Service remembers 'forgotten' sailor-soldiers of World War 1

The Royal Naval Division fought with distinction in Gallipoli and the Western Front from the first weeks of World War 1 to the end.

It was regarded as one of the finest fighting formations by friend and foe alike ­– which meant it was often assigned some of the toughest tasks and suffered heavy casualties accordingly.

Over four years of war, more than 47,000 sailors and Royal Marines were killed or wounded serving in the division.

They are remembered by an impressive monument – an obelisk rising from a bowl, which was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, the leading architect of the day and the man behind the Cenotaph – which was dedicated at Horse Guards Parade in London on April 25 1925 in the presence of Winston Churchill on the tenth anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.

A century later and the memorial was the setting for a small service of Remembrance led by Rear Admiral Anthony Rimington, Director Force Generation, to all those who served in its ranks – and especially those who never came home.

The service was organised by retired Royal Navy officer Stewart Kilby who believes the story of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division is often overlooked because of the formation’s unique composition.

“The incredible story of the Royal Naval Division often falls between the cracks of the Army history of the Great War, and conventional maritime history,” he explained.

“It was a unique formation, with an incredible ethos and fighting spirit. I hope that today’s event rekindles some interest in the men of the RND, and appropriately honours the more than 47,000 casualties that they suffered during World War 1. Their bravery and sacrifices should never be forgotten”

The division was established by Churchill – the political head of the Royal Navy in 1914 as First Lord of the Admiralty – making use of mobilised sailors for whom there were no drafts at sea.

Instead, they were given rifles and sent to Belgium as naval infantry to try to prevent Antwerp falling to the Germans.

It wasn’t able to – and returned to the UK to regroup, re-form and above all train extensively before being sent to the eastern Mediterranean in time for the Dardanelles campaign which sought to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war.

When it failed, the division was withdrawn and spent the remainder of the war on the Western Front, where it fought in the final actions of the Somme and Passchendaele campaigns, at Arras, attempted to block the German spring offensive in 1918, and finally supported the ‘100 days to victory’ in the summer and autumn of 1918 which resulted in the Allied victory.

Throughout, the RND was loyal to its naval roots – naval ranks, insignia, customs and lingo persisted, even though it fought in the trenches side-by-side with the Army.