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192-768: The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division . During the First World War , it was broken-up and never served as a complete formation. It was reformed in the TA in 1920, and then served in the campaign in North West Europe from June 1944 until May 1945, during the Second World War . The division suffered heavy casualties and gained an excellent reputation. After

384-441: A Panzer counter-attack at Cheux on 27 June. The supporting 17-pounder anti-tank guns were knocked out and the infantry had to stalk Panther tanks with their lighter 6-pounder anti-tank guns and hand-held PIATs . Other battalions mopped up the important objective of Manvieux . On 28 June 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment made an attack from Cheux against Mouen : they had to cross open cornfields, but had support from

576-744: A sidearm or ancillary weapons . Infantry with ranged or polearms often carried a sword or dagger for possible hand-to-hand combat. The pilum was a javelin the Roman legionaries threw just before drawing their primary weapon, the gladius (short sword), and closing with the enemy line. Modern infantrymen now treat the bayonet as a backup weapon, but may also have handguns as sidearms . They may also deploy anti-personnel mines, booby traps, incendiary, or explosive devices defensively before combat. Infantry have employed many different methods of protection from enemy attacks, including various kinds of armour and other gear, and tactical procedures. The most basic

768-490: A tribal uprising a decade before had left many in doubt of joining the war directly, holding sentiments to refuse both an Afghan, or British army to cross through the territory of the frontier tribes. The third army was led by 'Abd al-Quddus Khan, who was beginning to raise an army in Kandahar . His objective was to advance into Balochistan and seize control of Chaman , Gulistan , Pishin , and establish complete control over

960-483: A boost to the army's strength, the Afghan command could call upon the loyalty of up to 80,000 frontier tribesmen and an indeterminate number of deserters from local militia units under British command. In reality, the Afghan regular army was not ready for war. As in past years, the upper levels of the officer corps were riddled with political intrigue. In his book on the campaign, Lieutenant-General George Molesworth gave

1152-460: A bridge blown and went ahead without their tanks towards the strongly-held village of St Jean-le-Blanc, breaking up a counter-attack by calling down artillery fire. About 16.00 the battalion pioneers managed to bridge the stream and a Troop of B Sqn crossed, but withdrew to 'harbour' at dusk. Meanwhile, 5th Wiltshires got to the bridge over the Druance at the foot of Mont Pinçon but failed to capture it by

1344-592: A contentious issue between the two nations – as a border separating Afghanistan from the North-West Frontier, and the undertaking that the Afghans made to stop interference on the British side of the line. The circumstances behind the war were complicated as was the final settlement. In going to war in 1919 against British India, Amir Amanullah's war aims were complicated. Even up against a depleted British Indian Army,

1536-610: A few exceptions like the Mongol Empire , infantry has been the largest component of most armies in history. In the Western world , from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages ( c. 8th century BC to 15th century AD), infantry are categorised as either heavy infantry or light infantry . Heavy infantry, such as Greek hoplites , Macedonian phalangites , and Roman legionaries , specialised in dense, solid formations driving into

1728-454: A few, very old, four-barrel Gardiner machine guns . Ammunition was in short supply and distribution must have been very difficult. For the artillery much black powder was used, both as a propellent and bursting charge for shells. The Kabul arsenal workshops were elementary and mainly staffed by Sikh artificers with much ingenuity but little real skill. There was no organised transport and arrangements for supply were rudimentary. In support of

1920-512: A full suit of attack-proof armour would be too heavy to wear in combat. As firearms improved, armour for ranged defence had to be made thicker and heavier, which hindered mobility. With the introduction of the heavy arquebus designed to pierce standard steel armour, it was proven easier to make heavier firearms than heavier armour; armour transitioned to be only for close combat purposes. Pikemen armour tended to be just steel helmets and breastplates, and gunners had very little or no armour at all. By

2112-597: A habit which is prevalent amongst all civilized people of the West." On 29 May Amanullah requested for an armistice which, despite some protests, his Afghan commanders reluctantly agreed to. This was sent to the British Indian government on 31 May. On 2 June, at dawn Dyer's brigade launched an attack on the Afghan regulars that were positioned away to the west of Thal. As this attack went in Nadir Khan sent out an envoy to deliver

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2304-691: A hard-fought campaign on the Indian frontier. Amanullah Khan raised three armies planned for his invasion of British India through a three-pronged attack. The raised force in Nangarhar led by Saleh Muhammad Khan commanded mostly Mohmand and Afridi tribesmen. His intention was to attack through the Khyber Pass and seize Peshawar . This would also coincide with a planned uprising in Peshawar sponsored by Mahmud Tarzi and other Indian revolutionaries. The second army

2496-417: A hundred meters wide and a dozen rows deep. Maintaining the advantages of heavy infantry meant maintaining formation; this became even more important when two forces with heavy infantry met in battle; the solidity of the formation became the deciding factor. Intense discipline and training became paramount. Empires formed around their military. The organization of military forces into regular military units

2688-665: A memorial. The Roll of Honour is in the War Memorial Chapel in Salisbury Cathedral . A memorial stone stands at the end of a lane named 'Somerset' in Lochem , Netherlands, showing the Wessex Wyvern and listing 4th Bn Somerset Light Infantry, 4th Bn Wiltshire Regiment and units of 8th Armoured Bde who liberated Lochem on 1–2 April 1945. The horizontal inscription reads 'All the way from Normandy'. Infantry Infantry

2880-399: A message to the brigade commander. The message told Dyer that Amir Amanullah had ordered Nadir Khan to cease hostilities and Nadir Khan asked Dyer to acknowledge that he would honour the armistice. Unaware that this request had been made, and uncertain as to whether the message and request for a cease fire was a ruse on Nadir Khan's part, Dyer decided that he would not take any chances and sent

3072-399: A problem. This can be avoided by having shield-armed soldiers stand close together, side-by-side, each protecting both themselves and their immediate comrades, presenting a solid shield wall to the enemy. The opponents for these first formations, the close-combat infantry of more tribal societies , or any military without regular infantry (so called " barbarians ") used arms that focused on

3264-431: A result it was not until 17 May that the area was secured and the Afghans withdrew. Meanwhile, the previous day, British and Indian forces had launched an attack on 'Stonehenge Ridge', where an Afghan force of about 3,000 men had established themselves with a number of artillery pieces and machine guns. Under cover of a preliminary bombardment to soften up the Afghan defences, men from the 11th Sikh Regiment had launched

3456-614: A result of the war and the lessons that were learned about the potential of airpower in the region, following the war, the Chief of the Air Staff , Sir Hugh Trenchard , proposed controlling the frontier by air power alone. This plan had proven highly successful in Mesopotamia , Aden and the Transjordan , however, due to the uniqueness of the North-West Frontier and also due to inter-service politics

3648-440: A return to body armour for infantry, though the extra weight is a notable burden. In modern times, infantrymen must also often carry protective measures against chemical and biological attack, including military gas masks , counter-agents, and protective suits. All of these protective measures add to the weight an infantryman must carry, and may decrease combat efficiency. Early crew-served weapons were siege weapons , like

3840-411: A storm between 19 and 22 June delayed its arrival; the division finally concentrated round Bayeux on 24 June. HQ, A and C Squadrons of 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment were aboard the troopship Derrycunihy , which arrived off Sword Beach on the evening of 20 June. High seas and enemy shelling prevented unloading for three days and it was decided to move to Juno Beach for disembarkation. As

4032-572: A striking force of two infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades for offensive operations on the Kyber front with the possibility of using it also in the Tochi and Kurram areas. One infantry division and a so-called "mounted" brigade were also detailed for operations on the Baluchistan – Zhob front. There were also three frontier brigades as well as a number of frontier militia and irregular corps. Artillery

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4224-402: A tactical victory was unlikely; however, the war served the dual purpose of deflecting domestic criticism and also offering the opportunity for strategic political gains. Following the wars conclusion, Amanullah Khan was hailed as a hero across Muslim world, with some even calling for him to become the new Caliph . Amanullah Khan's intentions for Jihad however, failed. The British believed in

4416-413: A threat of counterattack. On 3 June, the Afghan camp at Yusef Khel was seized by two platoons from the 1st/25th London and two troops from the 37th Lancers supported by a section of guns from the 89th Battery. Following this Dyer received a telegram ordering to break off his pursuit as an armistice came into effect that day. The war had lasted exactly one month, though sporadic conflict continued until

4608-463: Is personal armour . This includes shields , helmets and many types of armour – padded linen , leather, lamellar , mail , plate , and kevlar . Initially, armour was used to defend both from ranged and close combat; even a fairly light shield could help defend against most slings and javelins, though high-strength bows and crossbows might penetrate common armour at very close range. Infantry armour had to compromise between protection and coverage, as

4800-419: Is a specialization of military personnel who engage in warfare combat . Infantry generally consists of light infantry , irregular infantry , heavy infantry , mountain infantry , motorized infantry , mechanized infantry , airborne infantry , air assault infantry , and naval infantry . Other types of infantry, such as line infantry and mounted infantry , were once commonplace but fell out of favor in

