British Expeditionary Force (BEF)

Order of Battle of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, August and September 1914 in the First World War

The previous battle in the British Battles sequence is Tirah 1897

The next battle in the First World War is the Battle of Mons

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Commander-in-Chief:  Field Marshal Sir John French GCB, GCVO, KCMG.
Chief of the General Staff:  Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Murray KCB, CVO, DSO.
Adjutant-General:  Major-General Sir Charles Macready KCB.
Quartermaster-General:  Major-General Sir William Robertson KCVO, CB, DSO.

The Cavalry Division:
GOC: Major-General Allenby CB

1^st Cavalry Brigade:
GOC: Brigadier-General C.J. Briggs CB
2^nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s Bays)
5^th (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) Dragoon Guards
11^th  (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars
1^st Signal Troop

2^nd Cavalry Brigade:
GOC: Brigadier-General H. deB. De Lisle CB, DSO
4^th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards
9^th  (Queen’s Royal) Lancers
18^th (Queen Mary’s Own) Hussars
2^nd Signal Troop

3^rd Cavalry Brigade:
GOC: Brigadier-General Hubert de la P. Gough CB.
4^th (Queen’s Own) Hussars
5^th (Royal Irish) Lancers
16^th (The Queen’s) Lancers
3^rd Signal Troop

4^th Cavalry Brigade:
GOC: Brigadier-General Hon C. E. Bingham CVO CB.
Composite Household Cavalry Regiment
6^th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)
3^rd (King’s Own) Hussars
4^th Signal Troop.

Cavalry Divisional Troops:
III Brigade Royal Horse Artillery: D and E Batteries.
VII Brigade Royal Horse Artillery: I and L (replaced by H in September 1914 following Néry) Batteries.

5^th Cavalry Brigade:
GOC: Brigadier-General Sir P.W. Chetwode Bart. DSO.
2^nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)
12^th (Prince of Wales’s Royal) Lancers
20^th Hussars
J Battery RHA.
5^th Signal Troop

I Corps
GOC:  Lieutenant-General Sir Douglas Haig KCB, KCIE, KCVO, ADC.

1^st Division
GOC:  Major-General S.H. Lomax

1^st (Guards) Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General F.I. Maxse CVO, CB, DSO
1^st Coldstream Guards
1^st Scots Guards
1^st Black Watch
2^nd Royal Muster Fusiliers

2^nd Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General E.S. Bulfin CVO, CB
2^nd Royal Sussex
1^st Loyal North Lancashire
1^st Northamptonshire
2^nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps

3^rd Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General H.J.S. Landon CB
1^st Queen’s
1^st South Wales Borderers
1^st Gloucesters
2^nd Welch

Divisional Troops:
C Squadron 15^th Hussars
1^st Cyclist Company

Artillery:
XXV Brigade RFA: 113^th, 114^th and 115^th Batteries
XXVI Brigade RFA: 116^th, 117^th and 118^th Batteries
XXXIX Brigade RFA: 46^th, 51^st and 54^th Batteries
XLIII (Howitzer) Brigade RFA: 30^th, 40^th and 57^th (Howitzer) Batteries
26^th Heavy Battery RGA
Engineers:
23^rd and 26^th Field Companies RE
1^st Signal Company
ASC:
1^st Divisional Train

RAMC:
1^st, 2^nd and 34^th Field Ambulances

2^nd Division:
GOC:  Major-General Monro CB

4^th (Guards) Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General R. Scott-Kerr CB, MVO, DSO
2^nd Grenadier Guards
2^nd Coldstream Guards
3^rd Coldstream Guards
1^st Irish Guards

5^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General R.C.B Haking CB
2^nd Worcesters
2^nd Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
2^nd Highland Light Infantry
2^nd Connaught Rangers

6^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General R.H. Davies CB (New Zealand Staff Corps)
1^st King’s Liverpools
2^nd South Staffordshire
1^st Royal Berkshire
1^st King’s Royal Rifle Corps

