The British Reserve Army was formed in May 1916 and renamed as the Fifth Army in October 1916. It formed part of the British Expeditionary Force which fought in France and Flanders during WW1. Commanded by Hubert Gough in 1918 it failed to withstand a German offensive and withdrew, giving up hard-won territory. The fifth army was ruined and was disbanded March 1918. Reformed under the command of William Birdwood on 31 May 1918 it was disbanded on 30 November 1918.
Alternatively: The , carries a report of a "fighting retreat of our Fifth Army" in March 1918 when "the war was lost and won", and an appeal for funds to endow two wards in St Mary's Hospital as a memorial to "the bravest men who ever saved the flag".
At the source, The , this image is captioned: "The newly formed British Fifth Army passes through Cugny, France, heading toward the Front. It played a major role in the Third Battle of Ypres beginning in July 1917 and suffered heavy casualties. Following this it was repositioned to the Somme in what had become a quiet sector of the Front. However, it was against this sector that the Germans launched their 1918 Spring Offensive."
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