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Home British Army L – Leicestershire Regiment / Leinster Regiment/London Regiment / Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

L – Leicestershire Regiment / Leinster Regiment/London Regiment / Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

November 11, 2017Published By John Davies

Back to British Army & Forces

 

  • Leicestershire Regiment

LINK TO – Royal Leicestershire Regiment    Leicestershire Regiment WW1 ‘The Tigers’

The Leicestershire Regiment raised 17 regular, territorial and service battalions during the war of which 12 served on the Western Front.

Cap badge for the Leicestershire Regiment. (IWM INS 5592)

Recruitment Poster for Leicestershire Rgt. (Art.IWM PST 6060)

 

9 Bn Leicestershire Regiment – 110 Brigade. 37 Division

The 9 Bn Leicestershire Regiment was a service battalion raised at Leicester in September 1914. They went over to France at the end of July 1915. They were in action on the Somme in 1916, Arras and Third Ypres in 1917. In February 1918 the battalion was disbanded with men gong into other Leicestershire units.

Captain Audley AD (Andrew Dowell) Lee, 9 Bn Leicestershire Regiment. KIA 1 October 1917, Tyne Cot (unknown). (A Coy)

11 Bn Leicestershire Regiment (Midland Pioneers), – 6 Division

The 11 Bn Leicestershire Regiment was a service battalion formed in October 1915 at Leicester. They went over to France in March 1916 and the next month was designated as a Pioneer battalion serving with 6 Division. They served with the Division on the Somme,1916, Arras, 1917 and, in 1918 the Kaiser Offensive and 100 Days. After the war they were part of the Army of Occupation stationed at Falkenlust between Colgne and Bonn. The battalion returned to England in September 1919.

Private 24036 Edward Jones, 11 Bn Leicestershire Regiment (Pioneers). DoW 13 May 1916, Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

Men of the 11th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (6th Division) with Vickers machine guns in a captured second line trench at Ribecourt, 20 November 1917. (IWM Q 6279)

 

  • Leinster Regiment

The Leinster Regiment raised 7 battalions during the war made up pf regulars and service battalions – the regimen had no territorial units. Of these 4 served overseas in France and Macedonia.

2 Bn Leinster Regiment

Corporal 15375 JE (George Edward) Price Maesbury War Memorial

7 Bn Leinster Regiment (Prince of Wales Leinster Rgt (Royal Canadians) –47 Brigade 16 (Irish) Division

The 7 Bn Leinster Regiment was service battalion raised at Fermoy, County Cork in October 1914. They moved to England in September 1915 and went over to France in December. They served on the Somme in 1917, at Third Ypres and Cambrai in 1917 and, in 1918, the Kaiser Offensive and 100 Days, he battalion was disbanded in April 1918.

Private 15301 Howell O (Oswald) Williams, KIA 2 August 1917, Ypres Menin Gate (unknown) formerly 3177 Shropshire Yeomanry.

  • London Regiment

Before the war the London Regiment was an all territorial unit with battalions and HQs throughout London. During the war the Regiment was affiliated to the Royal Fusiliers which did not have any territorial units.

1/12 Bn London Regiment (The Rangers)

The 12 Bn London Regiment (The Rangers) was a territorial unit mobilised in August 1914. The battalion went over to France in December 1914. They served with various brigades and divisions. At the end of the war they were stationed at Leuze, Belgium until April 1919.

Rifleman R/43050 (Richard) Harold Williams, 12 Bn County of London Regiment (The Rangers), KRRC. KIA 21 September 1918, Pigeon Ravine Cemetery, Epehy

1/15 Bn London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles) – 140 Brigade, 47 Division

The 1/15 Bn London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles) was a pre war territorial unit drawing its recruits from young professional men mainly working in the City – membership was exclusive, by invitation. The battalion was mobilised in August 1914 at Somerset House and went over to France in March 1915. The battalion fought in 1915 at Aubers and Festubert, in 1916 at Arras and on the Somme, in 1917 at Third Ypres and in 1918 the Kaiser Offensive and 100 Days.

