The 56th Division: 1914-1918

This is the history of a pre-war TF division, the 1st London Division. It had the unhappy experience of being broken up right at the beginning of the war to provide reinforcements elsewhere. By the beginning of 1915 the division had ceased to exist, but in January 1916 it was reconstituted in France and numbered 56th'. Its first major engagement was the unsuccessful diversionary attack at Gommecourt on 1 July 1916 which resulted in 4,749 casualties. The division remained on the Somme till Octobe