Divisional Troops:
B Squadron 15^th Hussars
2^nd Cyclist Company

Artillery:
XXXIV Brigade RFA: 22^nd, 50^th and 70^th Batteries
XXXVI Brigade RFA:  15^th, 48^th and 71^st Batteries
XLI Brigade RFA: 9th, 16^th and 17^th Batteries
XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade RFA: 47^th, 56^th and 60^th (Howitzer) Batteries

Engineers:
5^th and 11^th Field Companies RE

2^nd Signal Company

ASC:  2^nd Divisional Train

RAMC:
4^th, 5^th and 6^th Field Ambulances

II Corps
GOC:  Lieutenant-General Sir John Grierson KCB, CVO, CMG, ADC (died on 17^th August 1914).  General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien GCB, DSO (took over II Corps at Bavai on 21^st August 1914).

3^rd Division
GOC:  Major-General Hubert Hamilton CVO, CB, DSO

7^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General McCracken CB, DSO
3^rd Worcesters
2^nd South Lancashire
1^st Wiltshire
2^nd Royal Irish Rifles

8^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Doran CB
2^nd Royal Scots
2^nd Royal Irish Regiment
4^th Middlesex
1^st Gordon Highlanders (replaced by 1^st Devons in September 1914)

9^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Shaw CB
1^st Northumberland Fusiliers
4^th Royal Fusiliers
1^st Lincolns
1^st Royal Scots Fusiliers

Divisional Troops
A Squadron 15^th Hussars
3^rd Cyclist Company

Artillery
XXIII Brigade RFA: 107^th, 108^th and 109^th Batteries
XL Brigade RFA:  6^th, 23^rd and 49^th Batteries
XLII Brigade RFA:  29^th, 41^st and 45^th Batteries
XXX (Howitzer) Brigade RFA: 128^th, 129^th and 130^th (Howitzer) Batteries
48^th Heavy Battery RGA

Engineers:
56^th and 57^th Field Companies RE
3^rd Signal Company
ASC 3^rd Divisional Train
RAMC:  7^th, 8^th and 9^th Field Ambulances

5^th Division:
GOC:  Major-General Sir Charles Ferguson Bart, CB, MVO, DSO

13^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Cuthbert CB
2^nd King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2^nd Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding)
1^st Queen’s Own Royal West Kent
2^nd King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

14^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Rolt CB
2^nd Suffolk
1^st East Surreys
1^st Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
2^nd Manchesters

15^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Count Gleichen KCVO, CB, CMG, DSO, Eq
1^st Royal Norfolks
1^st Bedfords
1^st Cheshires
1^st Dorsets

Divisional Troops:
A Squadron 19^th Hussars
5^th Cyclist Company

Artillery:
XV Brigade RFA:  11^th, 52^nd and 80^th Batteries
XXVII Brigade RFA:  119^th, 120^th and 121^st Batteries
XXVIII Brigade RFA:  122^nd, 123^rd and 124^th Batteries
VIII (Howitzer) Brigade RFA:  37^th, 61^st and 65^th Howitzer Batteries
108^th Heavy Battery RGA

Engineers:  17^th and 59^th Field Companies RE
5^th Signal Company
ASC: 5^th Divisional Train
RAMC:  13^th, 14^th and 15^th Field Ambulances

III Corps
GOC:  Major-General WP Pulteney CB, DSO

4^th Division
GOC:  Major-General T. D’O. Snow CB

10^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Haldane CB, DSO
1^st Royal Warwickshires
2^nd Seaforth Highlanders
1^st Royal Irish Fusiliers
2^nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers

11^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Hunter-Weston CB, DSO
1^st Somerset Light Infantry
1^st East Lancashires
1^st Hampshires
1^st Rifle Brigade

12^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Wilson CB
1^st King’s Own Royal Regiment
2^nd Lancashire Fusiliers
2^nd Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers
2^nd Essex Regiment

Divisional Troops
B Squadron 19^th Hussars
4^th Cyclist Company

Artillery:
XIV Brigade RFA:  39^th, 68^th and 88^th Batteries
XXIX Brigade RFA:  125^th, 126^th and 127^th Batteries
XXXII Brigade RFA:  27^th, 134^th and 135^th Batteries
XXXVII (Howitzer) Brigade RFA:  31^st, 35^th and 55^th (Howitzer) Batteries
31^st Heavy Battery RGA

Engineers:  7^th and 9^th Field Company RE
4^th Signal Company
ASC 4^th Divisional Train
RAMC: 10^th, 11^th and 12^th Field Ambulances

6^th Division (embarked at St. Nazaire on 8^th September 1914):
GOC:  Major-General JL Keir CB.

