The 44th Reserve Division initially fought on the Western Front, fighting on the Yser in October–November 1914 and storming Diksmuide in mid-November.
It fought in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive, including the 1915 Battle of Lemberg and the assault on Brest-Litovsk.
In July 1916 the division fought in the Battle of the Somme and then occupied various parts of the trenchline.
Thereafter, the division went into the trenchline around Verdun, remaining there until October 1917, when it joined the Battle of Passchendaele.
Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and a pioneer battalion.