4992-735: Is first noted in Egyptian records of the Battle of Kadesh ( c.  1274 BC ). Soldiers were grouped into units of 50, which were in turn grouped into larger units of 250, then 1,000, and finally into units of up to 5,000 – the largest independent command. Several of these Egyptian "divisions" made up an army, but operated independently, both on the march and tactically, demonstrating sufficient military command and control organisation for basic battlefield manoeuvres. Similar hierarchical organizations have been noted in other ancient armies, typically with approximately 10 to 100 to 1,000 ratios (even where base 10

5184-754: The Amritsar massacre , Amanullah decided to invade British India. Afghan historians typically represent the Third Anglo-Afghan War as a war of independence, while in reality, it was a Jihad . Upon his accession, Amanullah had already declared Afghanistan independent, and the British were incapable of stopping it. In 1919, the Afghan regular army was not a very formidable force, and was only able to muster some 50,000 men. These men were organised into 21 cavalry regiments and 75 infantry battalions , with about 280 modern artillery pieces, organised into 70 batteries, in support. In addition to this, however, in

5376-792: The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France, but the German invasion of the Low Countries on 10 May ended the ' Phoney War ' before the division was ready. When the Battle of France was lost and the BEF was being evacuated from Dunkirk , 43rd (W) Division was one of the few reasonably well-equipped formations left in Home Forces to counter a German invasion of the United Kingdom . It formed part of

5568-534: The Geilenkirchen salient ( Operation Clipper ). XXX Corps had 43rd Wessex and 84th US Divisions under command for this attack, which entailed breaching the Siegfried Line defences and capturing a string of fortified villages. 84th US Division attacked on the morning of 18 November, supported by British specialist armour, and was through the line of pillboxes by midday. 214th Brigade then attacked on its left in

5760-546: The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath . After a period as occupation forces in XXX Corps' district, 43rd (Wessex) Division's HQ and TA units were demobilised at the war's end. Throughout the North West Europe Campaign the 43rd (Wessex) Division, like so many other Allied divisions that fought from Normandy to Germany, had suffered very heavy casualties with the majority of them, 80% in some units, being suffered by

5952-706: The Isle of Wight , 214th Brigade had received specialised training in combined operations under the Royal Marines at Inverary , and retained an individuality within the division. 214th Brigade would remain with the 43rd Division for the rest of the war. XII Corps and 43rd (Wessex) Division were assigned to 21st Army Group for the Allied invasion of Normandy ( Operation Overlord ). They were follow-up formations, with 43rd (Wessex) Division scheduled to complete its landings 14 days after D Day (D +14, 20 June). However, shipping delays and

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6144-592: The Khojak Pass . However, 'Abd al-Quddus's late arrival saw a revolt by religious leaders which he had to suppress with the aid of Ali Ahmad Khan . This was followed by a complete massacre of the Afghan Qizilbash in Kandahar. When 'Abd al-Quddus was finally capable of marching into Balochistan, the armistice was already signed and the war had come to an end. The conflict began on 3rd May 1919 when Afghan troops crossed

6336-636: The River Indus . Despite some initial success, the Afghan invasion was however repelled by the British, the latter who were reinforced and responded in force. The Afghans were then driven back across the border via the Khyber Pass towards Jalalabad , with the British occupying Dacca and Spin Boldak by the end of May. Further Afghan incursions and tribal uprisings attacks were contained such as in Thal . The Royal Air Force were also used in bombing and strafing attacks on

6528-681: The Roer Triangle, though exploitation was prevented by bad weather. The 43rd later played a large part in Operation Veritable attached to First Canadian Army , through the month-long fighting in the Reichswald to capture Kleve , roll up the Siegfried Line defences, cross the Goch escarpment and seize Xanten on the Rhine . 43rd (Wessex) Division was given a follow-up task in the assault crossing of

6720-720: The Royal Artillery on the Western Front during the First World War where he was twice wounded and awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order . He would command the 43rd Division until September 1945. Thomas was an effective but hard-driving commander, humourless and not universally liked, sometimes known as 'Butcher', or more jocularly by Lt-Gen Brian Horrocks and others as 'Von Thoma', after

6912-1133: The Royal Dragoon Guards , Royal Lancers , and King's Royal Hussars . Similarly, motorised infantry have trucks and other unarmed vehicles for non-combat movement, but are still infantry since they leave their vehicles for any combat. Most modern infantry have vehicle transport, to the point where infantry being motorised is generally assumed, and the few exceptions might be identified as modern light infantry . Mechanised infantry go beyond motorised, having transport vehicles with combat abilities, armoured personnel carriers (APCs), providing at least some options for combat without leaving their vehicles. In modern infantry, some APCs have evolved to be infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are transport vehicles with more substantial combat abilities, approaching those of light tanks . Some well-equipped mechanised infantry can be designated as armoured infantry . Given that infantry forces typically also have some tanks, and given that most armoured forces have more mechanised infantry units than tank units in their organisation,

7104-635: The Yeomanry . On formation, the TF contained 14 infantry divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry brigades . One of the divisions was the Wessex Division . The Wessex Division was formed in Southern Command from TF units in the south-western counties of Cornwall , Devon , Dorset , Hampshire , Somerset and Wiltshire . In peacetime, the divisional headquarters was at 19 Cathedral Close in Exeter . On 29 July 1914,

7296-442: The ballista , trebuchet , and battering ram . Modern versions include machine guns , anti-tank missiles , and infantry mortars . Beginning with the development the first regular military forces, close-combat regular infantry fought less as unorganised groups of individuals and more in coordinated units, maintaining a defined tactical formation during combat, for increased battlefield effectiveness; such infantry formations and

7488-589: The quid pro quo of the Emir accepting the subsidy. Amanullah also received little but a letter recognizing Afghanistan's independence, with Afghan government propaganda trying to conceal it by claiming the war was a complete victory. The British had traditionally wanted Afghanistan as a buffer state between India and the Russian Empire. In 1919, the Russian Civil War was raging and any threat from Russia to India at

7680-469: The 1800s with the invention of more accurate and powerful weapons. In English, use of the term infantry began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French infanterie , from older Italian (also Spanish) infanteria (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin īnfāns (without speech, newborn, foolish), from which English also gets infant . The individual-soldier term infantryman

7872-507: The 2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigades of the 1st Infantry Division were dispatched from Nowshera and Abbottabad , concentrating at Jamrud and Kacha Garhi. At the same time, the 6th Brigade from the 2nd Infantry Division moved up to Peshawar from Rawalpindi to help quell the unrest there. Two days later, on 11 May, a second attack was made on Bagh by the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades, under Major General Fowler, and this time it proved successful. Supported with 22 machine guns and 18 artillery pieces,

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8064-522: The American all-purpose lightweight individual carrying equipment (ALICE). Infantrymen are defined by their primary arms – the personal weapons and body armour for their own individual use. The available technology, resources, history, and society can produce quite different weapons for each military and era, but common infantry weapons can be distinguished in a few basic categories. Infantrymen often carry secondary or back-up weapons, sometimes called

8256-546: The Armistice was signed in August. Propaganda from the Afghan government was not fruitful, and the Afghan army was completely defeated on two fronts, with Spin Boldak also being occupied by the British. The treaty of Rawalpindi was concluded on 8th August 1919. As a result of the peace treaty that was negotiated, the British ceased payment of the Afghan subsidy , and thus ended their claim to direct Afghan foreign policy, which had been

8448-480: The British could call on a much larger force. In May 1919, the British and British Indian Army , not including frontier militia, totalled eight divisions , as well as five independent brigades of infantry and three of cavalry. However, of this force, the entire North-West Frontier Province had three infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades, although there was also GHQ India 's central reserve of one infantry division and one cavalry brigade. From this, they formed

8640-598: The British informed the Italians that they had to recognize the British influence in the country. Afghan diplomats in Kabul in retaliation attempted to humiliate British diplomats there who were negotiating a treaty, which resulted in Afghan delegations to London being refused. British diplomatic mail and letters were rejected, and the British government refused to refer to Amanullah Khan as "Your Majesty", and letters to George V were intentionally left unanswered. Casualties during

8832-676: The British posts around the Kurram Valley had to be abandoned. The following day Handley Page bombers attacked Kabul; however, it did little to stem the tide, and the supply situation in Landi Kotal grew worse. On 27th May the British commander in Quetta decided to attack the Afghan fortress at Spin Baldak , capturing it (the last time the British Army used an escalade ) and, in the process, seized

9024-508: The British rear along their line of communications through the Khyber where the Khyber Rifles began to become disaffected by the situation and began to desert en masse . As a result, it was decided to disarm and disband the regiment in an effort to stop the spread of similar sentiment to other regiments. Following this Lord Chelmsford decided that the situation could be resolved by continuing

9216-578: The Central Powers, but failed to keep in check troublesome tribal leaders, intent on undermining British rule in India, as Turkish agents attempted to foment trouble along the frontier. The British had long seen Afghanistan as the only capable state of invading India, which remained a serious threat. The departure of a large part of the British Indian Army to fight overseas and news of British defeats at

