The British Expeditionary Force order of battle 1914, as originally despatched to France in August and September 1914, at the beginning of World War I. The British Army prior to World War I traced its origins to the increasing demands of imperial expansion together with inefficiencies highlighted during the Crimean War, which led to the Cardwell and Childers Reforms of the late 19th century. These gave the British Army its modern shape, and defined its regimental system. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created an Expeditionary force and the Territorial Force.
The British Army was different from the French and German Armies at the beginning of the conflict in that it was made up of professional soldiers who had volunteered, rather than conscripts.Chappell, p. 4 It was also considerably smaller than its French and German counterparts.Chappell, p. 3
The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 saw the bulk of the changes in the Haldane reforms put to the test. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) of six divisions was quickly sent to the Continent.Ensor, pp. 525–526
This order of battle includes all combat units, including engineer and artillery units, but not medical, supply and signal units. Commanders are listed for all formations of brigade size or higher, and for significant staff positions.
Plans for the Expeditionary Force Under pre-war plans, an expeditionary force was to be organised from among the Regular Army forces in the United Kingdom, with a strength of six infantry divisions and one cavalry division (72 infantry battalions and 14 cavalry regiments), plus support units.
It was planned that the seven divisions would be centrally controlled by General Headquarters and as such no plans were made for intermediate levels of command. One corps staff was maintained in peacetime, but the decision was made on mobilisation to create a second (and later a third) in order to better conform with the French command structure; both of these had to be improvised.
At the time of mobilisation, there were significant fears of a German landing in force on the English east coast, and as such the decision was taken to hold back two divisions for home defence, and only send four, plus the cavalry division, to France for the present. The 4th was eventually despatched at the end of August, and the 6th in early September.
GHQ
The initial commander-in-chief of the BEF was Field-Marshal Sir John French. His chief of staff was Lieutenant-General Sir A. J. Murray, with Major-General H. H. Wilson as his deputy. GSO 1 (Operations) was Colonel G. M. Harper, and GSO 1 (Intelligence) was Colonel G. M. W. Macdonogh.
The adjutant-general was Major-General Sir C. F. N. Macready, with Major-General E. R. C. Graham as deputy adjutant-general and Colonel A. E. J. Cavendish as assistant adjutant-general. The quartermaster-general was Major-General Sir W. R. Robertson, with Colonel C. T. Dawkins as assistant quartermaster-general. The Royal Artillery was commanded by Major-General W. F. L. Lindsay, and the Royal Engineers by Brigadier-General G. H. Fowke.
GHQ Troops, Royal Engineers General Headquarters Troops controlled the army group engineers. It had the following structure in 1914:
1st Bridging Train, Royal Engineers 2nd Bridging Train, Royal Engineers 1st Siege Company, Royal Monmouthshire Militia, Royal Engineers 4th Siege Company, Royal Monmouthshire Militia, Royal Engineers 1st Siege Company, Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers 2nd Siege Company, Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers 1st Ranging Section, Royal Engineers Railway Transport Establishment 8th Railway Company, Royal Engineers 10th Railway Company, Royal Engineers 2nd Railway Company, Royal Monmouthshire Militia, Royal Engineers 3rd Railway Company, Royal Monmouthshire Militia, Royal Engineers 3rd Railway Company, Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers 29th General Headquarters Troops Company, Royal Engineers 20th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 25th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 31st Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 42nd Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 1st Printing Company, Royal Engineers
Cavalry There was no permanently established cavalry division in the British Army; on mobilisation, the 1st through to 4th Cavalry Brigades were grouped together to form a division, whilst the 5th Cavalry Brigade remained as an independent unit.
On 6 September, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade was detached to act jointly with the 5th, under the overall command of Brigadier-General Gough. This force was re-designated the 2nd Cavalry Division on 16 September.
Cavalry Division The Cavalry Division was commanded by Major-General Edmund Allenby, with Colonel John Vaughan as GSO 1 and Brigadier-General B. F. Drake commanding the Royal Horse Artillery. 1st Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General C. J. Briggs) 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars 2nd Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General H. de Lisle) 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars 3rd Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General H. de la P. GoughSucceeded by Brigadier-General John Vaughan in September.) 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers 16th (The Queen's) Lancers 4th Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General Hon. C. E. Bingham) Household Cavalry Composite Regiment 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiners) 3rd (King's Own) Hussars Divisional troops: III Brigade RHA D Battery, RHA E Battery, RHA VII Brigade RHA I Battery, RHA L Battery, RHAReplaced by H Battery, RHA, in September, after near-destruction at Néry. 1st Field Squadron, RE
Independent brigade 5th Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General Sir P. W. Chetwode) 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) 12th (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers 20th Hussars J Battery, RHA
I Corps I Corps was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Douglas Haig. His senior staff officers were Brigadier-General J. E. Gough (Chief of Staff), Brigadier-General H. S. Horne (commanding Royal Artillery) and Brigadier-General S. R. Rice (commanding Royal Engineers).
