54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division

East Anglian Division 54th (East Anglian) Division 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division
54th (East Anglian) Division badge, Second World War
Active	1908–1919 1920–1943
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	Battle of Gallipoli First Battle of Gaza Battle of Mughar Ridge Battle of Jerusalem (1917) Action of Tell 'Asur Battle of Megiddo (1918)'s Battle of Arara
Commanders
Notable commanders	Evelyn Barker

The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. During the Great War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East. The division was disbanded after the war but reformed in the Territorial Army in 1920. During the Second World War it was a home service division and did not see any combat service abroad and was disbanded in late 1943 but many of its component units went to see service in the Normandy Campaign and North-western Europe from June 1944 to May 1945.

The division was raised as the East Anglian Division in 1908 when the Territorial Force was created. Under command it had the Essex Brigade, the East Midland Brigade and the Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade. In 1915, during the First World War, these later became the 54th (East Anglian) Division, the 161st (Essex) Brigade, the 162nd (East Midland) Brigade and the 163rd (Norfolk and Suffolk) Brigade respectively.

The 54th (East Anglian) Division landed at Suvla on 10 August in the Gallipoli Campaign, as a part of IX Corps under Lieutenant-General Stopford. It was moved to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under General Murray in late 1916 and garrisoned the southern part of the Suez Canal.