle of Havrincourt - Hindenburg Line The Battle of Epehy - Hindenburg Line The Battle of Cambrai 1918 - Hindenburg Line The pursuit to the Selle The Battle of the Selle - Final Advance in Artois The Battle of the Sambre - Final Advance in Artois When the Armistice came into effect at 1100 on 11th of November 1918 the leading elements of the Division were south east of Maubeuge. Over the next two days the Division was withdrawn to the area west of Le Cateau; on 6 December it moved behind Amiens and went to billets around Hallencourt. Demobilisation began in January 1919 and the Division ceased to exist at the end of May. In all the 17th (Northern) Division had suffered the loss of 40258 killed, wounded and missing. Order of Battle of the 17th (Northern) Division 50th Brigade 10th Btn, West Yorkshire Regiment 7th Btn, East Yorkshire Regiment 7th Btn, Yorkshire Regiment disbanded February 1918 7th Btn, York & Lancaster Regiment left March 1915 6th Btn, Dorsetshire Regiment joined March 1915 50th Machine Gun Company joined 12 February 1916, left to move into 17th MG Battalion 24 February 1918 50th Trench Mortar Battery formed by 25 June 1916 51st Brigade 7th Btn, Lincolnshire Regiment 7th Btn, Border Regiment 8th Btn, South Staffordshire Regiment disbanded February 1918 10th Btn, Sherwood Foresters 51st Machine Gun Company joined 12 February 1916, left to move into 17th MG Battalion 24 February 1918 51st Trench Mortar Battery formed by 3 July 1916 3/4th Btn, Royal West Kent Regiment joined 22 June 1917, left 12 July 1917 52nd Brigade 9th Btn, Northumberland Fusiliers left August 1917 10th Btn, Lancashire Fusiliers 9th Btn, Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment 12th Btn, Manchester Regiment 52nd Machine Gun Company joined 12 February 1916, left to move into 17th MG Battalion 24 February 1918 52nd Trench Mortar Battery formed by 15 June 1916 3/4th Btn, Royal West Kent Regiment joined 3 August 1917, disbanded by 20 February 1918 Divisional Troops 6th Btn, Dorsetshire Regiment left March 1915 7th Btn, York & Lancaster Regiment joined as Pioneer Battalion March 1915 3/4th Btn, the Royal West Kent Regiment attached as Pioneer Battalion 12 July - 3 August 1917 12th Motor Machine Gun Battery joined 10 July 1915, left 7 May 1916 236th Machine Gun Company joined 17 July 1917, left to move into 17th MG Battalion 24 February 1918 17th Battalion Machine Gun Corps formed 24 February 1918 Divisional Mounted Troops A Sqn, Yorkshire Dragoons Yeomanry left 10 May 1916 17th Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps left 24 May 1916 Divisional Artillery LXXVIII Brigade, RFA LXXIX Brigade, RFA LXXX Brigade, RFA broken up 31 August 1916 LXXXI (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA broken up 1-27 January 1917 17th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA 17th Heavy Battery, RGA raised with the Division but moved independently to France and joined XXIX Heavy Artillery Brigade on 9 October 1915 V.17 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA joined 22 August 1916, left 28 February 1918 X.17, Y.17 and Z.17 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA formed by 22 August 1916; by 28 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each Royal Engineers 77th Field Company 78th Field Company 93rd Field Company 17th Divisional Signals Company Royal Army Medical Corps 51st Field Ambulance 52nd Field Ambulance 53rd Field Ambulance 34th Sanitary Section left 10 March 1917 Other Divisional Troops 17th Divisional Train ASC 146, 147, 148 and 149 Companies 29th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC 218th Divisional Employment Company joined 9 June 1917 17th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop absorbed into Divisional Train 2 April 1916 12th Jul 1915 On the Move 12th Jul 1915 Orders 13th Jul 1915 On the Move 14th Jul 1915 On the Move 15th Jul 1915 On the Move 15th Jul 1915 In Camp 16th Jul 1915 On the Move 18th Jul 1915 On the March 19th Jul 1915 On the March 20th Jul 1915 Inspection 20th Jul 1915 In Billets 21st Jul 1915 10th Sherwoods inspected 21st of July 1915 Relief   21st Jul 1915 Instruction 22nd of July 1915 Superior Sniping   22nd Jul 1915 In Billets 23rd Jul 1915 On the March   23rd of July 1915 3rd Div Take Over   24th Jul 1915 Reliefs   24th Jul 1915 Orders to Move 25th Jul 1915 Reliefs Completed   25th Jul 1915 On the March 26th Jul 1915 Enemy Aircraft   26th Jul 1915 In Billets 27th Jul 1915 Instruction 28th Jul 1915 Instruction 29th Jul 1915 Bombardment   29th Jul 1915 Instruction 30th Jul 1915 Instruction 31st Jul 1915 Enemy Working Party   31st Jul 1915 Instruction 1st Aug 1915 Relief Complete   2nd Aug 1915 Communication   3rd Aug 1915 Communication Tests   4th Aug 1915 Artillery Registration   5th Aug 1915 Communication Equipment   6th Aug 1915 Quiet   7th Aug 1915 Defence Work 7th Aug 1915 Artillery Active   8th Aug 1915 Working Parties   9th Aug 1915 Attack Made 9th Aug 1915 Bombardment   11th Aug 1915 Enemy Active   12th Aug 1915 Enemy Active   15th Aug 1915 Heavy Fire 21st Aug 1915 In Reserve 25th Aug 1915 Reliefs 26th