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battle of arras
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At the outbreak of war in 1914 there were between 20,000 to 30,000 men
of the Royal Naval Reserve who were not employed onboard ships. This
was sufficient to form two Naval Brigades and a Brigade of Marines for
combat ashore. The Naval Reservists were trained as infantrymen and
they were combined with the Royal Marines into the Royal Naval Division
and sent to Dunkirk for the defence of Antwerp, although initially they
were poorly equipped.
In 1915 after a period of refit and training, the Division moved to Egypt
in preparation for the Gallipoli Campaign. By the end of that campaign
very few men with sea service remained. In 1916 following significant
losses of Reservists and with many of the seagoing personnel recalled to
serve on board, their command was transferred from the Admiralty to the
War Office and they were re-designated 63
rd
(Royal Naval) Division after
amalgamating with the 63
rd
Division Territorial Force. They now had two
Brigades of Sailors and Marines and a single Brigade comprised of four
Army Companies. They were assigned to the Western Front in May of
that year, where they remained until the end of the war.
After taking part in the Battle of the Ancre, the closing phase of the
Somme Campaign, they were involved in a key but often unreported part
of the Arras Offensive, the Second Battle of the Scarpe, during which
they captured the village of Gavrelle.