The History of the 36th (Ulster) Division — Inside the Classic

Formation and Early Days

The division was raised in September 1914, largely from the Ulster Volunteer Force, a paramilitary organization opposed to Home Rule. Falls describes the rapid conversion of civilian volunteers into soldiers, emphasizing the existing discipline and leadership within the UVF. Training took place at Seaford and Ballykinlar, where the division was organized into three brigades: the 107th, 108th, and 109th. The author notes the strong sense of identity among the men, many of whom had trained together before the war. By October 1915, the division was in France, taking over a sector near the Somme. Falls records the initial challenges of trench routine, including the weather and enemy activity, but also the division's eagerness for action.

The Somme and Its Aftermath

The division's most famous action came on July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Falls provides a detailed account of the attack on the Schwaben Redoubt, noting the heavy casualties and the division's temporary gains. He writes that the 36th Division advanced further than any other British division that day, but at a terrible cost. The narrative then covers the division's subsequent service on the Somme, including the capture of Beaumont-Hamel and the fighting around Thiepval. Falls does not shy away from the grim realities: he describes the mud, the constant shelling, and the strain on the men. The division was eventually withdrawn from the Somme in November 1916, having lost over 5,000 men.

From Arras to Cambrai

In 1917, the division fought at the Battle of Arras, where it captured the village of Roeux. Falls notes the improved tactics and artillery support, but also the persistent difficulties of communication and supply. The division then moved to the Ypres salient, participating in the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). Falls describes the appalling conditions: the rain, the mud, and the relentless German artillery. The division's next major action was at Cambrai in November 1917, where it played a role in the initial tank-led assault. Falls highlights the division's adaptability, but also the heavy losses sustained in the German counterattack. The year ended with the division holding a quiet sector, rebuilding its strength.

The Final Year and Armistice

In 1918, the division faced the German Spring Offensive, holding the line near St. Quentin. Falls describes the desperate fighting as the division was forced to retreat, but also its successful counterattacks. The division was then involved in the Hundred Days Offensive, advancing through the Hindenburg Line and into open warfare. Falls notes the division's high morale and the skill of its commanders. The armistice found the division near Mons, where it had started its war. Falls concludes with a brief account of the division's disbandment in 1919 and the erection of the memorial at Thiepval. The narrative ends with a roll of honor and a sense of duty fulfilled.

Falls's history is a valuable resource for understanding the experience of a single division in the Great War. Readers should note that the author's perspective is that of a staff officer, which shapes the narrative's focus on command decisions and unit movements. The text includes numerous maps and appendices, including orders of battle and casualty lists. For those interested in the social and political context of Ulster's contribution, the introduction by Lord Plumer provides a contemporary view of the division's significance.

My grandfather never spoke of the Somme, only of the mud that clung like regret. Reading Falls’s account, I felt that weight again—the slow arithmetic of survival. It reminded me of The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918 — Reading Notes, where espionage felt less like adventure, more like waiting in fog. Both books leave you with silence, not answers.