History of the British 1st Division during the World Wars

Interwar period[edit]

With the Armistice of 11 November 1918 ending the First World War, the Allied Powers agreed to occupy the Rhineland as a way to guarantee future reparation payments. On 18 November, after a six-day grace period during which only German forces were allowed to move, the 1st Division started towards Germany, crossed the frontier on 16 December, and reached the Bonn area on 24 December.^[14][15] In January 1919, the occupation force became the British Army of the Rhine and demobilisation of veterans began. Starting at a rate of 1,200 men per day, this increased to 2,400 by the end of the month with drafts of teenagers replacing them.^[16] In March, the division was redesignated as the Western Division and ceased to exist.^[17]


The 1st Division reformed at Aldershot on 4 June 1919, and became the only UK-based formation maintained in a state of readiness that could be deployed in an emergency.^[18][19] It dispatched troops to reinforce the British Army in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence and later to assist in the occupation of Constantinople.^[20] Annual training also resumed and 1924 marked the first large scale exercise conducted since the Army Manoeuvres of 1913. During the 1924 exercise, held between August and September, the division undertook brigade training around Aldershot before conducting division-level training in the New Forest.^[19][21] On 10 June 1925, George V reviewed the formation.^[22] At La Groise, France, on 16 April 1927, Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch unveiled a memorial dedicated to the division's fallen. The site was chosen to commemorate actions fought by the division in August 1914 and November 1918.^[13]


In December 1934, divisional engineers and signal personnel went to the Territory of the Saar Basin. They assisted international supervisors who oversaw the 1935 Saar status referendum.^[20][23] In July 1935, the division was again observed by the king when they took part in a military review.^[24] The following year, in September, it deployed to Mandatory Palestine to bolster the British presence during the opening stages of the Arab Revolt. The 1st and the 3rd Brigades moved to Jerusalem, while the 2nd Brigade went to Sarafand al-Amar to guard the southern coast. In December, with the exception of the 2nd Brigade, all returned to the UK.^[20][25] The 2nd Brigade left Palestine in late 1937 and returned to the division by December.^[26]


During the course of 1937, the division was mechanised and reorganised in line with new thinking. This saw each brigade decreased from four to three battalions, anti-tank companies added, and saw the arrival of Universal Carriers and more transport to make the infantry more mobile.^[27] In September, army manoeuvres were conducted in East Anglia to test the changes. The 1st Division played the role of insurgents who had seized London (portrayed by Norwich) who were then attacked by pro-government forces who were portrayed by the 2nd Division.^[28]


On 14 February 1938, Major-General Harold Alexander took command of the division and would lead them into the opening stages of the Second World War.^[29][30] The second half of the 1930s saw tensions increased between Germany and the UK and its allies. War had been avoided in 1938 via the Munich Agreement, but relations between both parties soon rapidly deteriorated. In March 1939, Germany occupied the remnants of Czechoslovak breaching the agreement reached at Munich.^[31] In May, Alexander joined high ranking British officers who were dispatched to France to undertake staff talks with their French counterparts. This was followed by a tour of the Maginot Line. The division itself continued training through the year, with the final excerise occurring between 28 and 30 August.^[32] By the outbreak of the war, now known as the 1st Infantry Division, the division consisted of the 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) as well as the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigades.^[29][a]