Demobilisation and The Second World War
Following the Armistice, the 66th was selected to move north to secure eastern Belgium. On 18 November it began to move north into the Namur region, where it was stationed around the Huy-Rochefort area. The division remained here while it demobilised, and ceased to exist on 24 March 1919.
The division was not re-established in the Territorial Army after the war, but in September 1939, the existing Territorial divisions were all instructed to form a second line formation as part of the preparation for the Second World War. At this point, the 66th was re-embodied, duplicating units of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, as the 66th Infantry Division. It was headquartered in Manchester and retained its local association with the North-West of England, though it now contained units from Liverpool and the Borders as well as Lancashire and Manchester. It did not see active service, and was disbanded in June 1940 following the Dunkirk evacuation.
Following the disbandment of the division, its constituent units were dispersed. 197th Brigade (along with 257th Field Company RE and 110th Field Regiment RA) was assigned to 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division; it fought in the Normandy Campaign before its battalions were disbanded to make up combat losses in August 1944. The brigade was then assigned a number of support units for to battlefield clearance duties.
The 198th Brigade was independent for six months, and was then assigned to 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division; after the division was disbanded at the end of 1943, it became an administrative headquarters for lines of communications units. The 199th Brigade (with 109th Field Regiment RE) was assigned to 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, and renumbered the 166th Infantry Brigade in 1944. The 111th Field Artillery Regiment was assigned to the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, and the 256th Field Company RE would later serve with 78th Infantry Division in Africa and Italy.
Read more about this topic: 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division
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