List of commanders of the British 5th Division explained

Unit Name:5th Division
5th Infantry Division
5th Armoured Division
Dates:Raised and disbanded numerous times between 1810 and 2012
Country: United Kingdom
Branch: British Army
Battles:Napoleonic Wars
Second Boer War
First World War
Second World War

The 5th Division was an infantry division of the British Army and was first formed in 1809 and disbanded for the final time in 2012. The division was commanded by a general officer commanding (GOC). In this role, the GOC received orders from a level above him in the chain of command, and then used the forces within the division to undertake the mission assigned. In addition to directing the tactical battle in which the division was involved, the GOC oversaw a staff and the administrative, logistical, medical, training, and discipline of the division.

Prior to 1809, the British Army did not use divisional formations. As the British military grew in size during the Napoleonic Wars, the need arose for such an implementation in order to better organise forces for administrative, logistical, and tactical reasons. The 5th Division was formed in 1810 by Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley, and served in the Peninsular War (part of the Napoleonic Wars).

General officer commanding

See also: General officer commanding.

No.!width="15%" scope="col"
Appointment datewidth=10% scope="col"Rankwidth=15% scope="col"General officer commandingwidth=45% scope="col"Notesclass=unsortable width=5% scope="col"Source(s)
1Major-GeneralLeith arrived in Portugal, in April 1810, with a brigade of British infantry. These men had come from fighting in the Walcheren Campaign, were stricken with fever and not ready for service until July. Over the following months, the 5th Division was built around this brigade.
ActingLieutenant-Colonel
ActingBrigadier-General
1Major-GeneralOn this date, the division was officially formed, and Leith formally made the first general officer commanding
ActingMajor-General
2Major-General
ActingMajor-General
2Major-General
ActingMajor-General
ActingMajor-General
1Major-GeneralLeith was wounded in action during the Battle of Salamanca on 22 July 1812
ActingMajor-GeneralAssumed temporary command when Leith was wounded
3Major-GeneralHulse died of typhus on 7 September 1812
ActingMajor-General
4Major-General
ActingMajor-General
4Major-General
1Major-GeneralLeith was seriously wounded in action, during the Siege of San Sebastián on 31 August/1 September 1813
ActingMajor-GeneralOswald was wounded during the Siege of San Sebastián on 31 August/1 September 1813
ActingMajor-General
5Major-General
ActingMajor-GeneralWhen John Hope was captured at the Battle of Bayonne Colville took command of his corps, leaving Robinson in command of the division for a brief period.
5Major-GeneralAt the conclusion of the Peninsular War, in 1814, the division was disbanded in France. The final troops departed in June.
6Lieutenant-GeneralOn 11 April 1815, the division was reformed in Southern Netherlands. Following the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, the British military in France was reorganised into three divisions. The remaining forces, including the 4th Division, were stood down.
7Lieutenant-GeneralFollowing the outbreak of the Second Boer War, the division was ordered to be formed on 9 November. Warren was appointed as commander five days later, and the division arrived in southern Africa the following month.
8Lieutenant-GeneralAt the end of 1900, while still in southern Africa, the division was broken-up.
9Major-GeneralThe division was reformed in Dover, England[1]
10Major-General
11Major-GeneralIn 1907, the division was reformed in Ireland when the 7th Division was renumbered.[2]
12Major-General
13Major-GeneralUnder Fergusson, the division mobilised for the First World War and moved to France in September 1914 and fought on the Western Front.
14Major-General
15Major-General
16Major-General
17Major-GeneralAt the end of the First World War, the division moved into Belgium where it demobilized.
18Major-GeneralThe division was reformed in Ireland, and took part in the Irish War of Independence. Following the conclusion of the war, there was no room for the division to be based in Northern Ireland and was disbanded in 1923.
19Major-GeneralThe division was reformed in England[3]
20Major-General[4]
21Major-General[5]
22Major-General[6]
ActingBrigadierUnknownAn unknown interim commander looked after the division between Williams being appointed and Franklyn assuming command
23Major-GeneralUnder Franklyn, the division mobilized for service in the Second World War and moved to France in December 1939. Following the Battle of France, in mid 1940, the division was evacuated back to the UK.
24Major-GeneralDuring Berney-Ficklin's tenure, the division was transferred to British India, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Egypt, and Italy where it served during the Allied invasion of Sicily.
25Major-GeneralThe division fought in the Italian campaign
26Major-General
ActingBrigadier
26Major-GeneralDuring Gregson-Ellis' tenure, the division returned to Egypt and Palestine.
27Major-GeneralUnder Hull, the division was transferred to northwest Europe, and took part in the Western Allied invasion of Germany.
26Major-General[7]
28Major-GeneralThe division was disbanded in September 1947[8]
29Major-GeneralThe division was reformed, in Germany, when the 7th Armoured Division was renamed. In 1960, the division was renamed the 1st Division.
30Major-GeneralThe division was reformed at Wrexham, England[9]
31Major-GeneralJanes relinquished command on 26 February 1971. Due to the demand to deploy troops to Northern Ireland, as part of The Troubles, the division was disbanded.[10]
32Major-GeneralThe division was reformed at Shrewsbury, England, when the Walesand Western District was redesignated.
33Major-General
34Major GeneralThis marks the first time the Gazette does not use the hyphen between major and general.
35Major General
36Major General
37Major General
38Major GeneralRutledge held command until the division was disbanded for the final time in April 2012, as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, and retired shortly after.[11]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: War Office, Monthly Army List, July 1902. 1902. 8. War Office. 8 January 2022.
  2. Web site: War Office, Monthly Army List, November 1908. 1908. 11a. War Office. 8 January 2022.
  3. and
  4. and
  5. and
  6. and
  7. 1946. Army Notes. Royal United Services Institution. 92:562. 562. 301. 10.1080/03071844609433934.
  8. News: 20 August 1997. 65973. Obituaries: Major-General John Churcher. The Times.
  9. and
  10. and
  11. and

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