The area allotted to the Division was a strip of country almost rectangular in shape, with a maximum length of twenty miles, and a maximum breadth of twelve miles, and lying to the immediate south-west of Cologne. The north-west border was on the ring of forts encircling the city, which were later included in the divisional area.
The Civil Administration was carried out by the G.O.C. Infantry Brigades and the C.R.A., who were much assisted by a Civil Staff Captain and a Provost representative, and in the town of Bruhl by the G.O.C. Division, who also generally supervised under the Corps and the Army the work of the Group Commanders.
The Germans were very orderly, and little trouble was given, but guard and night patrol was fairly heavy.
On 1st February 1919, General Sir H. Plumer presented a Colour to the 9th Norfolk Regiment, 11th Essex Regiment, and 11th Leicester Regiment respectively, and made a stirring speech to each, congratulating them on their fine appearance and steady drill, and emphasizing their duty to their King and Country.
The Division settled down to improving their billets and to education, and frequent lectures were given by special lecturers sent out from England. Some of the troops were very comfortable, and notably those in towns like Bruhl, where each man had a bed and mattress, and Warrant Officers and N.C.O.s who were billeted in private houses, but others in the smaller villages were not so well off.
As the Germans did not play football there was a general lack of football grounds, which had to be made, but the troops scored considerably by finding electric light in even the tiniest cottages, and at least one concert-room, with a stage properly fitted up, in even the smallest village. The Opera, too, was a great source of pleasure to many. But it was a period of transition--men were being demobilized freely, and it was with a sigh of relief that something definite had been fixed, as well as with many sighs of regret, that orders were eventually received that the 6th Division, as such, would cease to exist in the middle of March 1919. Farewell parades were held, farewell speeches made, farewell dinners given, and on 15th March the Machine-gun Battalion, Pioneers, Field Companies (except 12th Field Company), and Train were transferred to the newly-constituted Midland Division.
The 6th Division, B.E.F., had completed its task.
APPENDIX I
BATTLE CASUALTIES
| 1914 | Aisne (19th Sept.--12th Oct.) | 1,482 | Battle of the Aisne. |
| 1914 | Armentières (13th--31st Oct.) | 4,696 | First Battle of Ypres. |
| 1914-15 | Armentières (1st Nov.--31st May) | 3,940 | Trenches. |
| 1915-16 | Ypres (1st June 1915--31st July 1916) | 10,938 | Includes 1,780 in attack on Hooge; 660 gas attack, 15th Dec; 400 Morteldje attack. |
| 1916 | Somme (5th Aug.--20th Oct.) | 7,430 | Battle of the Somme. |
| 1916-17 | La Bassée (25th Nov. 1916--16th February 1917) | 709 | Trenches. |
| 1917 | Loos (2nd Mar.--25th July) | 4,884 | Raids and attacks, Hill 70. |
| 1917 | Loos-Lens (26th Aug.--23rd Oct.) | 1,400 | Trenches. |
| 1917 | Cambrai (20th Nov.--10th Dec.) | 1,790 | Battle of Cambrai. |
| 1918 | Bapaume (17th Jan.--20th March) | 313 | Trenches. |
| 1918 | Lagnicourt (21st--22nd March) | 5,160 | German offensive. |
| 1918 | Ypres (3rd April--24th Aug.) | 4,715 | Includes 750 at Neuve Eglise (71st Infantry Brigade) and 250 in attack on Scottish and Ridge Woods. |
| 1918 | St. Quentin (14th--28th Sept.) | 3,163 | Battle of St. Quentin. |
| 1918 | Bohain--Ors (4th--29th Oct.) | 3,120 | Battles of Bohain, Vaux-Andigny, and Ors. |
| --------- | |||
| Grand Total | 53,740 | ||
| --------- |