25th Division (United Kingdom)

25th Division
Active	September 1914 – 1919
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	First World War

The 25th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised as part of Lord Kitchener's Third New Army (K3) in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the Great War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war.

The component units of the division were assembled around Salisbury and moved to Aldershot in May 1915 to complete their training. The division was formed by Major-General Francis Ventris and crossed to France on 25–30 September 1915 under the command of Major-General Beauchamp Doran.

The division originally comprised the 74th, 75th and 76th Infantry Brigades, but the 76th Brigade was posted away on 15 October 1915 and replaced by the 7th Infantry Brigade.

In June 1916 Major-General Guy Bainbridge took command and the Division went on to fight at the Battle of the Somme, at the Battle of Messines, at the Battle of Passchendaele, in the German Spring Offensive of March/April 1918 and at the Battle of Aisne.

The 25th was unlucky during the 1918 German Spring Offensives, being attacked three times (sharing its misfortune with the 19th, 21st and 50th Divisions). It was on the northern flank defences during Operation Michael in March 1918 and was moved north to refit. There it lost more men in the Battle of the Lys attacks in April. Moved south to another quiet area, it was attacked for a third time in the Third Battle of the Aisne.

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