57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division in the Great War

57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division

   The 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division was formed as the 2nd West Lancashire Division a second line Territorial Division On 31st of August 1914 the War Office issued instructions for all units of the Territorial Force to form a reserve unit. The men who had agreed to serve overseas were separated from the rest. Those left as 'home service only' were formed into 'second line' units, which would be this reserve. When some of the 'first line' units of the senior 55th (West Lancashire) Division were sent overseas, their place in that Division was taken by the 'second line'. The remainder, less the artillery which was in a parlous state as far as equipment went, moved to concentrate at Canterbury, Maidstone and Ashford and were formed into the 2nd West Lancashire Division, which got the number 57 in August 1915. The Divisional symbol is a D on its side, the D standing for Lord Derby. The 'second line' Divisions suffered greatly from lack of equipment of all sorts, and training was inevitably affected. The artillery did not leave its home basis for Canterbury until September 1915, having received some obsolescent equipment from the 'first line' units which were being re-equipped with modern guns. The infantry received Japanese rifles, quite different to the Lee-Enfields that equipped the British armies in the fields, and only got modern rifles and ammunition in late November 1915.
1916
The passing of the Military Service Act in early 1916 deemed all men to have agreed to serve overseas and thus the Division was available to be sent, once it was trained. In July 1916 the units of the Division moved to the Aldershot area, being based at Blackdown, Deepcut, Pirbright, Woking and other places in the vicinity.
1917
The Division received a warning order on 5th of January 1917 that it would soon depart for France. The units crossed the Channel between the 7th and 22nd of February and completed concentration at Merris on 23rd of February 1917. Three days later it took over the right sector of II Anzac Corps, north of Le Tilleloy. The Division then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:
The Second Battle of Passchendaele - Third Battles of Ypres
1918

The Battles of the Lys (Divisional artillery only)
The Battle of the Scarpe - Arras
The Battle of the Drocourt-Queant Line - Arras
The Battle of the Canal du Nord - Hindenburg Line
The Battle of the Cambrai - Hindenburg Line in which the Division assisted in the capture of Cambrai
The occupation of Lille during the general final advance in Artois

The Division was withdrawn for rest on 1 November and was in the eastern suburbs of Lille at the Armistice. On 21st of November 1918 the Division received orders to move to Arras to begin the process of clearing up. It had arrived in the area by 4 December. Here the units began to demobilise and by 23rd of March 1919 the Division was down to a small set of cadres. The last of these started for England on 25th of June 1919 and on 4th of July the last artillery sailed, bringing the history of the Division to an end.
Order of Battle of the 57th (West Lancashire) Division
170th (2/1st North Lancashire) Brigade

2/4th Battalion, King's Own left 20 October 1915
2/5th Battalion, King's Own
2/4th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
2/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment left February 1918
4/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment joined 22 October 1915, absorbed by 1/5th Bn February 1918
170th Machine Gun Company joined February 1917, moved to 57th Battalion, MGC 1 Mar 1918
170th Trench Mortar Battery joined February 1917
1/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment joined February 1918

171st (2/1st Liverpool) Brigade

2/5th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) disbanded February 1918
2/6th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
2/7th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
2/8th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) absorbed by 1/8th Battalion, January 1918
171st Machine Gun Company joined February 1917, moved to 57th Battalion, MGC 1 Mar 1918
171st Trench Mortar Battery joined February 1917
1/8th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) joined January 1918

172nd (2/1st South Lancashire) Brigade

2/9th Battalion,e King's (Liverpool Regiment) absorbed by 1/9th Bn January 1918
2/10th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) left April 1918
2/4th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment
2/5th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment left 13 February 1915, rejoined January 1916
172nd Machine Gun Company joined February 1917, moved to 57th Battalion, MGC 1 Mar 1918
172nd Trench Mortar Battery joined February 1917
1/9th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) joined January 1918
1st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers joined April 1918

Divisional Troops

2/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regt joined as Divisional Pioneer Bn February 1918
173rd Machine Gun Company joined 31 March 1917, moved to 57th Battalion, MGC 1 Mar 1918
57th Battalion MGC formed 1 March 1918

Divisional Mounted Troops

1/1st Lancashire Hussars left 29 October 1915 (1 Squadronn) and 14 November 1915 (2 Squadrons)
1/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion joined October 1915, left 2 December 1915
A Squadron, 2/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry joined 1916, left before Division sailed
West Lancashire Divisional Cyclist Company left 7 December 1915
57th Divisional Cyclist Company joined 1916, left before Division sailed

Divisional Artillery the artillery of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division also served with this Division from April to September 1915

CCLXXXV (2/I West Lancs) Brigade, RFA
CCLXXXVI (2/II West Lancs) Brigade, RFA
CCLXXXVII (2/III West Lancs) Brigade, RFA broken up 20 February 1917 (2/IV West Lancs) (How) Bde, RFA broken up July 1916 (ie before brigades were numbered)
1st Lancashire Heavy Battery, RGA a battery of four 4.7-inch guns which joined from 55th Division in April 1915, left 28 December 1915 and moved independently to France, arriving on 26 January 1916 and coming initially under orders of XXIX Heavy Artillery Brigade
2/1st Lancashire Heavy Battery, RGA joined 26 November 1915, received four 4.7-inch guns on 29 December 1915, later moved independently to France, arriving on 1 July 1916 and coming initially under orders of II Anzac Corps
57th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA
W.57 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA joined 1 March 1917, left for XV Corps 17 February 1918
X.57, Y.57 and Z.57 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA joined 1 March 1917, in February 1918 Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have six 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers

422nd (2/1st West Lancs) Field Company left December 1915
423rd (2/2nd West Lancs) Field Company left December 1915
421st (1/3rd West Lancs) Field Company joined December 1915
502nd (1/3rd Wessex) Field Company joined December 1915
505th (2/3rd Wessex) Field Company joined February 1916
57th Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

2/1st West Lancs Field Ambulance left 7 December 1915
1/2nd West Lancs Field Ambulance left 22 October 1915
1/3rd West Lancs Field Ambulance left 7 December 1915
2/2nd Wessex Field Ambulance joined 4 December 1915
3/2nd West Lancs Field Ambulance joined 4 December 1915
2/3rd Wessex Field Ambulance joined 5 December 1915
57th Sanitary Section left for Second Army 15 April 1917

Other Divisional Troops

57th Divisional Train ASC The original 55th Divisional Train, formed in September 1915 and composed of 505, 506, 507 and 508 Companies ASC, remained at home when the units of that Division moved to France. It was transferred to the 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division.
57th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC joined by September 916
248th Divisional Employment Company formed by 16 June 1917

3rd Feb 1917 On the Move

4th Feb 1917 Advance Party

5th Feb 1917 Instruction

16th Feb 1917 HQ Established

17th Feb 1917 Arrivals

17th Feb 1917 Arrivals

19th Feb 1917 Orders Received

20th Feb 1917 Orders Received

22nd Feb 1917 Reliefs

22nd Feb 1917 Reliefs

22nd Feb 1917 On the Move

23rd Feb 1917 Reliefs

25th Feb 1917 Reliefs

26th Feb 1917 Reliefs

1st Mar 1917 Quiet

5th Mar 1917 Raids

6th Mar 1917 Orders Received

7th Mar 1917 Reliefs

8th Mar 1917 Reliefs

9th Mar 1917 Reliefs

9th Mar 1917 Artillery Active

10th Mar 1917 Artillery Active

11th Mar 1917 Quiet

12th Mar 1917 Quiet

13th Mar 1917 Quiet

15th Mar 1917 Range Extended

16th Mar 1917 Enemy Active

17th Mar 1917 Patrol

18th Mar 1917 Trench Work

19th Mar 1917 Patrol

20th Mar 1917 Patrols

21st Mar 1917 Patrol

27th Apr1917 Reliefs

28th Apr1917 Stand to

29th Apr1917 Gas Attack

13th September 1917 Operational Order 130

24th of October 1917 Orders

26th Oct 1917 Reliefs

1st of November 1917 Warning

3rd of November 1917 Gas

24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation

21st Jan 1918 Course

5th Feb 1918 Course Ends

13th Feb 1918 Personnel

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation

30th of April 1918 Reliefs and Attacks

6th May 1918 Relief

14th Jul 1918 Brigade Sports

21st Jul 1918 Horse Show

22nd Jul 1918 Training & Sports

27th Jul 1918 Poor Weather

28th Jul 1918 Church Parade

2nd Sep 1918 Objectives Taken

14th Sep 1918 Patrol

6th Oct 1918 Shelling

8th Oct 1918 Shelling

9th Oct 1918 Advance

16th Oct 1918 Orders

17th Oct 1918 Advance

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57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Mason Leonard. Sgt. 1/5th Btn.

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1206086

Sgt. Leonard Mason MM. 1/5th Btn. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Leonard Mason was my grandfather and I remember when I was a little girl how I used to sit and polish his medals. I remember on Remembrance Sunday we would walk down to The Cenotaph in Bolton, him wearing his medals and holding my hand, for the Service of Remembrance. He was born on 27th March 1893 at Flitcroft Street, Bolton, son of Thomas and Sarah Ann Mason. He had five siblings, Florence b. 1889, John b. 1891, Samuel b.1895, Julia b. 1897 and Robert b. 1905.
He enlisted on 9th November 1914 and sailed on The Tintoretto to France on 12th February 1915 and landed the following day. Whilst in France he was promoted to Sergeant. On 14th January 1918 his name was gazetted as having been awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field. This award was for his actions at The Battle of Menin Road Ridge (20 â€“ 23 September), part of The Third Battle of Ypres 1917. At some point after being awarded the Military Medal, he was wounded and I have vivid memories of all the marks on his legs made by bullets. He was honourably discharged from the Army on 8th March 1919 and given the Silver War Badge number 450937.
Leonard married Annie Shuttleworth on 29th June 1918 at St Simon & Judes Church, Bolton. They had three children 2 boys and 1 girl. Sadly the two boys died in infancy but the one girl was my mother. My granddad Leonard Mason died on 3rd February 1969 at home in Bolton but I have wonderful memories of him and still miss him to this day.
Lois Patel

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57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division

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Those known to have served with
57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.