The 1/10th and 1/11th County of London Regiment, originally belonging to the 56th, served with the 54th (East Anglian) Division at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, and in Palestine, their places being taken by the 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex from the 44th (Home Counties) Division.
The 1/6th City of London Regiment, originally belonging to the 56th, but which served with the 47th, the 1/9th County of London Regiment of the 56th and the 1/7th Middlesex, which belonged to the 44th, but served with the 56th, were selected for the Army of the Rhine. The 1/10th County of London Regiment, which, as above stated, served with the 54th, was chosen for the Army of Occupation, Egypt.
57TH (WEST LANCASHIRE) DIVISION
Second Line
The Division went to France in February, 1917, and was employed in the Bailleul-Armentières-Ypres area during the greater part of 1917, and for the first four months of 1918.
A quotation, in which West Lancashire Territorials are mentioned as taking part in an advance in “The Battles of Ypres, 1917,” on 16th August, 1917, has been given under the 48th Division. The number of the West Lancashire Division is not given in the Gazette or in Messrs. Dent’s edition of Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatches. It seems to be the case that the infantry of the 55th or 57th was not present on that date. The reference may apply to some West Lancashire Artillery.
The 57th did attack as part of the XIV. Corps on 26th October, the “Second Battle of Passchendaele,” see 50th Division. Ground was gained, but the conditions were most difficult and the casualties of the 57th were very heavy.
Early in May 1918 the 57th took over from the 42nd in the Bucquoy area, south of Arras.
In August one brigade of the 57th was, for a time, attached to the 51st Division on the Scarpe and took part in a preliminary attack on the 19th. During that month the XVII. Corps, which embraced the 52nd, 56th, 57th, and later the 63rd Divisions, took over in that area, coming in between the VI. Corps and the Canadians.
The XVII. Corps, as part of the Third Army, attacked on the 25th August (see 52nd and 56th), and the 57th entered the front line on the night of the 27th. It had very severe fighting between 28th August and 2nd September and did well, as appears from the extracts referred to below.
In the telegraphic despatch of 13th September, 1918, as to the work of certain divisions, a quotation from which has already been given under the 56th, the 57th was mentioned for its fine services about Bullecourt and there is also given under the 56th a quotation from the despatch of 21st December, 1918, paragraph 23, which applies to both divisions.