The war also posed problems for the army commanders, given that, prior to 1914, the largest formation any serving General in the BEF had commanded on operations was a division. Some units were engaged in Italy and Salonika against Austria-Hungary and the Bulgarian Army, while other units fought in the Middle East, Africa and Mesopotamia-mainly against the Ottoman Empire-and one battalion fought alongside the Japanese Army in China during the Siege of Tsingtao. The vast majority of the British Army fought in the main theatre of war on the Western Front in France and Belgium against the German Empire. By the end of 1918, the British Army had reached its maximum strength of 3,820,000 men and could field over 70 divisions. The fourth army was the reinforcement of existing formations with conscripts after the introduction of compulsory service in January 1916. The third army was Kitchener's Army, comprising men who answered Lord Kitchener's call for volunteers in 1914–1915 and which went into action at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The second army was provided by the approximately 246,000-strong Territorial Force, initially allocated to home defence but used to reinforce the BEF after the regular army suffered heavy losses in the opening battles of the war. This component formed the backbone of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), which was formed for service in France and became known as the Old Contemptibles. The first comprised approximately 247,000 soldiers of the regular army, over half of whom were posted overseas to garrison the British Empire, supported by some 210,000 reserves and a potential 60,000 additional reserves. Photo taken by Ernest Brooks.ĭuring the First World War, there were four distinct British armies. Freshly painted and newly carpeted, the home is mobility friendly and enjoys access to a magnificent community centre, central to the village atmosphere.Men of the Wiltshire Regiment attacking near Thiepval, 7 August 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. Nestled within the manicured gardens of Cherry Tree Grove retirement village, this immaculate two-bedroom brick veneer unit on approximately 171sqm presents over 55's with a unique opportunity to downsize independently.
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