Royal Newfoundland Battalion

The Great War

Newfoundland was a Dominion of the British Empire at the start of the Great War. It was part of the British Army’s Order of Battle. It only consisted of a single battalion.

In November 1914, 7,000 rounds per machine gun were authorised for training Colonial contingents (initially the Canadian, Newfoundland and Ceylon contingents, with others to be notified later) (Army Council Instruction 135 of 12th November 1914).

It joined the 88th Brigade, attached to the 29th Division, on 19 September, 1915, at Suvla. It’s MG Section was likely to have been transferred into the 88th MG Coy. which was was formed on the 21 February 1916, at Suez.

As a unit of the 29th Infantry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.

1915
THE BATTLES OF SUVLA
Night 19/20 December	Evacuation of Suvla (88th Inf. Bde.) [IX. Corps].
The 87th Inf. Bde. returned to Helles on 01 October, 1915, and 2/Lond. Fd. Coy. on 02 November, 1915. After the Evacuation of Suvla, Divnl. H.Q., with 86th and 88th Inf. Bdes., and the two Fd. Cos. returned to Helles between 16-22 December, and came again under VIII. Corps. (The three field ambulances were left at Mudros and Imbros).
1916
Night of 07/08 January	Evacuation of Helles [VIII. Corps].
After the Evacuation of Helles, the 29th Division moved to Egypt and was concentrated at Suez. On 25th February orders were received for the early move of the division to France. Embarking in March, the division disembarked at Marseille, and between 15-29 March it effected its concentration on the Somme, east of Pont Remy. For the rest of the Great War the 29th Division served on the Western Front in France and Belgium.