With the arrival of British troops that took over the defense of the island in late 1940, the division was transferred to the
Albanian front where it participated in the January–February offensives against the Italians, distinguishing itself in the
Capture of Klisura Pass and in the
Battle of Trebeshina. On January 29, 1941 the 14th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Nikolaos Spendos advanced through heavy blizzards to take the 1,923 meter Mount Trebeshinë, which had been abandoned by the Italians. After reinforcing defensive positions, they met consecutive Italian counter-attacks throughout the night and suffered considerable casualties to hold the position. The 11th Rifle Company, which had been tasked with holding the peak, saw particularly heavy fighting. Its commander, Captain Artemios Kourtessis, lost both his legs in the battle, while 2nd Lieutenant Hesiod Tsingos was awarded the Medal of Valour in Gold for conspicuous gallantry.
The division remained in the front until the Greek withdrawal from Albania in the face of the
German invasion of Greece in April. The division retreated to the
Peloponnese, where it dissolved itself in May 1941, as there was no way for it to reach Crete.
[3] However, three battalions that had remained in Crete after the rest of the division was transferred to the mainland participated in the subsequent
Battle of Crete.