8th Division 8th Infantry Division | |
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Active | 1914–19 1938–40 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Engagements | Battle of Neuve Chapelle Battle of Aubers Ridge Battle of the Somme Battle of Passchendaele |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Bernard Montgomery Reade Godwin-Austen William Heneker |
The 8th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was active in both the First and Second World Wars. The division was first formed in October 1914 during the First World War, initially consisting mainly of soldiers of the Regular Army and served on the Western Front throughout the war, sustaining many casualties, before disbandment in 1919. The division was reactivated in Palestine, under the command of Major-General Bernard Montgomery, in the late 1930s in the years running up to the Second World War before being disbanded in late February 1940. It was briefly reformed in Syria in an administrative role during 1942-3.