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63rd (Royal Naval) Division    The Royal Marine Brigades were formed in August 1914 from the Reserves of the Royal Navy. They saw action in defence of Antwerp. The Royal Naval Division was formed on England in September 1914. The survivors of the RM Brigades joined in October. The Division moved to Egypt and saw action in the Gallipoli campaign. Transferred from the Admiralty to the War Office on in April 1916 the Division was redesignated 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 19th of July 1916. They arrived at Marseilles in May 1916 and remained on the Western Front for the rest of the Great War. They saw action in The Battle of the Ancre, in November 1916, Operations on the Ancre in early 1917, Second Battle of the Scarpe in April 1917 in which the Division captured Gavrelle and the Battle of Arleux. In autum 1917 they saw action in the Third Battles of Ypres 1917 and The action of Welsh Ridge in December, They were in action during the German Spring offensive and The Battle of Albert in the summer of 1918, followed by the Battle of Drocourt-Queant in September 1918 and the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy 63rd Royal Naval Division was demobilised in France in early 1919. It had suffered over 47,900 casualties during the Great War. Order of battle of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division 1st Royal Naval Brigade was formed in August 1914, renamed 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade, then 1st Brigade. It was broken up in July 1916 with personnel transferred to the 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. 1st (Drake) Battalion left May 1916 2nd (Hawke) Battalion left May 1916 3rd (Benbow) Battalion disbanded 9 June 1915 4th (Collingwood) Battalion left 30 May 1915 5th (Nelson) Battalion joined April 1915, left May 1916 7th (Hood) Battalion joined August 1915, left July 1916 12th (Deal) Battalion joined 12 March 1915, left 30 May 1915 2/4th Battalion, London Regiment joined October 1915, left January 1916 188th Machine Gun Company joined 12 May 1917, moved to 189th Brigade 19 June 1917 2nd Royal Naval Brigade formed in August 1914, was renamed 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade, and later 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade. On the 19 July 1916, it became 189th Brigade. 5th (Nelson) Battalion, transferred to 1st Brigade in April 1915, rejoined May 1916 6th (Howe) Battalion left July 1916 7th (Hood) Battalion transferred to 1st Brigade in August 1915, rejoined July 1916 8th (Anson) Battalion left May 1916 Chatham & Deal Battalion joined August 1915, renamed 1st Battalion, Royal Marine Light Infantry, left May 1916 Portsmouth & Plymouth Battalion joined August 1915, renamed 2nd Battalion, Royal Marine Light Infantry, left May 1916 2/2nd Battalion, London Regiment joined October 1915, left January 1916 2nd (Hawke) Battalion, joined from 1st Brigade May 1916 4th (Collingwood) Battalion joined from 1st Brigade May 1915, disbanded in June 1915 1st (Drake) Battalion joined from 1st Brigade in July 1916 189th Machine Gun Company joined from 1st Brigade 12 June 1917, moved to 63rd Btn MGC 1 March 1918 189th Trench Mortar Battery joined July 1916 Royal Marine Brigade formed in August 1914, renamed 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade and disbanded in August 1915. Royal Marine A Battalion left 31 August 1914 9th (Chatham) Battalion 10th (Portsmouth) Battalion 11th (Plymouth) Battalion 12th (Deal) Battalion 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade was formed in May 1916, it was redesignated the 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade, then 188th Brigade. 8th (Anson) Battalion joined from 2nd Brigade May 1916 1st Royal Marines joined May 1916 2nd Royal Marines joined May 1916 6th (Howe) Battalion joined from 2nd Brigade July 1916 188th Machine Gun Company, August 1916, transferred to Base Depot in May 1917. 