9408-602: The First World War and had suffered a large number of casualties. Many of its units still had not returned from overseas, and those that had had begun the process of demobilisation . As such, many regiments had lost almost all of their most experienced men. Likewise, the British Army in India had been gutted. Prior to 1914 there had been 61 British regiments serving in India. However, of these, all but ten (two cavalry and eight infantry) had been withdrawn in order to fight in Europe or

9600-473: The Frontier Garrison Artillery. Machine guns, at least on the Khyber front, were old .303 Maxims . The British gained a command and control advantage with their use of motor transport and wireless communications, while armored cars and RAF detachments increased their firepower and reach, the latter being demonstrated to the Afghans by a bombing raid on Kabul itself. They could also direct

9792-600: The German Lt-Gen Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma captured after the Battle of Alamein . (Horrocks also jokingly referred to Thomas's command as the 'Wicked Wyvern'). Critics of his training methods regarded 43rd (Wessex) Division as 'the most over-exercised in the Army'. In June 1942, the 128th Infantry Brigade (consisting of three battalions of the Hampshire Regiment ) was transferred to 46th Infantry Division . It

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9984-818: The Memorial Fund. The first memorial in England was at Castle Hill, Mere , in Wiltshire, acquired on a 199-year lease from the Duchy of Cornwall and entrusted to the Parish Council of Mere. Next the fund acquired Wynyard's Gap near Crewkerne, Somerset . Finally, Sir Richard Onslow (formerly of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) presented Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor to the National Trust as

10176-487: The Middle East. In their place, units of the Territorial Force (TF), part-time soldiers usually only intended for home defence but who had volunteered for overseas service, had been sent in order to release regular units for the fighting in France. After four years of mundane garrison duty, away from their families and disaffected, most of these men were really only interested in demobilisation and returning to Britain to get on with their lives. They were in no way prepared for

10368-429: The Poles were ferried back to the south bank; few of 4th Dorsets made it back. The division was blamed by many airborne soldiers for its dilatory advance to the river, though the Corps commander, Lt-Gen Horrocks, defended the division, pointing out that it could not deploy any armoured vehicles (either 8th Armoured Bde or 43rd Recce Rgt's armoured cars and half-tracks) off the single road, nicknamed 'Hell's Highway', which

10560-414: The Rhine ( Operation Plunder ). Its leading brigade crossed the river on 25 March behind 51st (Highland) Division , which had carried the assault on the night of 23/24 March. It found itself in immediate combat, but had broken through by 29 March. During the subsequent pursuit, 43rd (Wessex) Division was given the task of opening 'Club Route' for XXX Corps. The division was divided into five battle groups for

10752-404: The Second Battle of Bagh, amounted to 100 Afghans killed and 300 wounded, while the British and Indian forces lost eight killed and 31 wounded. Although Amanullah continued to profess that he had no untoward intentions, Roos-Keppel decided that it was prudent to continue the advance and ordered the army to pursue the Afghans across the border. On 13 May British and Indian troops seized control of

10944-401: The Second World War, the division formed part of the postwar TA, and became the 43rd (Wessex) Division/District in 1961. It was finally disbanded in 1967. The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force , the Honourable Artillery Company and

11136-455: The Swiss, English, Aragonese and German, to men-at-arms who went into battle as well-armoured as knights, the latter of which at times also fought on foot. The creation of standing armies —permanently assembled for war or defence—saw increase in training and experience. The increased use of firearms and the need for drill to handle them efficiently. The introduction of national and mass armies saw an establishment of minimum requirements and

11328-433: The Third Anglo-Afghan War took hold long before fighting commenced. For the British in India, Afghanistan was seen as a threat. The British worried about Russian intentions, concerned that an invasion of India could be launched by Tsarist forces through Afghanistan. This period became known as the Great Game . In an effort to negate this threat, the British made numerous attempts at imposing their will upon Kabul , and over

11520-429: The Tigers reached the village first. The leading Hampshire penetrated the village, leaving strongpoints to be mopped up later by the following Dorsets, but they were driven out by counter-attacks. 4th Dorsets, making a second attack, suffered heavy casualties. Two battalions of 214th Brigade had already been drawn into the fighting around Chateau de Fontaine, leaving 5th DCLI as the last uncommitted battalion. It attacked up

11712-523: The UK and joined formations composed of Regular units brought back from India and other imperial garrisons. Meanwhile, the battalions and batteries were immediately distributed to garrisons across India, reverting to peacetime service conditions, and the Wessex Division never saw service as a whole, though it was formally numbered the 43rd (1st Wessex) Division in 1915 and the brigades were designated 128th (Hampshire) Brigade , 129th (South Western) Brigade and 130th (Devon and Cornwall) Brigade . As soon as

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11904-422: The United Kingdom training such as the 43rd (Wessex), 15th (Scottish), 11th Armoured and 59th (Staffordshire) Divisions the problem of morale was less of an issue. After a short rest 43rd (Wessex) Division moved to XXX Corps to launch an attack towards the dominating height of Mont Pinçon as part of Operation Bluecoat . 8th Armoured Brigade was assigned to support the infantry. Starting at 08.00 on 30 July,

12096-416: The Wessex Division had left for India, the home depots began raising 2nd Line units, distinguished from the 1st Line by a '2/' prefix. Recruitment and training of the 2nd Wessex Division proceeded so well that it was also sent to India in December 1914, and later received the notional title of 45th (2nd Wessex) Division . By early 1915 the need was growing for troops to be sent to various theatres of war, and

12288-413: The Wessex Division was in the Salisbury Plain Training Area carrying out its annual training camp when 'precautionary orders' were received, and next day the division took up emergency war stations in Somerset , Devon and Cornwall . The order to mobilise arrived on the evening of 4 August. Between 10 and 13 August the division concentrated on Salisbury Plain and began war training. On 24 September, at

12480-421: The advance further into Afghanistan and gave the order for the brigade in Dacca to march towards Jalalabad , but this order could not be carried out as fighting broke out further to the south and in the eastern Khyber. As part of the attack on the Khyber, secondary attacks had been planned on Quetta and Kurram , in the north in Chitral state and in the south in Baluchistan and the Zhob Valley. On 23rd May

12672-445: The afternoon, led by 7th Somerset LI and tanks of 4th/7th DG, and took its first objective, the village of Neiderheide. But many of the tanks and most of the supply vehicles got bogged down while 1st Worcesters were threading their way through Gilrath to form up for the second phase towards Tripsrath. Without tanks, and the artillery having shifted to another target, 1st Worcesters struggled forward under shellfire and forced their way into

12864-424: The air raids on Kabul, citing British condemnation of the German Zeppelin attacks on London. In his letter to the British government he said, "It is a matter of great regret that the throwing of bombs by Zeppelins on London was denounced as a most savage act and the bombardment of places of worship and sacred spots was considered a most abominable operation, while now we see with our own eyes that such operations were

13056-443: The arms they used developed together, starting with the spear and the shield. A spear has decent attack abilities with the additional advantage keeping opponents at distance; this advantage can be increased by using longer spears, but this could allow the opponent to side-step the point of the spear and close for hand-to-hand combat where the longer spear is near useless. This can be avoided when each spearman stays side by side with

13248-553: The assault that evening against the defenders from 49th German Infantry Division . 15th (Kent) GHQTRE was tasked with manning the DUKWs during the initial assault and then operating rafts until the first bridge could be laid. They also had storm boats in reserve but these had to be used in the first wave because launching points for DUKWs were hard to find. A 15-minute bombardment by the guns of 94th (Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment , 121st (West Riding) Medium Regiment (further back in Group Two) and C Sqn, 15th/19th Hussars, together with

13440-409: The attack had been launched ahead of schedule, however, for Amanullah had intended initially for it to coincide with an uprising that was being planned in Peshawar for 8th May. This served to alert the British Chief Commissioner of the North West Frontier, Sir George Roos-Keppel , who had become aware of the plan and as a result he was able to successfully convince the Viceroy , Lord Chelmsford , of

13632-401: The attack was carried to the top of the ridge. Upon reaching the escarpment they found that the Afghans had fled the battlefield, leaving most of their equipment, artillery and a number of standards . During the assault the British and Indian forces lost 22 killed and 157 wounded, while Afghan losses were estimated at around 200 killed and 400 wounded. At this time, however, trouble struck in

13824-478: The attack was preceded by a thirty-minute preparation bombardment before being carried by the 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment and two battalions from the 11th Gurkhas , who charged into the Afghan positions with bayonets fixed and drove them into the Lower Khyber, where they were subjected to further indirect fire from mountain guns that had been set up in ambush. As the Afghans were forced back over

14016-571: The average Tommy in the infantry battalions. From June 1944 to May 1945 the 43rd (Wessex) Division, or the Yellow Devils or British SS Division as known by the Germans, had suffered well over 12,500 casualties, with almost 3,000 killed in action. The TA was reconstituted from 1 January 1947 and its units and formations including 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division were reformed. However, the TA saw large numbers of amalgamations from 1950 onwards. In 1961