16^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General Ingouville-Williams CB, DSO
1^st Buffs
1^st Leicesters
1^st King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
2^nd York and Lancaster

17^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General WRB Doran CB, DSO
1^st Royal Fusiliers
1^st North Staffordshires
2^nd Leinster Regiment
3^rd Rifle Brigade

18^th Infantry Brigade
GOC Brigadier-General WN Congreve VC, CB, MVO.
1^st West Yorks
1^st East Yorks
2^nd Sherwood Foresters
2^nd Durham Light Infantry

Divisional Troops
C Squadron 19^th Hussars
6^th Cyclist Company

Artillery:
II Brigade RFA: 21^st, 42^nd and 53^rd Batteries
XXIV Brigade RFA:  110^th, 111^th and 112^th Batteries
XXXVIII Brigade RFA:  24^th, 34^th and 72^nd Batteries
XII (Howitzer) Brigade RFA:  43^rd, 86^th and 87^th (Howitzer) Batteries
24^th Heavy Battery RGA

Engineers:  12^th and 38^th Field Companies RE
6^th Signal Company
ASC:  6^th Divisional Train
RAMC:  16^th, 17^th and 18^th Field Ambulances

19^th Independent Infantry Brigade
GOC Major-General LG Drummond CB, MVO
2^nd Royal Welch Fusiliers
1^st Scottish Rifles/Cameronians
1^st Middlesex
2^nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Royal Flying Corps:
Commander:  Brigadier-General Sir D. Henderson KCB, DSO
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Aeroplane Squadrons
1^st Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders

Army Troops:
1^st Devons
North Irish Horse
South Irish Horse

1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th Siege Batteries RGA
Signal HQs
F to P Cable Sections
Q Wireless Section
1^st and 2^nd Bridging Trains

Abbreviations (on this page and in the maps):

ADC = Aide de Camp (to the King)
A&SH = Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Bart = Baronet
Beds= Bedfords
Berks = Berkshires
BW = Black Watch

Cam = Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
CB = Commander of the Bath
CG = Coldstream Guards
Chesh = Cheshires
CMG = Companion of St Michael and St George

D = Dragoons
DG = Dragoon Guards
DSO = Distinguished Service Order
Duke’s = Duke of Wellington’s

GCMG = Grand Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
GCVO = Grand Commander of the Victoria Order
GG = Grenadier Guards
GOC = General Officer Commanding

H= Hussars
IG= Irish Guards

KCB = Knight Commander of the Bath
KCIE = Knight Commander of the Indian Empire
KOSB = King’s Own Scottish Borderers
KOYLI = King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
KRRC = King’s Royal Rifle Corps

L = Lancers
Lancs = Lancashires

Mddx = Middlesex
MVO = Member of the Victorian Order

Nor = Royal Norfolks

RAMC = Royal Army Medical Corps
RE = Royal Engineers
RF = Royal Fusiliers
RFA= Royal Field Artillery
RGA = Royal Garrison Artillery
RHA = Royal Horse Artillery
RI Regt = Royal Irish Regiment
RIR = Royal Irish Rifles
RMF = Royal Munster Fusiliers
RSF = Royal Scots Fusiliers
RWF = Royal Welch Fusiliers

SG = Scots Guards
Staffs = Staffords

VC = Victoria Cross
Wilts =Wiltshires
Worcs = Worcesters

Yorks = Yorkshires

The previous battle in the British Battles sequence is Tirah 1897

The next battle in the First World War is the Battle of Mons

To the First World War index