The 19th (Western) Division was created under Western Command in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the Great War, from men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division, whose first commander was Major GeneralCharles Fasken, a 59-year old Indian Army officer brought out of retirement,[1] was formed as part of Kitchener's Second New Army (K2) and, in common with most other newly-raised Kitchener units, there was a severe shortage of trained officers and NCO's to train the men, alongside a lack of modern equipment, training facilities and billets. However, by June 1915, training had progressed well and the division was sent to the Western Front, where it remained for the rest of the war.[2]
Order of battle
The 19th (Western) Division was constituted as follows during the war:[2]
LXXXIX (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (broken up 8–9 September 1916)
19th Divisional Ammunition Column Royal Field Artillery
19th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (raised with the division but moved independently to France on 15 July 1915 and joined XXI Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery)
W.19 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery (joined May 1916, disbanded 19 February 1918)
X.19, Y.19 and Z.19 Medium Mortar Batteries, Royal Field Artillery (formed by May 1916; on 18 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each)
Roberts, James (2017). Killer Butterflies: Combat, Psychology And Morale In The British 19th (Western) Division 1915–18. Wolverhampton Military Studies. Warwick: Helion. ISBN978-1-911512-24-0.
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