14208-441: The beached fore part of the "Derrycunihy", and reinforcements were sent from England, but the regiment was not fully up to strength until the end of July 1944. The division's first action, Operation Epsom starting on 26 June, involved following 15th (Scottish) Division 's advance and then securing the captured objectives. However, this entailed some heavy fighting by 5th Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) against

14400-461: The border, the RAF followed them across and carried out a number of bombing runs. The rout was total and tribesman that might have otherwise have been expected to counterattack in support of the Afghans decided against doing so, instead turning their efforts to looting the battlefield and gathering the arms and ammunition that the retreating Afghans had left behind. Casualties during the battle, later known as

14592-457: The bridges were found to be destroyed, and guarding the 'corridor' to Arnhem. The advance up the only road ('Club Route') was slow but on 21 September 43rd (Wessex) Division caught up with the Guards at Nijmegen . Further progress was blocked by strong German forces, and 1st Airborne Division holding out at Arnhem was in a desperate plight. 43rd (Wessex) Division was ordered to pass through the Guards

14784-512: The brigade commander decided to split his forces and detach almost half his force to protect his flank and as a result was unable to achieve the necessary concentration of force to capture all of his objectives. Coinciding with this, three BE2c aircraft from the Royal Air Force carried out a bombing raid on Dacca in Afghanistan, attacking a group of hostile tribesmen. Following this

14976-470: The broken road bridge into the village of Vernonnet, which was strongly held. In the dark 260th Field Company managed to bulldoze a slipway for the 536 Company RASC DUKWs, speeding up the crossing, and 129th Brigade got about a battalion and a half across in total, setting up a perimeter along the escarpment above the bridging site. The Wessex field companies now began work under fire on a Class 9 (9 tonne maximum load) Folding Boat Equipment (FBE) bridge while

15168-411: The carrying burden is spread across several infantrymen. In all, this can reach 25–45 kg (60–100 lb) for each soldier on the march. Such heavy infantry burdens have changed little over centuries of warfare; in the late Roman Republic, legionaries were nicknamed " Marius' mules " as their main activity seemed to be carrying the weight of their legion around on their backs, a practice that predates

15360-469: The centre of the Amritsar massacre—set out to relieve Eustace's force at Thal. Dyer's force consisted of only one British battalion, the 1st/25th London Regiment , as well as Dogras , Punjabis and Gurkhas, and short of rations and possessing no transport, they were forced to march through intense heat to relieve Thal. Despite the conditions, however, the British and Indian troops under Dyer's command rose to

15552-536: The commandant, were forced to fight their way out to a column of the North Zhob Militia which had been sent out to relieve them. Seeing that the situation was deteriorating for the British and seeing an opportunity, Nadir Khan decided to attack Thal. As the Frontier Constabulary had abandoned their posts, on the night of 28th/29th May the Afghans were able to occupy a tower 500 yards (460 m) from

15744-661: The conflict on the side of the Central Powers ; the Ottoman sultan (as titular leader of Islam ) called for a holy war against the Allies. Despite remaining neutral in the conflict, Habibullah did in fact accept a Turkish-German mission in Kabul and military assistance from the Central Powers as he attempted to play both sides of the conflict for the best deal. Through continual prevarication, he resisted numerous requests for assistance from

15936-608: The course of the 19th century fought two wars: the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842) and the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880). The end of the Second Afghan War in 1880, marked the beginning of almost 40 years of good relations between Britain and Afghanistan, under the leadership of Abdur Rahman Khan and Habibullah Khan , during which time the British attempted to manage Afghan foreign policy through

16128-500: The crossroads below. 214th Brigade relieved the exhausted troops that morning. Having taken and then defended Mont Pinçon, 43rd (Wessex) Division participated in XXX Corps' advance. It crossed the Noireau on 15 August by a broken railway bridge and by wading, whereupon 204 Field Company RE set to work with a waterproofed bulldozer to build a tank ford and a trestle bridge named 'Genesis'. 553 Field Company and 207 Field Park Company then built

16320-580: The death of his father. Needing a way of cementing his power, upon seizing the throne in April 1919, Amanullah posed as a supporter of democratic ideals, promising governmental reforms. He stated that there should be no forced labour, tyranny, or oppression, and that Afghanistan should be free and independent and no longer bound by the Treaty of Gandamak. Amanullah had his uncle Nasrullah arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for Habibullah's murder. Nasrullah had been

16512-463: The distinction between mechanised infantry and armour forces has blurred. The first military forces in history were infantry. In antiquity , infantry were armed with early melee weapons such as a spear , axe , or sword , or an early ranged weapon like a javelin , sling , or bow , with a few infantrymen being expected to use both a melee and a ranged weapon. With the development of gunpowder , infantry began converting to primarily firearms . By

16704-488: The division at various times: The banner of the kings of Wessex bore a golden Wyvern , a dragon with two eagle-like legs and the barbed tail of a snake. The 43rd (Wessex) Division adopted the golden wyvern on a blue square as its formation sign in 1935. The Hill 112 memorial was erected by the divisional engineers and later taken over by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with an endowment from

16896-455: The division became a district headquarters as 43rd (Wessex) Division/District , and it was disbanded on the reduction of the TA into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve on 1 April 1967, when many individual TA units lost their identities. The district headquarters itself formed the core of the structure for the creation of South West District under HQ UK Land Forces in 1972. In 1985

17088-516: The division concentrated at Diest to take part in Operation Market Garden , beginning on 17 September. In 'Garden', the ground part of the operation, XXX Corps was to link river crossings up to the Nederrijn at Arnhem via a 'carpet' of airborne troops . 43rd (Wessex) Division accompanied by 8th Armoured Bde was to follow Guards Armoured Division , carrying out assault crossings if any of

17280-411: The division was part of XII Corps , serving alongside the 46th Infantry Division and 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division . XII Corps was, at the time, commanded by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery . In March 1942, the division also gained a new General Officer Commanding (GOC) in the form of Major-General Ivor Thomas . Thomas was a decorated officer who had served as a young battery commander in

17472-475: The division was to force its way through enemy positions at Briquessard and advance through Cahagnes towards Ondefontaine . 130th Brigade led, reinforced by 4th Somerset Light Infantry and Sherman tanks of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry , followed by 214th Brigade and then 129th Brigade. Initial casualties were heavy, particularly from mines , and the advance achieved only 1,000 yards (910 m) on

17664-642: The division's first Bailey bridge across the site of the railway bridge. The main opposition came from mortars and booby-trapped mines. Next morning 43rd Recce and the Sherwood Foresters were ready to continue the pursuit of the broken enemy, who were soon caught in the Falaise pocket . The breakout achieved, XXX Corps drove flat out for the River Seine (Operation Loopy), with 43rd (W) Division sent ahead to make an assault crossing at Vernon . For this operation it

17856-552: The division's memory was perpetuated when a new 43rd (Wessex) Brigade was formed as a National Defence Brigade HQ at Wyvern Barracks , Exeter , to command TA units in South West District. In 1998 it moved to Bulford Camp and undertook wider responsibilities. It was disbanded at Jellalabad Barracks , Tidworth, in December 2014 and merged into 1st Artillery Brigade and Headquarters South West . The following officers commanded

18048-406: The division's open western flank. The concealed squadrons sent back reports, but were forbidden to engage the enemy in order to hide the extent of the position. However, on the night of 26/27 September a furious firefight broke out when the Germans crossed the river in strength and attempted to emplace anti-tank guns in 43rd Recce's hidden positions. The Germans launched a serious counter-attack from

18240-475: The dugouts and defensive positions of their outpost line on the forward slopes. 5th Battalion Dorsets and 9th Royal Tank Regiment , leading 130th Brigade against the farms on the lower ground, made quick progress, 7th Somerset Light Infantry passing through with the Churchills and Crocodiles to deal with Chateau de Fontaine. But 129th Brigade was slowed in its advance on Hill 112 itself, suffering heavy casualties on

18432-484: The east on 1 October, attacking 129th Bde strung out guarding the road from Nijmegen to the Nederrijn. 4th Somerset LI and 5th Wiltshires fought them off at Elst for 48 hours, the divisional artillery breaking up some of the attacks, and RAF medium bombers following up. Further north, 5th Dorsets beat off 116th Panzer Division and 7th Hampshires had to dislodge enemy troops who fortified themselves in some brick kilns, with

18624-457: The end of the day. Generals Ivor Thomas and Brian Horrocks (who had just taken command of XXX Corps) were anxious to push on, and had already cancelled Operation Blackwater, designed to reach the River Noireau, because it was too risky with Mont Pinçon still in enemy hands. A new attack was planned for 6 August, with 130th Brigade making a feint to the north, while 129th Brigade continued from

18816-455: The enemy to prepare for the main forces' battlefield attack, protecting them from flanking manoeuvers , and then afterwards either pursuing the fleeing enemy or covering their army's retreat. After the fall of Rome, the quality of heavy infantry declined, and warfare was dominated by heavy cavalry , such as knights , forming small elite units for decisive shock combat , supported by peasant infantry militias and assorted light infantry from