223rd MG Company joined in June 1917. Moved into 63rd Btn MGC on 1st March 1918 188th Trench Mortar Battery joined July 1916 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment joined April 1918 190th Brigade formed July 1916 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers joined July 1916 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment joined July 1916 1/1st Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company joined July 1916, left June 1917 10th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers joined August 1916, left June 1917 190th Machine Gun Company joined July 1916, moved to 63rd Battalion, MGC on 1 March 1918 190th Trench Mortar Battery joined July 1916 1/28th Battalion, London Regiment joined June 1917 1/4th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry joined August 1917, left February 1918 Divisional Troops Armoured Motor Machine-Gun Squadron joined March 1915, left May 1915 14th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment joined as Divisional Pioneers June 1916 223rd Machine Gun Company joined September 1917, moved to 63rd Battalion, MGC in March 1918 63rd Battalion MGC formed 1 March 1918 RN Divisional Cyclist Company broken up June 1916 Divisional Artillery, joined from 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division, July 1916 CCXXIII (I/IV Home Counties) (How) Brigade, RFA joined June 1916, broken up July 1916 CCCXV (2/I Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA joined July 1916, left February 1917 CCCXVI (2/II Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA joined July 1916, broken up 31 August 1916 CCCXVII (2/III Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA joined July 1916 CCCXVIII (2/IV Northumbrian) (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA joined July 1916 63rd Divisional Ammunition Column RFA joined July 1916 V.63 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA joined July 1916, broken up February 1918 X.63, Y.63 and Z.63 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA joined July 1916. In February 1918, Z Battery was broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each Royal Engineers RE Detachment, Royal Marine Brigade joined September 1914 No 1 Company, redesignated 247th Field Company Feb 1917 No 2 Company, redesignated 248th Field Company Feb 1917 No 3 Company, redesignated 249th Field Company Feb 1917 63rd Divisional Signals Company Royal Army Medical Corps. No 1 Field Ambulance, redesignated 1st (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance July 1916 No 2 Field Ambulance, redesignated 2nd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance July 1916 No 3 Field Ambulance, redesignated 3rd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance July 1916 Royal Naval Sanitary Section joined March 1915 remained in Egypt. 63rd Sanitary Section formed 31st May 1916, left for First Army April 1917 Divisional Troops RND Divisional Train ASC joined March 1915, the original Companies left in March 1916 and replaced in June 1916 by 761st, 762nd, 763rd and 764th Companies ASC which became 63rd Divisional Train in July 1916. 19th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC joined March 1915, left February 1916 53rd Mobile Veterinary Section AVC joined June 1916 25th Apr 1915 Landings 26th Apr 1915 Wounded 1st June 1915 Orders 2nd June 1915 Medical Evacuation Arrangements 3rd June 1915 Orders 4th June 1915 Hard Fighting 5th June 1915 Clearing Casualties 14th May 1916 On the Move 15th May 1916 On the Move 19th May 1916 On the Move 20th May 1916 On the Move 21st May 1916 On the Move 22nd May 1916 Training 1st Jun 1916 On the Move 20th June 1916 On the Move 21st June 1916 On the Move 22nd June 1916 On the Move 23rd June 1916 On the March 24th June 1916 On the March 25th June 1916 At Work 29th June 1916 Lewis guns 1st July 1916 Trench Work 4th July 1916 Inspection 6th July 1916 Conference 9th July 1916 Lecture 10th July 1916 Courts Martial 11th Jul 1916 Reorganisation 11th July 1916 Cables 