HISTORY OF THE 60TH DIVISION

At the end of August 1914 the Territorial Force (TF) was authorised to raise reserve or 2nd-line units and from these came the 2nd-line divisions, fourteen of them, one for each 1st-line or original pre-war TF divisions. The 60th came into existence in September as the 2/2nd London Division, receiving its number in August 1915 when all the 2nd-line divisions were numbered. It embarked for France in June 1916 and went into the line in the Vimy sector where it endured four months of crater and trench fighting. The division was withdrawn from the BEF in November and sent to Macedonia , assembling at Salonika on Christmas Day 1916. For the next five months it was engaged in fighting the Bulgars, participating in the British attacks near Lake Doiran in April and May. Their stay in Macedonia lasted only six months, for in June 1917 the division was moved again – to Palestine where it saw out the war. The division made a good name for itself in this campaign, at Third Gaza, Beersheba, Jerusalem, Jericho and especially in carrying out two raids across the Jordan, which are described in detail.Two appendices list command and staff, one when the division left for France and the other when it arrived in Palestine. Three VCs were awarded (one of which does not get a mention), all in Palestine, but there is no list of honours and awards nor roll of honour. The author, an ASC officer, commanded the division Train till returning home in June 1917 before the division arrived in Palestine. The maps could be better, in fact one of them depicting the battle for Jerusalem (p 152) shows a 71st Division as part of the force; the 71st Division was a home service only division, and in the text on p133 reference is made to the 179th Division which should be 179th Brigade.