19008-442: The eponymous Gaius Marius . When combat is expected, infantry typically switch to "packing light", meaning reducing their equipment to weapons, ammunition, and other basic essentials, and leaving other items deemed unnecessary with their transport or baggage train , at camp or rally point, in temporary hidden caches, or even (in emergencies) simply discarding the items. Additional specialised equipment may be required, depending on

19200-461: The evening being destroyed by the divisional artillery. The division's first major offensive action of its own was Operation Jupiter , to take Hill 112, which had been briefly captured by British armour during 'Epsom' but had to be abandoned. The attack on 10 July was supported by all the divisional artillery and mortars, plus the artillery of 15th (Scottish) Division and 11th Armoured Division and 3rd and 8th Army Groups Royal Artillery (AGRAs). In

19392-400: The existence of any organised military, likely started essentially as loose groups without any organisation or formation. But this changed sometime before recorded history ; the first ancient empires (2500–1500 BC) are shown to have some soldiers with standardised military equipment, and the training and discipline required for battlefield formations and manoeuvres: regular infantry . Though

19584-434: The expected duration of time operating away from their unit's base, plus any special mission-specific equipment. One of the most valuable pieces of gear is the entrenching tool —basically a folding spade —which can be employed not only to dig important defences, but also in a variety of other daily tasks, and even sometimes as a weapon. Infantry typically have shared equipment on top of this, like tents or heavy weapons, where

19776-462: The fire of the 60-pounders. The RAF squadrons involved were No. 31 Squadron and No. 114 Squadron . The main problem for the British was discontent among their soldiers. The troops in India were no longer as uncritical as they had been when considering what they were being asked to do. Like other units of the British Army, many of the troops considered the war over and looked forward to being demobilised. The Indian Army had been heavily committed to

19968-555: The first 25 miles (40 km) drive, incorporating units of 8th Armoured Brigade. The advance began on 30 March: German rearguards were either overcome or bypassed, and the Twente Canal was crossed, with troops of 129th Infantry Bde and 8th Armoured Bde liberating Lochem on 1–2 April. The pursuit continued through April and ended with the capture of Bremen and XXX Corps' drive into the Cuxhaven peninsula. Hostilities ended on 5 May after

20160-623: The first day. It took until the following morning to clear the mines and restart the advance with 214th Brigade and the tanks of 4th/7th Dragoon Guards . At 17.30 the brigade broke through, and 1st Worcesters riding on the tanks got beyond Cahagnes by nightfall. 7th Somerset Light Infantry cleared the village in the dark and, with the aid of the divisional artillery, fought off a counter-attack accompanied by heavy armour (probably Jagdpanther s) that had to be stalked with PIATs. The division fought its way forward during 1 August, then at 02.00 on 2 August 129th Brigade began its advance on Ondefontaine. It

20352-626: The first drafts and formed units from the 1st Wessex Division began to go on active service, particularly to the Mesopotamian Front . By the end of the war only one battalion and five batteries remained in India, and most of these then participated in the Third Anglo-Afghan War . 43rd (Wessex) Division was reformed in 1920 and became part of the Territorial Army , which replaced the TF. In the period of international tension preceding

20544-496: The first phase 129th Brigade on the right, with all three battalions in line, and 130th Brigade on the left with one battalion, were to capture the hill and the road from it to Château de Fontaine. They were supported by Churchill tanks from 31st Tank Brigade . Then, while 129th Brigade formed a secure south-west flank, 130th Brigade and Churchill Crocodile flamethrowing tanks from 79th Armoured Division were to advance from Château de Fontaine to capture Eterville and Maltot and

20736-557: The flank and took the crest. 43rd Recce Regiment (reformed after the Derrycunihy disaster) then went through to unhinge the Ondefontaine defences. The division was now facing east, with Mont Pinçon only 4 miles (6.4 km) away. At 08.00 on 5 August, 4th Wiltshires moved out with B Squadron 13th/18th Royal Hussars , picking their way through the narrow lanes, while A Sqn took a parallel route carrying 5th Wiltshires. 4th Wiltshires found

20928-459: The following day the garrison was subjected to a heavy bombardment from Afghan guns. As a result of this, the British decided to bring the 16th Infantry Division, consisting of the 45th and 46th Infantry Brigades, up to Peshawar from Lahore, for the purpose of advancing on Jalalabad and have it move up to Kurram. While part of the division was detached to defend Kohat , the 45th Infantry Brigade under Brigadier General Reginald Dyer —who had been at

21120-562: The following evaluation of the Amir's army: Afghan regular units...were ill-trained, ill-paid, and probably under strength. The cavalry was little better than indifferent infantry mounted on equally indifferent ponies. Rifles varied between modern German, Turkish and British types, to obsolete Martinis and Snyders . Few infantry units had bayonets. Artillery was ponydrawn, or pack, and included modern 10 cm Krupp howitzers, 75 mm Krupp mountain guns and ancient 7 pounder weapons. There were

21312-426: The following morning and make an all-out effort to reach the Nederrijn by a side road. The Germans were found to be dug in at Oosterhout and the countryside was so boggy that it was impossible to move vehicles off the road, making outflanking moves too slow. Despite the shortage of artillery ammunition coming up the precarious line of communication, the whole of the divisional artillery and heavy mortars were used, but it

21504-450: The fort and from there they were able to set fire to a number of food stores. This made the situation in the fort dire, as the supply situation had already been low. Other factors also stacked up against the British. Eustace's force was outnumbered and outgunned. He possessed no regular British infantry and his four battalions were inexperienced Indian units, consisting mainly of young recruits. After repelling an infantry assault on 29th May,

21696-406: The four available 536 Company DUKWs also grounded, the survivor ferrying across the rest of 5th Wiltshires in the dark. On the left, 4th Somerset LI got across in the storm boats relatively easily, but found that their bridgehead was on an island, and they were still cut off from the east bank, apart from a few men who scrambled over the wreckage of the railway bridge. 1st Worcesters failed to get over

21888-532: The frontier at the western end of the Khyber Pass and captured the town of Bagh . Bagh was strategically important to the British and Indians as it provided water to Landi Kotal , which was at the time garrisoned by just two companies of troops from the British Indian Army. Although initially considered a minor border infraction, this attack was actually part of the wider invasion plan. For whatever reason

22080-529: The frontier tribes as well as targets within Afghanistan, including Kabul and Jalalabad. Although small in scale, it was a contributing force for Amanullah to call for an armistice in June. The Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 was signed on 8 August which resulted in the Afghans re-gaining dejure control of foreign affairs from Britain , and the Afghans recognizing the Durand Line as the border. The root cause of

22272-538: The grounds that attendance at the conference was confined to the belligerents . Further negotiations were scheduled, but before they could begin Habibullah was assassinated on 19 February 1919. This resulted in a power struggle as Habibullah's brother Nasrullah Khan proclaimed himself as Habibullah's successor, while in Kabul, Amanullah , Habibullah's third son (from his second wife), had also proclaimed himself amir . The Afghan army suspected Amanullah's complicity in

22464-553: The hands of the Ottomans aided Ottoman agents in their efforts at sedition, and in 1915 there was unrest amongst the Mohmands and then the Mahsuds . Notwithstanding these outbreaks, the frontier generally remained settled at a time when Britain could ill afford trouble. The Turko-German mission left Kabul in 1916. By that time, however, it had successfully convinced Habibullah that Afghanistan

22656-410: The heavy mortars of 8th Middlesex, was followed by a smoke barrage to cover the crossing at 19.00. On the right, 5th Wiltshires began crossing in eight storm boats manned by 15th (Kent) GHQTRE, but they grounded before reaching the far side, and were raked by machine gun fire. By the end of an hour only one boat remained. Only about a company had got across, and they were overrun during the night. Three of

22848-544: The help of RAF Typhoons . On 5 October 43rd (Wessex) handed most of its positions over to the US 101st Airborne Division , leaving the anti-tank and mortar platoons and 5th DCLI, the divisional reserve, to help out. The attacks ended after one last attempt on 6 October. 43rd Wessex continued to hold the western part of the Island. The divisional historian records that "While the Division faced

23040-558: The high ground to the south-east. Finally, 214th Brigade in Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers accompanied by 4th Armoured Brigade was supposed to break through to the River Orne and seize bridgeheads. The massive barrage stunned but failed to suppress the defenders from 10th SS Panzer Division . When the Wessex infantry went forward they came under heavy fire and had to clear defenders from

23232-889: The individual – weapons using personal strength and force, such as larger swinging swords, axes, and clubs. These take more room and individual freedom to swing and wield, necessitating a more loose organisation. While this may allow for a fierce running attack (an initial shock advantage) the tighter formation of the heavy spear and shield infantry gave them a local manpower advantage where several might be able to fight each opponent. Thus tight formations heightened advantages of heavy arms, and gave greater local numbers in melee. To also increase their staying power, multiple rows of heavy infantrymen were added. This also increased their shock combat effect; individual opponents saw themselves literally lined-up against several heavy infantryman each, with seemingly no chance of defeating all of them. Heavy infantry developed into huge solid block formations, up to