Lieutenant Herbert W Rayner, 10 Bn RWF attd. 76 Trench Mortar Battery. DoW Gas poisoning 5 November 1917,Favreuil British Cemetery served in the London Regiment prior to commission in RWF

Private 3813 John A Wynne, 1/15 Bn London Regiment Civil Service Rifles, KIA 22 May 1916, Arras Memorial

2/2 Bn London Regiment

The 2/2 Bn London Regiment was formed in London in September 1914. They served in Egypt and Gallipoli and returned to France in April 1916. In June the battalion was disbanded and 3/2 Bn was renamed 2/2. Initially in the UK the new 2/2 Bn went over to France in January 1917.

Lance Corporal 69737 Ernest Ratcliffe Coole, Royal Fusiliers posted to 2/2 Bn London Regiment. KIA 21 March 1918, Pozieres Memorial

 

  • Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 

Link to Lancashire Infantry Museum, Preston

The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment raised 21 regular, territorial and service battalions during the war of which 13 served overseas.

1 Bn Loyal North Lancashire – 2 Brigade, 1 Division

The 1 Bn Loyal North Lancashire was a regular army unit stationed at Aldershot before the war. They went over to France on 13 August 1914. The battalion served in all the major offensives. At the end of the war they were part of the Army of Occupation stationed at Bornheim near to Bonn. In March 1919 drafts of men from the battalion began returning to England, the last man arriving at Preston on 19 April.

Private 49093 Thomas Lewis, 1 Bn Loyal North Lancashire.  KIA 18 September 1918. Vis en Artois Memorial

Capture of Cambrai by the British 57th Division. Soldiers of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment wearing pickelhaubes which they found whilst on patrol in Cambrai, 9 October 1918. (IWM Q 11367)

1 /4 Bn Loyal North Lancashire

The 1/4 Bn Loyal North Lancashire was a territorial army unit mobilised at Preston in August 1914. They went over to France on 3-4 May 1915. initially assigned to 154 Brigade 51 (Highland) Division they moved to 164 Brigade 55 (West Lancs.) Division in January 1916. On arrival they went straight into action at Second Ypres. They also served on the Somme in 1916, Third Ypres in 1917, and in 1918 Kaiser Offensive and 100 Days. After the war they moved to Belgium where drafts were demobilised and returned to the UK.

Private 34304 Thomas E Jones, 1/5 Bn Loyal North Lancashire. KIA 9 April 1918, Vieille Chapelle New Military Cemetery.

Capture of Cambrai by the British 57th Division. A patrol of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in a burning street in the southern suburbs of Cambrai, 9 October 1918. (IWM Q 11363)

2/4 Bn Loyal North Lancashire – 170 Brigade, 57 (2 West Lancs.) Division

The 2/4 Bn Loyal North Lancashire was a territorial army unit formed at Preston in October 1914 as a second line battalion. They went over to France on 8 February 1917. They were in action at Third Ypres in 1917 and, in 1918. during the Kaiser Offensive and 100 Days. After the war they stayed near Arras until May 1919.

Private 49023 Albert W Phillipson, 2/4 Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. KIA 28 September 1918, Anneux British Cemetery

 

References and Sources

END

 


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When the BEF had arrived in France they were dependent on recruiting local civilian labour to dig fortifications, trenches, roads and similar works. As the stalemate of trench warfare became established, the need for labour became greater. Initially a lot of the construction work had been done by infantry men as working parties but in 1915 specialist Pioneer Battalions were set up. These were fighting soldiers who would go into battle but, rather than fighting, would typically dig new trenches and emplacements as the fighting troops advanced. Elsewhere they would build roads, railways and other support infrastructure. By 1916 12 battalions had been created and were assigned as divisional troops assigned to brigades as needed.