12th July 1916 Weather Bad  236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report from Aix-Noulette. Officers and men of 63rd Division attached to C236 Battery for instruction. Batteries carried out small strafes on enemy billets, field gun positions and dumps. Weather rather bad for aeroplane observation. War Diaries 13th July 1916 Lewis Guns 13th of July 1916 In the trenches 14th July 1916 Lewis Guns 17th July 1916 Move 18th July 1916 Slight Shelling  236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report from Aix-Noulette: Except for slight shelling of Boche Trench & the Straight everything was all quiet. 141st Infantry Brigade relieved by the 63rd Division. War Diaries 18th July 1916 New Billets 19th of July 1916 Into reserve trenches 25th July 1916 Machine Gunners 25th of July 1916 Back into trenches 26th Jul 1916 On the Move 27th Jul 1916 Training 28th Jul 1916 Training 29th Jul 1916 Training 29th July 1916 Reliefs 30th Jul 1916 Training 31st Jul 1916 Training 31st of July 1916 In the trenches 1st Aug 1916 Training 4th Aug 1916 Training 6th Aug 1916 Visit 7th Aug 1916 Visit 8th Aug 1916 Visit 9th Aug 1916 Visit 11th Aug 1916 Training 12th Aug 1916 Training 12th of August 1916 Battalion Relief 13th Aug 1916 Training 14th Aug 1916 Training 14th of August 1916 Reliefs 15th Aug 1916 Training 16th Aug 1916 Instruction 18th Aug 1916 Visit 19th Aug 1916 Training 20th Aug 1916 On the Move 20th Aug 1916 Instruction 20th of August 1916 Under fire 21st Aug 1916 Into Billets 23rd Aug 1916 Inspection 23rd Aug 1916 Inspection 24th Aug 1916 Instruction 25th Aug 1916 Order Cancelled 25th of August 1916 Reliefs 26th August 1916 Reliefs 27th August 1916 Bombardment 28th Aug 1916 Orders 29th Aug 1916 Thunder Storm 29th August 1916 Practice Gas Alarm 30th Aug 1916 Reliefs   31st Aug 1916 Positions Improved   31st of August 1916 Reliefs 1st Sep 1916 Trench Work   1st of September 1916 In the trenches 2nd Sep 1916 Trench Work   3rd Sep 1916 Wire Cutting 4th Sep 1916 Machine Guns 5th Sep 1916 Transport 13th Sep 1916 Orders 13th of September 1916 In Souchez sector 14th Sep 1916 Rest 14th of September 1916 Under fire 15th Sep 1916 On the March 15th of September 1916 Under fire 16th Sep 1916 Orders Received 16th Sep 1916 On the March 16th of September 1916 Bombardment 17th Sep 1916 Reliefs   17th Sep 1916 Orders 17th of September  Retaliation 18th Sep 1916 On the March 18th of September 1916 Relieved 19th Sep 1916 At Rest 19th of September 1916 In huts 20th of September 1916 On the March 21st of September 1916 Frevillers, field training 27th of September 1916 Into the trenches 4th of October 1916 Moved to Somme area 8th of October 1916 Move to Englebelmer 16th of October 1916 Into the trenches 17th of October 1916 Relieved 18th of October 1916 Working parties 21st of October 1916 Working parties 23rd of October 1916 Into Billets 24th of October 1916 Training continues 1st of November 1916 Training and inspection 7th of November 1916 Preparation for attack 10th Nov 1916 Inspection 11th Nov 1916 On the March 12th Nov 1916 Into Position 13th Nov 1916 Attack Made 13th of November 2016 Attack - Battle of the Ancre 13th of November 2016 Attack Made   13th of November 2016 Battle of the Ancre   15th of November 1916 End of Battle of the Ancre   16th Nov 1916 Messages 16th of November 1916 Post battle 19th of November 1916 Battalion on the move 20th Nov 1916 Inspection 2nd Apr1917 Orders   1st of July 1917  Front Line Adjusted   5th of July 1917  Our Trenches Damaged   11th July 1917 Visit 12th of July 1917  Back Areas Shelled    17th Aug 1917 On the Move 19th Aug 1917 Reorganisation 20th Aug 1917 Leave 22nd Aug 1917 Course 23rd Aug 1917 Course 24th Aug 1917 Posting 25th Aug 1917 Posting 30th of August 1917  Gas Projected   3rd of September 1917  Quiet   4th of September 1917  Quiet Night   1st Oct 1917 Training 2nd Oct 1917 Reorganisation 3rd Oct 1917 On the Move   4th Oct 1917 At Rest   5th Oct 1917 On the March   13th Nov 1917 In Action   14th Nov 1917 In