23424-467: The infantry and 43rd Recce cleared the banks and pushed through the forest until they were firmly established on the heights. By 28 August, 7th ATRE working under shellfire had built their Class 40 bridge, codenamed 'Goliath', and 11th Armoured was beginning to pour across to spearhead XXX Corps' advance. A second Class 40 named 'Saul' was built by 15th (Kent) GHQRE. After the Seine crossing, 43rd (Wessex) Division

23616-410: The infantry fought to expand the bridgehead and clear Vernonnet. The Worcesters got over the broken bridge, and light rafts began to get 6-pounder anti-tank guns and armoured cars of the recce regiment across, but work on the bridge was halted by heavy fire until 5th DCLI and 7th Somerset LI from newly-arrived 214th Brigade struggled across the broken road bridge into Vernonnet. By nightfall the bridgehead

23808-447: The initial assault, however, they were forced to stop their attack when they ran out of ammunition at 08.00 hours, and although a resupply was effected at 10.30 hours, it was not until 14.00 hours that the attack was resumed. By this time the troops were exposed to the heat of the day; nevertheless, after another barrage was called down, the Sikhs assaulted the Afghan line despite the heat and

24000-423: The initiative in the south; however, the situation in the centre of the war zone, around Kurram, remained desperate for the British. The Afghan forces in this area were under the command of General Nadir Khan and he possessed a force of some 14 battalions. Against this, the British at Thal, under Brigadier General Alexander Eustace , possessed only four battalions. To make matters worse, the only troops protecting

24192-422: The introduction of special troops (first of them the engineers going back to medieval times, but also different kinds of infantry adopted to specific terrain, bicycle, motorcycle, motorised and mechanised troops) culminating with the introduction of highly trained special forces during the first and second World War. Naval infantry, commonly known as marines , are primarily a category of infantry that form part of

24384-416: The leader of a more conservative element in Afghanistan, and his treatment rendered Amanullah's position as Amir somewhat tenuous. By April 1919, Amanullah realised that if he could not find a way to placate the conservatives, he would be unlikely to maintain his hold on power. Looking for a diversion from the internal strife in the Afghan court and sensing advantage in the rising civil unrest in India following

24576-707: The lower classes. Towards the end of Middle Ages, this began to change, where more professional and better trained light infantry could be effective against knights, such as the English longbowmen in the Hundred Years' War . By the start of the Renaissance , the infantry began to return to a larger role, with Swiss pikemen and German Landsknechts filling the role of heavy infantry again, using dense formations of pikes to drive off any cavalry. Dense formations are vulnerable to ranged weapons. Technological developments allowed

24768-417: The main enemy lines, using weight of numbers to achieve a decisive victory , and were usually equipped with heavier weapons and armour to fit their role. Light infantry, such as Greek peltasts , Balearic slingers , and Roman velites , using open formations and greater manoeuvrability, took on most other combat roles: scouting , screening the army on the march, skirmishing to delay, disrupt, or weaken

24960-447: The main force of the army, these forces were usually kept small due to their cost of training and upkeep, and might be supplemented by local short-term mass-conscript forces using the older irregular infantry weapons and tactics; this remained a common practice almost up to modern times. Before the adoption of the chariot to create the first mobile fighting forces c.  2000 BC , all armies were pure infantry. Even after, with

25152-487: The mid 17th century began replacement of the pike with the infantry square replacing the pike square. To maximise their firepower, musketeer infantry were trained to fight in wide lines facing the enemy, creating line infantry . These fulfilled the central battlefield role of earlier heavy infantry, using ranged weapons instead of melee weapons. To support these lines, smaller infantry formations using dispersed skirmish lines were created, called light infantry, fulfilling

25344-595: The mission or to the particular terrain or environment, including satchel charges , demolition tools, mines , or barbed wire , carried by the infantry or attached specialists. Historically, infantry have suffered high casualty rates from disease , exposure, exhaustion and privation — often in excess of the casualties suffered from enemy attacks. Better infantry equipment to support their health, energy, and protect from environmental factors greatly reduces these rates of loss, and increase their level of effective action. Health, energy, and morale are greatly influenced by how

25536-502: The mobile GHQ Reserve disposed on the line from Northampton through North London to Aldershot , from which brigade groups could be despatched to any threatened area. During the period when invasion was most threatened, the division was stationed just north of London. By the end of 1940 the division was stationed under XII Corps in East Kent, where it remained for the next four years, first in defensive mode, later training intensively. It

25728-583: The monotony inseparable from static defence, the Reconnaissance Regiment fought a different type of war". This involved guarding the western end of the Island, cooperating with the Dutch Resistance and facilitating the escape across the river of British paratroops who had evaded capture. 43rd (Wessex) Division was then shifted east with XXX Corps to cooperate with the US Ninth Army by capturing

25920-737: The naval forces of states and perform roles on land and at sea, including amphibious operations , as well as other, naval roles. They also perform other tasks, including land warfare, separate from naval operations. Air force infantry and base defense forces are used primarily for ground-based defense of air bases and other air force facilities. They also have a number of other, specialist roles. These include, among others, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence and training other airmen in basic ground defense tactics. Infentory Third Anglo-Afghan War Afghan victory [REDACTED]   Afghanistan [REDACTED]   United Kingdom The Third Anglo-Afghan War

26112-456: The need for a buffer state in Central Asia irrelevant. The British also stopped arms sales from India to Afghanistan. But, as British influence declined, the Afghans were able to gain control of their own foreign affairs and in the aftermath emerged as a fully independent state. The British also made some political gains, most notably the reaffirmation of the Durand Line – which had long been

26304-458: The need to respond to the occupation of Bagh before it led to further unrest in Peshawar. In response to this the British Indian government declared war upon Afghanistan on 6th May and ordered a general mobilisation of the British and Indian forces. It was decided next that the two companies of Sikhs and Gurkhas that had been sent to Landi Kotal needed to be reinforced, however, the mobilisation process had only just begun and at that stage there

26496-421: The negotiations that by letting Afghanistan become independent, it would still be reliant on British military and economic aid, and thus accepted the treaty and the recognition of Afghanistan as an independent state. Despite this, British and Afghan diplomats often snubbed each other as a result of the war, which the British did not forget. In one occasion, as the Afghans attempted to open diplomatic ties to Italy ,

26688-521: The night from the newly-arrived 9th SS Panzer Division , and were reinforced in the morning by a company of 1st Worcesters and briefly by a squadron of Sherman tanks from the Royal Scots Greys . By mid-afternoon all the anti-tank guns on the hill had been knocked out, the tanks had to retire to the reverse slope, and the defence was almost over. The order was given to withdraw and 60 survivors of 5th DCLI were brought down. Both sides remained dug in on

26880-409: The occasion and covered the last 18 miles (29 km) in under 12 hours and on 1st June they ran into a blocking force of tribesman that barred both the northern and southern approaches to Thal. Dyer attacked both ends with his artillery, while sending his infantry against the southern approach. Unable to withstand the attack, the tribesmen retreated and as a result the way through to Eustace's garrison

27072-399: The only course now was to evacuate the survivors. Their radios had been inoperable, and the only communication link had been through 64th (London) Medium Regiment, RA , attached to 43rd (Wessex) Division. Through this link the code word for the evacuation was passed, and during the night of 25/26 September a feint attack was made by 5th Wiltshires while around 2300 survivors of 1st Airborne and

27264-455: The open slopes, and then running into the recently-arrived Tiger I tanks of 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion , which the Churchills and corps anti-tank guns of 86th (Devon) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, struggled to deal with. By mid-morning 129th Brigade only had a slender toehold on the edge of the plateau. Attempting to continue 130th Brigade's advance on Maltot, 7th Hampshires and 9th RTR came under crossfire from Hill 112, while some of

27456-400: The others in close formation, each covering the ones next to him, presenting a solid wall of spears to the enemy that they cannot get around. Similarly, a shield has decent defence abilities, but is literally hit-or-miss; an attack from an unexpected angle can bypass it completely. Larger shields can cover more, but are also heavier and less manoeuvrable, making unexpected attacks even more of

27648-470: The outbreak of the Second World War , the existing territorial divisions (known as the first-line) helped form new formations, known as the second-line. This process was known as duplicating. The division's duplicate was the 45th Infantry Division . The TA was mobilised on the outbreak of war in September 1939 and the division began training in its home area. In May 1940 it was preparing to go overseas to join

27840-497: The payment of a large subsidy. While the country ostensibly remained independent, under the Treaty of Gandamak (1879) it accepted that in external matters it would "...have no windows looking on the outside world, except towards India". Though in reality, this was not enforced, and Afghanistan continued diplomatic interactions with other nations outside of British approval. In 1901, the death of Emir Abdur Rahman Khan led indirectly to

28032-413: The plan was not accepted until later. In 1937, it was eventually decided that should another war break out with Afghanistan, or in the event of a major tribal uprising, the RAF would take the offensive, while the ground forces would act defensively. During the course of the conflict, British aircraft losses included at least one plane crashed and two shot down. King Amanullah objected to the British about