Aug 1915 Quiet 27th Aug 1915 Shelling 28th Aug 1915 Artillery Active 29th Aug 1915 Trench Work 30th Aug 1915 Trench Work 31st Aug 1915 Shelling 1st Sep 1915 Enemy Active 2nd Sep 1915 Artillery Active 3rd Sep 1915 Very Wet 4th Sep 1915 Artillery Active 5th Sep 1915 Reliefs 6th Sep 1915 In Camp 10th Sep 1915 Reliefs   11th Sep 1915 In Reserve   12th Sep 1915 In Reserve   13th Sep 1915 In Reserve   14th Sep 1915 In Reserve   15th Sep 1915 Reliefs 16th Sep 1915 Aircraft Downed 19th Sep 1915 Trench Mortars 20th Sep 1915 Trench Mortars 21st Sep 1915 Patrols 22nd Sep 1915 Artillery in Action 23rd Sep 1915 Enemy Aircraft 24th Sep 1915 Artillery Active 25th Sep 1915 Dummy Attack 26th Sep 1915 Quiet 27th Sep 1915 Quiet 28th Sep 1915 Very Wet Day 29th Sep 1915 Very Wet 5th Oct 1915 17th Division relieved by 24th 19th October 1915 Personnel Changes  6th County of London Brigade RFA reports Lt Col R R Wandsbrough (6th London Ammunition Column) proceeded to England. Lt W J Barnard appointed to command 6th London Ammunition Column, vice Lt Col R R Wandsbrough. Capt M J K O’Malley (Adjutant, 6th London Brigade RFA) transferred to 17th Division. Lt G Lyon Smith appointed Adjutant of the Brigade, vice Capt M J K O’Malley 13th London Battery moved its position to G33.a.5.9. Batteries retaliated only, for every one German shell, one 18 pounder and one 15 pounder shell is fired in retaliation. War Diary 28th Oct 1915 King Inspects Troops 30th of December 1915 Orders 6th February 1916 Orders   12th Feb 1916 In Action   14th Feb 1916 Attack Launched 14th February 1916 Bomardment   14th Feb 1916 Heavy Shelling   15th of February 1916 In the Line 15th February 1916 Orders   15th Feb 1916 Carrying Parties   16th February 1916 Mine Crater 17th February 1916 Trench Mortars   19th of February 1916 Reorganisation 22nd February 1916 Orders   23rd February 1916 Warning 28th February 1916 Orders   29th February 1916 Orders   29th February 1916 Orders   1st of March 1916 Orders   2nd March 1916 Orders 2nd of March 1916 Attack Made   6th of March 1916 Orders   9th of March 1916 Orders   10th of March 1916 Reliefs Completed   2nd Jul 1916 Attack and Counter Attack 2nd Jul 1916 In Touch 5th Jul 1916 Attack Made 7th Jul 1916 Attack Made 19th of July 1916 Relief Carried Out   31st of July 1916 KOSBs Hold Line   1st of August 1916  Dispositions after Relief   8th Sep 1916 Inspection 11th Sep 1916 On the Range   18th Sep 1916 Recce 31st Oct 1916 Into the Trenches 2nd Nov 1916 In Action 3rd Nov 1916 In Action 23rd Jan 1917 Orders Received   25th Jan 1917 Relief Completed   25th Jan 1917 Boundary   26th Jan 1917 Orders   27th Jan 1917 Attack Made   28th Jan 1917 Reliefs Complete   10th Apr 1917 On the Move 12th Apr 1917 Reliefs 13th Apr 1917 Up to the Line 22nd Apr 1917 Into the Trenches 23rd of April 1917    8th Sep 1917 Trench Raid   8th September 1917  9th September 1917 60 Livens projectors salved 16th Sep 1917 Trench Raid   2nd Oct 1917 Training 2nd October 1917 Training 15th Oct 1917 Into Camp 28th Oct 1917 Reliefs Complete 8th of November 1917 Orders   9th of November 1917 Some Shelling 21st December 1917 Reliefs 24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation 3rd Jan 1918 Reliefs Completed 21st Jan 1918 Course 5th Feb 1918 Course Ends 13th Feb 1918 Personnel 21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation 5th of March 1918  Recce Made   21st Mar 1918 In Action   22nd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   23rd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   23rd Mar 1918 Rearguard Action 25th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   26th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   27th Mar 1918 In Defence   17th of October 1918  18th of October 1918  Gas Shelling    20th of October 1918    2nd of November 1918   Warning of Advance   11th of November 1918 Armistice and a Report   If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 17th (Northern) Division? There are:157 items tagged 17th (Northern) Division available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. Those known to have served with 17th (Northern) Division during the Great War 1914-1918. Beatson Sydney Leonard. L/Cpl. 10th Btn. (d.13th May 1917) Garrett Thompson. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.12th Jun 1917) Mayhew Frank. Dvr. 77th Field Company Patterson John. Pte. 10th Btn. (d.23rd Apr 1917) Rutherford James. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.12th Oct 1918) Venus Walter. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.7th Jul 1916) Wise George Frederick. Pte. 10th Btn. All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 18th April 2024     Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263925 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates, add a comment or ask a question. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 1206264 Pte. Thompson Garrett 7th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (d.12th Jun 1917) Thompson Garrett served with the 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) during WW1. He was killed in action, aged 19, on the 12th June 1917 during the Battle of Arras and is buried at Grave IV.J.33 Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, near Arras, Pas de Calais, France. He was the Son of Ingram and Martha Garrett, of 21, Low Downs Square, Hetton Downs, Co. Durham. Anne Mann Add to this record. 1205833 L/Cpl. Sydney Leonard Beatson 10th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.13th May 1917) Sydney Beatson served with the 10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers during WW1 and died on the 13th May 1917. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. From thedivisional actions he was most probably killed during the Capture of Roeux - part of the Arras Offensive. Add to this record. 255449 Dvr. Frank Mayhew 77th Field Company Royal Engineers Frank Mayhew was 23 years old when he enlisted at Framingham in Suffolk on 26th of January 1915. His papers include a reference from his employer, A S Aldred of Axtead Mill, stating he was capable of driving horses and steam. He was transferred to the 77th Field Company, Royal Engineers and attached to the 17th (Northern) Division. On 23rd of February he was confined to barracks for 2 days by 2nd Lt Moncrieff for being unshaven on parade. On 14th of July 1915 the Company travelled from Southampton to Le Havre aboard two ships, the SS Chyebassa and SS Viper. They billeted at Chateau la Garenne near Ebblingham and Reninghelst on their way to the front line. They took over the trenches between St Eloi and Triangular Wood near Ypres on 12th of August 1915. His Company remained at or near the front until the end of the war. They were in Ypres, Armentieres, The Somme, Arras, Passchendaele, Cambrai, the German Spring Offensive, Amiens and the last 100 days. They were in the Mormal Forest near Maubeuge when the War ended, Frank does not appear to have been wounded and after sailing back to Southampton on 23rd May 1919 on the ships SS Caesarea and SS Iona, he was demobbed on 3rd July 1919. He returned to Worlinworth and died in 1951 Add to this record. 253167 Pte. George Frederick Wise 10th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment My Grandad George Frederick Wise, served in the 17th Division of the 10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment between 1915 and 1918. He was shot through the chin but returned to the front after hospitalisation. He did not talk about his exploits but my father told me that his dad had been at Ypres, the Somme and Paschendale. He lived until he was 86 and owned a bayonet believed to be of German origin which has unfortunately been lost over the years. Barry Wise Add to this record. 215911 Pte. Walter Venus 9th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers (d.7th Jul 1916) Walter Venus, Private 23340, enlisted North Shields, served in the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and died age 19 on the 7th July 1916. He is remembered at Thiepval Memorial, Face 10B, 11B and 12B. His medal card shows the award of the War and Victory Medals. Walter was born in Jarrow 1896, son of Isabella Hanna (formerly Venus nee Irving). In the 1911 census the family is living at 88 Queens Road, Jarrow with David Hanna(35)a Cartman, and his wife of 5 years Isabella(40). They have 2 children David (2) and Sarah (1). Also staying at this address are Isabella's two children from her former marriage, Walter Venus(14) and Isabella Venus who is 6 years old. Vin Mullen Add to this record. 215639 Pte. James Rutherford 9th Btn. Duke of Wellingtons Regiment (West Riding) (d.12th Oct 1918) James Rutherford, Private 34978, enlisted at Jarrow and served in the 9th Battalion the Duke of Wellingtons Regiment (West Riding). He was killed in actionage 19 on the 12th October 1918 and is remembered at St. Paul's Church also Selridge British Cemetery, Montay. His medal card records that he was killed in action and the award of the War and Victory Medals. James was born in Jarrow 1899,son of Thomas and Elizabeth Bridekirk Rutherford nee Chambers. Vin Mullen Add to this record. 214954 Pte. John Patterson 10th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (d.23rd Apr 1917) John Patterson served in the 10th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) and was killed in action on the 23rd April 1917 aged 27. He is remembered at St. Paul's Church and is buried in Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux. His medal card shows the award of the British War and Victory Medals. He was born in Jarrow, son of William Joseph and Mary Patterson nee Moore. The 1911 census shows the family living at 11 Walter Street, Jarrow; William J Patterson (57) head of family - general labourer in shipyard. Mary (47) his wife of 29 years. John (20) son, single - general labourer in shipyard. Joseph W (18) son, single, apprentice plater in shipyard. James Moir (16) son, single, general labourer in shipyard. George (14) son, single, rivet catcher in shipyard. Mary (12) daughter - school. Edith (8) daughter - school. Vin Mullen Add to this record.

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