Action   12th of December 1917 A Tired Division 24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation 30th of December 1917 Heavy Barrage 1st Jan 1918 Digging in 3rd Jan 1918 Digging in 21st Jan 1918 Course 22nd Jan 1918 Reliefs Complete 23rd Jan 1918 Reliefs 5th Feb 1918 Course Ends 13th Feb 1918 Personnel 14th of February 1918  Relieved 21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation 1st Mar 1918 Heavy Bombardment   2nd Mar 1918 Trench Work   3rd Mar 1918 Trench Work   4th Mar 1918 Trench Work   5th Mar 1918 Trench Work   6th Mar 1918 Dugouts   7th Mar 1918 Trench Work   8th Mar 1918 Heavy Shelling   9th Mar 1918 Trench Work   10th Mar 1918 Trench Work   11th Mar 1918 Trench Work   12th Mar 1918 Gas Shells   12th Mar 1918 Heavy Bombardment   14th Mar 1918 Gas   15th Mar 1918 Gas   16th Mar 1918 Trench Work   17th Mar 1918 Trench Work   21st Mar 1918 In Action   22nd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   23rd Mar 1918 Messages   23rd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   24th Mar 1918 In Defence   25th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   26th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal   27th Mar 1918 In Defence   27th Mar 1918 Moves   2nd Sep 1918 Objectives Taken   7th Sep 1918 Orders   27th Sep 1918 In Action   30th Sep 1918 In Action   8th Oct 1918 Shelling   8th Oct 1918 Attack Made   9th Oct 1918 Advance   24th Oct 1918 In Action   7th Nov 1918 Reliefs If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 63rd (Royal Naval) Division? There are:195 items tagged 63rd (Royal Naval) 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 63rd (Royal Naval) Division during the Great War 1914-1918. Anderson Henry Campbell. Pte. 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) (d.30th Oct 1917) Bonnett Frederick William Lovell. Lt. Clyne Henry. Seaman Munkman Frank. Pte. 4th Btn. (d.11th July 1918) Slater Harry. 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 22nd 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 263973 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. 262106 Lt. Frederick William Lovell Bonnett Drake Battalion Frederick Bonnett was born on 23rd April 1889 in Long Ditton, Surrey. He enlisted in the Territorial Force on 23rd of March 1909 for 4 years. Serving in the 28th Btn. County of London Regiment (Artists) as 673 Pte. FWL Bonnett. He re-engaged for 1 year on 11th of Feb 1913, and was promoted L/Cpl on 26th of September 1914. Then he transferred to the Royal Naval Division and was promoted Sub Lt. on 7th of October 14. On 1st of March 1915, whilst serving with C Coy, Drake Battalion MEF, he embarked at Avonmouth on the HT Franconia for the Dardanelles. Drake Battalion was landed in Gallipoli on Monday 26 April, at W Beach, and were attached to 87th Brigade for beach duties.  On 12th of May 1915 he was severely wounded Abu a gunshot wound to his left thigh. After being evacuated to Malta where he became gravely ill, he was repatriated back to the Royal Naval hospital Plymouth. He was transferred to a convalescence home 28th of May 1915 and after a long period of treatment, he was discharged as no longer fit for service. Add to this record. 258304 Harry Slater 6th (Howe) Battalion Harry Slater was in the 6th. Howe Battalion, 2nd Royal Naval Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division Said he was at Lille and the Siege of Antwerp in Sept 1914. He was with 2nd Field Ambulance, RAMC on Lemnos then 3rd (RN) Field Ambulance, RAMC in France. From my grandfather's diary, the only parts we can decipher is as follows: 1916 was on Lemnos supporting the end of the Gallipoli Campaign. At Mundros and Portanos. 18 May 1916 sailed back to France on the Franconia 23 May arrive Marseille at 2pm 52 hours in cattle truck on railway to Channel Coast. 30 carriages and 10 cattle trucks. 30 in our truck. 