The 28th Division
Although there is no tablet to record the partial assembly in Hursley Park of the 28th Division in December 1914 and January 1915, this Division did assemble and mobilise at Hursley, Pitt Hill, and Magdalen Hill Camps around Winchester.
28th Division cap and shoulder badges
Like the 8th Division, the 28th was chiefly formed of units drawn from overseas stations, and was one of the last three regular divisions assembled for service in the Great War. Ten units came from India, and one each came from Egypt and Singapore. The cavalry and yeomanry units were assembled in this country.
Hursley Park was host to the 83rd and 84th Infantry Brigades during December 1914, where they were issued with new equipment, stores of all kinds and transport. Following so quickly the assembly of the 8th Division, Hursley Park must have been in no condition to withstand the mobilisation of another 12,000 men and the dispersal this time to three camps can be understood. Frosty weather (which must have been miserable for the troops from India and other hot climes) ended on 28 December with violent storms. These blew down and tore the tents, and conditions deteriorated so much that all troops were ordered to leave Hursley Park on 1 January 1915 for accommodation in billets in Winchester College Houses, which afforded a very comfortable change for all ranks.
On 12 January 1915, the 28th Division was inspected by His Majesty King George V on Fawley Down, which is to the east of Winchester two to three miles out on the southern side of the Petersfield Road. On 15 January, starting at 8.00 am, the Division left for Southampton, and upon embarking received a personal copy of a message from the King.
INFANTRY ARTILLERY MOUNTED TROOPS BRIGADES BATTALIONS BRIGADES BATTERIES BRIGADE DIV AMMN. AMMN. 2nd King‘s Own COLUMN COLUMN 2nd East Yorks’ 18 83rd 1st K.O.Y.L.L 3rd FIFA 62 3rd 1st York and Lancaster B Squadron 365 2nd Northumberland $223133 69 FUSi'ierS 31st RFA 100 31$t 28th 84th 181 Suffolk 103 2nd Cheshires 28th Cyclists , 7 1st Welsh Company 75 146th RFA 366 145m 2nd Buffs (East Kent) 367 85th 3rd Royal Fusiliers 2nd East Surrey 3rd Middlesex FIELD DIVISIONAL MOBILE DIVISIONAL FIELD COMPANY SIGNAL VET- TRANSPORT AMBULANCES ENGINEERS COMPANY SECTION 3rd London 83rd 1st Northumbrian Home 17th 28th 84th 3rd North Midlands 85m
Composition of the 28th Division January 1915
While the 8th Division served on the Western Front in France for the whole war, the 28th Division was only there for some nine months, first joining V Corps, Second Army, engaging in the second battle of Ypres at Gravenstafel Ridge, St Julien, Frezenberg Ridge, Bellewaade Ridge and with I Corps, First Army at Loos. In November 1915 the Division arrived in Egypt and moved to Salonica in Turkey. By January 1916 they had fought alongside the XVI Corps at Mazirko and Bairakli Jum’a. In 1917 they captured Ferdie and the Essex Trenches, also Bairakli and Komli, and were still with the XVI at the Battle of Dojran and the pursuit to the Strumica Valley with the XII Corps in 1918. The Division stayed in Turkey until returning home and disbanding in 1923.
Today, the only evidence in the Park of the visit of these troops is the many initials carved on trees and the occasional piece of broken cast iron water pipe that is ploughed up. The ground has also yielded many military buttons, cartridge cases, coins and other artefacts of this period which are easily lost from pockets and person, and no doubt the wider Park will continue to reveal lost items from this period when trees are uprooted or the rain washes the dirt off artefacts after ploughing.