1st Division The 1st Division was commanded by Major General Samuel Lomax, with Colonel Robert Fanshawe as GSO1. Brigadier General Neil Douglas Findlay commanded the division's Royal Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel A. L. Schreiber commanded the Royal Engineers.
1st (Guards) Brigade (Brigadier General Ivor Maxse) 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards 1st Battalion, Scots Guards 1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster FusiliersIn September, the 1st Camerons replaced the 2nd Munsters in 1st (Guards) Brigade. 2nd Infantry Brigade (Brigadier General Edward Bulfin) 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps 3rd Infantry Brigade (Brigadier General Herman Landon) 1st Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 2nd Battalion, Welch Regiment Divisional Troops Mounted Troops A Squadron, 15th (The King's) Hussars 1st Cyclist Company Artillery XXV Brigade RFA 113th Battery, RFA 114th Battery, RFA 115th Battery, RFA XXVI Brigade RFA 116th Battery, RFA 117th Battery, RFA 118th Battery, RFA XXXIX Brigade RFA 46th Battery, RFA 51st Battery, RFA 54th Battery, RFA XLIII (Howitzer) Brigade RFA 30th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 40th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 57th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 26th Heavy Battery, RGA Engineers 23rd Field Company, RE 26th Field Company, RE
2nd Division 2nd Division was commanded by Major-General C. C. Monro, with Colonel Hon. F. Gordon as GSO 1. Brigadier-General E. M. Perceval commanded the Royal Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. H. Boys commanded the Royal Engineers.
4th (Guards) Brigade (Brigadier-General Robert Scott-Kerr) 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards 1st Battalion, Irish Guards 5th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General Richard Haking) 2nd Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 2nd Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry 2nd Battalion, The Connaught Rangers 6th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General R. H. Davies, New Zealand Staff Corps) 1st Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 2nd Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) 1st Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps Divisional Troops Mounted Troops B Squadron, 15th (The King's) Hussars 2nd Cyclist Company Artillery XXXIV Brigade RFA 22nd Battery, RFA 50th Battery, RFA 70th Battery, RFA XXXVI Brigade RFA 15th Battery, RFA 48th Battery, RFA 71st Battery, RFA XLI Brigade RFA 9th Battery, RFA 16th Battery, RFA 17th Battery, RFA XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade RFA 47th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 56th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 60th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 35th Heavy Battery, RGA Engineers 5th Field Company, RE 11th Field Company, RE
II Corps II Corps was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir James Grierson. His senior staff officers were Brigadier-General George Forestier-Walker (Chief of Staff), Brigadier-General A. H. Short (commanding Royal Artillery) and Brigadier-General A. E. Sandbach (commanding Royal Engineers).
Lieutenant-General Grierson died on a train between Rouen and Amiens on 17 August; General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien took over command at Bavai, on 21 August at 4pm.
3rd Division 3rd Division was commanded by Major-General Hubert I. W. Hamilton, with Colonel F. R. F. Boileau as GSO 1. Brigadier-General F. D. V. Wing commanded the Royal Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel C. S. Wilson commanded the Royal Engineers.
7th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General F. W. N. McCracken) 3rd Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment 2nd Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment) 1st Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles 8th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General B. J. C. Doran) 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment 4th Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) 1st Battalion, The Gordon HighlandersIn September, the 1st Devonshires replaced the 1st Gordons in the 8th Infantry Brigade.
9th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General F. C. Shaw) 1st Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1st Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers Divisional Troops Mounted Troops C Squadron, 15th (The King's) Hussars 3rd Cyclist Company Artillery XXIII Brigade RFA 107th Battery, RFA 108th Battery, RFA 109th Battery, RFA XL Brigade RFA 6th Battery, RFA 23rd Battery, RFA 49th Battery, RFA XLII Brigade RFA 29th Battery, RFA 41st Battery, RFA 45th Battery, RFA XXX (Howitzer) Brigade RFA 128th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 129th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 130th (Howitzer) Battery, RFA 48th Heavy Battery, RGA Engineers 56th Field Company, RE 57th Field Company, RE
5th Division 5th Division was commanded by Major-General Sir C. Fergusson, with Lieutenant-Colonel C. F. Romer as GSO 1. Brigadier-General J. E. W. Headlam commanded the Royal Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. S. Tulloch commanded the Royal Engineers.
13th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General G. J. Cuthbert) 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) 2nd Battalion, The King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) 14th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General S. P. Rolt) 2nd Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment 1st Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment 1st Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment 15th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General A. E. W. Count Gleichen)