24 May through Rhone Valley, Valence at 5am, Lyon at 9am, Dijon, Les Laumes Alesia. Rainy and wet. 25 May along the River Seine, bypass Paris and saw Eiffel Tower, Deauville and iron works, Juvisy, Versailles, St Germaine, 4.30pm Amiens and left train at 6.30pm at Pont Remy station. 26 May-Wanel near Hallencourt Sleeping in haylofts and farmhouses. Hallencourt is where the 2nd Field Ambulance is. Dad in 3rd Field Ambulance at Wanel. 16 June Marched via Pont Remy to Abbeville. Rail to Bruay via St Pol heading in the direction of the front. 17 June Force-marched. 18 June La Thieuboye near St. Pol. In a barn. 24 June Battle obviously at Arras. Plenty of air activity. 1 July Marched through Villers and St. Venant (Arras) Timberwork and preparation. 9 July Walked to Haverskerque. Drunken Australians. Merville. 21 July Loading at Nieppe Station. 22 July Via Lillers by London bus to Busnes. Coal Mine Area. 8 August March to trenches. Badly damaged village with church, brewery. Advance Dressing Station. 11th August 1916, he wrote in his diary: I finished my birthday, 21st, up in the trenches. Being one of a party of night workers on a bearer post. The position would be some 100 yards from the enemys position and rifle and machine gun bullets were whistling overhead. We were working on top most of the time. 15 August Marched back to Field Ambulance Base. Very little written between 15 August and 18 September 18 Sept Moved to nearby Bruay 4 October Leave Bruay 5 October arrive Parennes about noon 21 Oct Cookery advanced dressing station. 2 November Agincourt 13 November reported Beamont Hamel in our hands. His normal very full diary became very short in content for the August/December period but on 13 November he recorded: Bombardment at 5-40. Boys over. Go up to old first line. Bob Brand hit. Cpl Dunkley sniped. 1st near shave Sniper. 2nd near shave Shell. 14 November he recorded: Shell hit bearer post. 3rd near shave. Surgeon Forester killed Surgeon Walker killed Chap RB killed Tommy Johnson killed Scales killed Cpl Ted Nelson killed Harold Knight killed Cheetham killed RB Bearer killed RB Patient killed Albert Gill wounded J Lamb wounded Alf Nelson wounded 18 November Leave in buses and stop at Beauval. 19 November Hougencourt 21 November March to Agincourt. 22 November Then to Noulette. 23 November To Lamotte. 24 November Back to Noulette. Richard Add to this record. 247444 Seaman Henry "Harry" Clyne Collingwood Battalion Harry Clyne, my grandfather, was a POW from early in the war being involved in the Ostend debacle in 1914 as part of the Collingwood Battalion of the 63rd Naval Divison. His time as a POW wasn't easy and he said he often attended funerals due to the poor conditions in which they were kept. Although he learnt German as a POW he refused to speak a word after his release. Unfortunately he sold his 1914 star to a medal collector in the 1930s so his WW1 medal trio is incomplete. He was also awarded the LSGC medal. If anyone knows the whereabouts of his 1914 star I would be most interested in acquiring it. Don McLeod Add to this record. 245302 Pte. Frank Munkman 4th Btn. Bedfordshire Regiment (d.11th July 1918) Frank Munkman enlisted with the 4th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment in July 1916. The regiment landed at Le Havre on 25th of July 1916 and due to earlier heavy British losses were posted into the 190th Brigade of the 63rd Royal Naval Division. He was killed in action on 11th July 1918 at Bucquoy. He is buried at St Amand British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais. There is extensive information on Frank and his military history online at ripfrankmunkman.wordpress.com Sergio Perla Add to this record. 216648 Pte. Henry Campbell Anderson 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) London Regiment (d.30th Oct 1917) Henry Campbell Anderson served with the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles), London Regiment. He was killed in action on the 30th October 1917 in Flanders. Henry was born in Dublin and enlisted at Leicester. S Flynn Add to this record.

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