53rd (Welsh) Division
| Welsh Division 53rd (Welsh) Division 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division |
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|---|---|
Formation patch of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, World War II.
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| Active | 1908–1919 1920–1945 1947–1968 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
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| Branch |
 British Army
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| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd Gerard Bucknall Robert Knox Ross |
The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both World War I and World War II. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in World War I, being designated 53rd (Welsh) Division in mid-1915, and fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and in the Middle East. Remaining active in the Territorial Army (TA) during the interwar period as a peace-time formation, the division again saw action in World War II, fighting in North-western Europe from June 1944 until May 1945.
The 53rd Division was temporarily disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1947 when the Territorial Army was reformed and reorganised. In 1968 the division was finally deactivated, but its 160th Brigade remains in service today. As the name suggests, the division recruited mainly in Wales, but also in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire.
The division was raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force originally as the Welsh Division and had under command the North Wales Brigade, the Cheshire Brigade and the Welsh Border Brigade, together with support units of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Army Service Corps and Royal Army Medical Corps. The South Wales Brigade was also attached.
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