28224-458: The raising of large numbers of light infantry units armed with ranged weapons, without the years of training expected for traditional high-skilled archers and slingers. This started slowly, first with crossbowmen , then hand cannoneers and arquebusiers , each with increasing effectiveness, marking the beginning of early modern warfare , when firearms rendered the use of heavy infantry obsolete. The introduction of musketeers using bayonets in

28416-498: The regulars, the Afghan command expected to call out the tribes, which could gather up to 20,000 or 30,000 Afridi fighters in the Khyber region alone. In stark contrast to the regulars, the tribal lashkars were probably the best troops that the Afghans had, being of excellent fighting quality, well armed, mainly with weapons that they had made themselves or stolen from the garrisons and with plenty of ammunition. In meeting this threat,

28608-474: The reply: "My guns will give an immediate reply, but your letter will be forwarded to the Divisional Commander". After this Dyer continued his attack and as Nadir Khan's force withdrew from the area, Dyer followed them up with cavalry and armoured cars from the 37th Lancers, while the RAF, using machine guns and iron bombs, attacked and dispersed about 400 tribesmen that were in the area and which posed

28800-490: The retreating enemy and to break up tribesmen as they attempted to form larger groups prior to launching an attack. The ability of the British to project airpower, even small scale raids, had considerable psychological effects. For example, the single-plane raid on the palace which took place on 24th May 1919, although producing little actual damage, nevertheless greatly affected the morale of Afghan citizens and contributed to bringing Amanullah to request an armistice. Indeed, as

28992-1041: The same multiple roles as earlier light infantry. Their arms were no lighter than line infantry; they were distinguished by their skirmish formation and flexible tactics. The modern rifleman infantry became the primary force for taking and holding ground on battlefields as an element of combined arms . As firepower continued to increase, use of infantry lines diminished, until all infantry became light infantry in practice. Modern classifications of infantry have since expanded to reflect modern equipment and tactics, such as motorised infantry , mechanised or armoured infantry , mountain infantry , marine infantry , and airborne infantry . Beyond main arms and armour, an infantryman's "military kit" generally includes combat boots , battledress or combat uniform , camping gear , heavy weather gear, survival gear , secondary weapons and ammunition , weapon service and repair kits, health and hygiene items, mess kit , rations , filled water canteen , and all other consumables each infantryman needs for

29184-445: The ship started engines it detonated an acoustic mine , splitting the ship in two, and the after part, packed with sleeping men of 43rd Recce Regiment, sank rapidly. Worse still, an ammunition lorry caught fire, and oil floating on the water was set alight. Landing craft and gunboats came alongside and picked up survivors, but the regiment lost 183 men, with another 120 evacuated wounded. Most of 43rd Recce Rgts's vehicles were landed from

29376-422: The situation in the city was under control and the threat of an uprising abated. By this stage more reinforcements were available and the garrison at Landi Kotal grew to brigade-size, with the arrival of the rest of the 1st Infantry Brigade under Brigadier G.D. Crocker. On 9 May the British and Indian troops launched an attack on the Afghans that had seized Bagh the previous week. The attack, however, failed when

29568-449: The slopes of Hill 112, described as 'one of the most tragic acts of self-sacrifice in the entire North West European Campaign'. Launched at 20.30 towards 'The Orchard' on the crest of the hill, and supported by a squadron of 7th Royal Tank Regiment and all available guns, including the divisional light anti-aircraft guns, the attack reached the orchard, but could get no further. The infantry and anti-tank guns held off counter-attacks through

29760-557: The slopes, with the hilltop left in No man's land . The division had to hold its positions under mortar fire for another 14 days, described by the commander of 214th Brigade as comparable only 'to the bombardment at Passchendaele '. This defence was followed by a final set-piece attack, Operation Express , in which 4th and 5th Wiltshires and 7th RTR succeeded in capturing Maltot on 22 July. Overall, 43rd (Wessex) Division performed well in Normandy and

29952-723: The soldier is fed, so militaries issue standardised field rations that provide palatable meals and enough calories to keep a soldier well-fed and combat-ready. Communications gear has become a necessity, as it allows effective command of infantry units over greater distances, and communication with artillery and other support units. Modern infantry can have GPS , encrypted individual communications equipment, surveillance and night vision equipment, advanced intelligence and other high-tech mission-unique aids. Armies have sought to improve and standardise infantry gear to reduce fatigue for extended carrying, increase freedom of movement, accessibility, and compatibility with other carried gear, such as

30144-408: The south. The first convoy, Group One, consisted of nearly 1500 vehicles of 129th Brigade with its usual proportion of divisional artillery, engineers and support services, reinforced by 1st Worcesters. Some of the assault infantry rode in the 536 Company RASC Group B DUKW amphibious trucks that were to carry them over the river. The group arrived at Vernon on the afternoon of 25 August, ready to begin

30336-746: The special request of the Secretary of State for War , Earl Kitchener of Khartoum the Wessex Division accepted liability for service in British India to relieve the Regular Army units there for service on the Western Front . The division's infantry battalions (without their brigade headquarters) and artillery brigades embarked at Southampton on 8 October and were convoyed to Bombay , disembarking on 9 November. The engineers, medical units, transport, heavy battery and brigade ammunition columns also remained in

30528-511: The summit, attempting to mount an all-round defence and calling for infantry support. A staff officer ran up to Lt-Gen Horrocks at XXX Corps HQ, shouting 'We've got it, sir!' As fog descended on the hill, the 4th Wiltshires and the rest of A and B Sqns of the Hussars picked their way up the almost undefended track, followed by 4th Somerset LI. By daybreak the summit was firmly held, despite heavy German bombardment, and 5th Wiltshires and C Sqn still held

30720-464: The time of Napoleonic warfare , infantry, cavalry and artillery formed a basic triad of ground forces, though infantry usually remained the most numerous. With armoured warfare , armoured fighting vehicles have replaced the horses of cavalry, and airpower has added a new dimension to ground combat, but infantry remains pivotal to all modern combined arms operations. The first warriors, adopting hunting weapons or improvised melee weapons, before

30912-445: The time of the musket, the dominance of firepower shifted militaries away from any close combat, and use of armour decreased, until infantry typically went without wearing any armour. Helmets were added back during World War I as artillery began to dominate the battlefield, to protect against their fragmentation and other blast effects beyond a direct hit. Modern developments in bullet-proof composite materials like kevlar have started

31104-742: The time was potential rather than real. Moreover, the British were by far the largest supporters of the White movement in the Russian Civil War with the British contributing more arms to the Whites than all other nations combined. It was assumed in London that if the Whites won the Civil War, a new era in Anglo-Russian relations might possibly open as the victorious Whites might be grateful for British support, rendering

31296-526: The tribal host assembled from farmers and hunters with only passing acquaintance with warfare and masses of lightly armed and ill-trained militia put up as a last ditch effort. Kushite king Taharqa enjoyed military success in the Near East as a result of his efforts to strengthen the army through daily training in long-distance running. In medieval times the foot soldiers varied from peasant levies to semi-permanent companies of mercenaries, foremost among them

31488-572: The upper Tochi Valley were the disaffected North Waziristan Militia . Concerned that they would rise up against him if left to their own devices, Eustace gave the order to abandon the militia outposts, but in doing so, precipitated the desertion of many of the militiamen. This disaffection spread and the South Waziristan Militia in Wana turned on their officers and any men who had remained loyal and attacked them. The survivors, under Major Russell,

31680-411: The village at nightfall. The traffic jam of bogged vehicles disrupted the attacks by 5th Dorsets and 5th DCLI, but they got into Bauchem and Hocheide respectively, and patrols reached Geilenkirchen itself, which was surrounded. After driving off some counter-attacks by 15th Panzer Grenadier Division during the night, Geilenkirchen was captured after a stiff fight next day. But thereafter heavy rain turned

31872-572: The village of Hoven, before counter-attacks came in at dawn from 10th SS Panzer Division and 21st Panzer Division . Horrocks himself authorised the withdrawal of the DCLI before they were overwhelmed. Any further attempt to take Hoven was impossible due to the waterlogged state of the country, which then had to be defended in conditions resembling the worst of the Western Front in the First World War. Horrocks organised an ad hoc battalion from XXX Corps' service units to relieve Wessex infantry for rest. Planning

32064-545: The war that began 18 years later. His successor, Habibullah, was a pragmatic leader who sided with Britain or Russia depending on Afghan interests. Despite considerable resentment over not being consulted on the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 (Convention of St. Petersburg), Afghanistan remained neutral during the First World War (1914–1918), resisting increasing pressure from the Ottoman Empire , which entered

32256-596: The weapon speciality; examples of infantry units that retained such names are the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Grenadier Guards . Dragoons were created as mounted infantry , with horses for travel between battles; they were still considered infantry since they dismounted before combat. However, if light cavalry was lacking in an army, any available dragoons might be assigned their duties; this practice increased over time, and dragoons eventually received all

32448-452: The weapons and training as both infantry and cavalry, and could be classified as both. Conversely, starting about the mid-19th century, regular cavalry have been forced to spend more of their time dismounted in combat due to the ever-increasing effectiveness of enemy infantry firearms. Thus most cavalry transitioned to mounted infantry. As with grenadiers, the dragoon and cavalry designations can be retained long after their horses, such as in

32640-439: The west. In the end, the dominating position fell to a surprise attack. 4th Somerset Light Infantry and the reduced 5th Wiltshires fought their way forward through sweltering weather all day. 5th Wiltshires secured the crossroads at La Variniere and 4th Wiltshires was due to pass through them, when at about 18.00 A Sqn 13th/18th Hussars managed to get two Troops up a steep track to the top of the hill. By 18.30, seven Shermans were on

32832-418: The western Khyber without opposition and occupied Dacca, however, the British camp was poorly sited for defence and as a consequence they came under an intense long-range artillery barrage from Afghan artillery before Amanullah launched an infantry assault on them. This assault was defeated and the British launched a counter-attack the following day, however, they were unable to consolidate their position, and as

33024-502: The whole battlefield into mud while the infantry struggled to consolidate their positions under heavy shellfire from the Siegfried Line guns. One wood captured and grimly held first by 4th Dorsets and then 5th Dorsets for seven days became known as 'Dorset Wood'. On 22 November 5th DCLI suffered heavy casualties trying to take the high ground near Hoven to deny the enemy observation over the two Allied divisions. Overnight both sides shared

33216-509: The whole divisional artillery and heavy mortars plus two medium artillery regiments. The infantry followed the Creeping barrage of smoke and High explosive shells and forced their way into the houses and gardens, using PIATs against those German tanks that had survived the barrage. On 29 June 129 Brigade advanced under fire to ford the River Odon and dug in, a German counter-attack against them in

33408-413: Was 'grounded' while the rest of XXX Corps raced across northern France and Belgium. The division rested and received reinforcements (many of them experienced men drafted from the disbanded 59th (Staffordshire) Division). When 43rd (Wessex) Division next moved, the war was now 250 miles (400 km) away. The first elements moved up to Brussels to protect headquarters and carry out engineering works, then

33600-431: Was a day of slow but steady progress against rifle and machine gun fire from commanding positions on the ridge in front, followed by another pre-dawn attack towards Ondefontaine, while 214th Brigade began working its way towards Mont Pinçon. 5th DCLI and B Squadron 4th/7th DG, supported by the divisional artillery and mortars, reached the top of the ridge and engaged enemy infantry and armour, while 1st Worcesters worked round

33792-459: Was a short war which began on 3 May and ended on 8 August 1919. The new Amir of the Emirate of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan declared a Jihad against the British in the hope to proclaim full independence, as well as to strengthen his own legitimacy. Amanullah's forces invaded British India on three fronts taking advantage of the unrest in India , in an effort to seize the old Afghan provinces west of

33984-700: Was also in short supply, and the three frontier divisions each had a British field artillery brigade of the Royal Field Artillery with two batteries of 18-pounders and one battery of 4.5-inch howitzers , and an Indian mountain brigade with two batteries of 2.75-inch mountain guns . There were also two batteries of tractor-drawn 6-inch howitzers and two British mountain batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery , which were reinforced with 3.7-inch mountain howitzers . However, most batteries had only four guns. Finally, there were also 15 pounder guns of

34176-559: Was an independent nation and that it should be beholden to no one. With the end of the First World War, Habibullah sought to obtain rewards from the British government for his assistance during the war. Looking for British recognition of Afghanistan's independence in foreign affairs, he demanded a seat at the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919. This request was denied by the viceroy, Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford , on

34368-497: Was assisted by the bridging specialists of 15th (Kent) GHQ Troops Royal Engineers , a medium artillery regiment and the Cromwell tanks of 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars , the armoured reconnaissance regiment of 11th Armoured Division. US troops had already reached the west bank of the Seine, so the convoys of assault troops and bridging material moving eastwards had to be carefully coordinated to cross with US convoys repositioning to

34560-399: Was cleared. During the siege, the British suffered 94 casualties, of which eight were killed, four died of wounds and 82 were wounded. Although limited in numbers and quality, airpower proved to be one of the greatest assets that the British possessed during this conflict. Not only did it allow them to extend their reach beyond the border and bomb Kabul, but it also enabled them to harass

34752-692: Was considered by many senior British officers to be one of the best divisions of the British Army during the war . For the rest of the war Bernard Montgomery , commanding all British and Canadian troops in the campaign, preferred to use formations such as 43rd (Wessex) and 15th (Scottish) to spearhead his assaults. This was mainly due to issues of morale because veteran formations such as the 7th Armoured and 51st (Highland) , both of which had seen extensive service in North Africa and Italy (and fought poorly in Normandy, according to senior officers), were judged as tired and war-weary with morale being almost dangerously fragile. With formations that had spent years in

34944-432: Was cut behind them on several occasions, and praising the division's hard fighting. Nevertheless, Maj-Gen Thomas replaced the commanding officer of 43rd Recce immediately after the battle. In the aftermath of Market Garden, 43rd (Wessex) Division was stationed on 'the Island' (between the Rivers Waal and Nederrijn). 43rd Recce Rgt, with 12th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps from 8th Armoured Bde under command, protected

35136-524: Was evening before the division got through. 5th DCLI, supported by a squadron of 4th/7th DG, was ordered to make a dash over the last 10 miles (16 km) to get in touch with the Polish Parachute Brigade at Driel on the south bank of the Nederrijn. The journey took only 30 minutes, but the road behind the column was cut by German tanks that had to be hunted down and destroyed before support could be brought up. Attempts to launch DUKWs with supplies for 1st Airborne were unsuccessful. The whole of 23 September

35328-448: Was later noted that its habitual training area round Stone Street, outside Folkestone , bore a marked resemblance to the Bocage countryside in Normandy where it would later fight. In 1942, however, after the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the entrance of the United States into the war, the situation changed and the 43rd Division started training for offensive operations to return to mainland Europe. Throughout most of 1942,

35520-413: Was led by Nadir Khan , who began raising an army in Khost . His objective was to invade Waziristan and advance as far as Kurram , which were former territories of Afghanistan that were ceded during the creation of the Durand Line . Nadir Khan faced initial difficulties toward raising an army due to an uprising in Gardez , and lack of support toward the war across the border. Nadir Khan's suppression of

35712-510: Was not coined until 1837. In modern usage, foot soldiers of any era are now considered infantry and infantrymen. From the mid-18th century until 1881, the British Army named its infantry as numbered regiments "of Foot" to distinguish them from cavalry and dragoon regiments (see List of Regiments of Foot ). Infantry equipped with special weapons were often named after that weapon, such as grenadiers for their grenades , or fusiliers for their fusils . These names can persist long after

35904-399: Was not common), similar to modern sections (squads) , companies , and regiments . The training of the infantry has differed drastically over time and from place to place. The cost of maintaining an army in fighting order and the seasonal nature of warfare precluded large permanent armies. The antiquity saw everything from the well-trained and motivated citizen armies of Greece and Rome,

36096-426: Was only one battalion available for this, so on 7th May the 2nd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry were brought up clandestinely through the Khyber Pass aboard a convoy of 37 lorries . Meanwhile, a cordon was thrown around Peshawar and demands were made for the population to hand over the uprising's ringleaders. Amid threats that the city's water supply would be cut, the inhabitants complied and by dawn on 8th May

36288-414: Was reasonably secure, the FBE bridge named 'David' was complete and 15th (Kent) GHQTRE's rafting troops were arriving to get a tank ferry into operation before morning. 7th Army Troops Royal Engineers had also arrived to begin a Class 40 Bailey Bridge. Next morning (27 August) a squadron each of 15th/19th Hussars' Cromwells and 4th/7th DGs' Shermans were rafted across and held off an armoured counter-attack,

36480-452: Was replaced first by 25th and later 34th Army Tank Brigade as part of an experiment with 'Mixed Divisions'. However the experiment was abandoned (deemed unsuitable for the type of terrain in North-western Europe) in late 1943 and the 34th Tank Brigade was replaced, in October 1943, by the 214th Independent Infantry Brigade , a Home Defence formation raised during the war that had been serving in Hampshire and Dorset District. After service in

36672-542: Was taken up with getting support through to 5th DCLI and the Poles and in clearing the main road, though 43rd Recce Rgt was able to exploit westwards. During the night 5th Dorsets and the divisional engineers ferried a few hundred Poles across the Nederrijn in assault boats to reinforce 1st Airborne Division's shrinking perimeter. 4th Dorsets and the engineers made another assault crossing on the night of 24/25 September, suffering heavy casualties and getting few supplies across. By now 1st Airborne had been effectively destroyed, and

36864-433: Was under way to renew the offensive when the Germans attacked in the Ardennes (the Battle of the Bulge ) on 16 December. The division then later played a comparatively small part in the mainly American Battle of the Bulge, where it was placed on the River Meuse as a reserve. Once the German Ardennes Offensive had been halted, 43rd (Wessex) Division returned to the offensive in early 1945 in Operation Blackcock to reduce

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