List of battalions of the Border Regiment
This is a list of battalions of the Border Regiment, which existed as an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959.
Original composition[edit]
When the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot amalgamated with the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot, to become The Border Regiment in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, four pre-existent militia and volunteer battalions of Cumberland and Westmorland were integrated into the structure of the regiment. Volunteer battalions had been created in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France in the late 1850s. Organised as "rifle volunteer corps", they were independent of the British Army and composed primarily of the middle class. The only change to the regiment's structure during the period of 1881–1908 occurred in 1900, when a new volunteer battalion was raised, namely the 3rd (Cumberland) Volunteer Battalion.
| Battalion | Formed | Formerly | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ||||
| 1st | 1702 | 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment of Foot | ||
| 2nd | 1755 | 1st Battalion, 55th Regiment of Foot | ||
| Militia | ||||
| 3rd (Militia) | 1760 | Royal Cumberland Regiment of Militia[1] | ||
| 4th (Militia) | 1759 | Royal Westmoreland Regiment of Militia[2] | ||
| Volunteers | ||||
| 1st (Cumberland) Volunteer | 1859 | 1st Cumberland Rifle Volunteer Corps[3] | ||
| 2nd (Westmorland) Volunteer | 1859 | 1st Westmorland Rifle Volunteer Corps[4] | ||
Reorganisation[edit]
The Territorial Force (later Territorial Army) was formed in 1908, which the volunteer battalions joined, while the militia battalions transferred to the "Special Reserve". All volunteer battalions were renumbered to create a single sequential order. Alongside this, the 4th (Militia) Battalion was also disbanded in 1908.[2]
| Battalion | Formerly |
|---|---|
| 4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) | Amalgamation of the 1st (Cumberland) and 2nd (Westmorland) Volunteer Battalions[5] |
| 5th (Cumberland) | 3rd (Cumberland) Volunteer Battalion[6] |
First World War[edit]
The Border Regiment fielded 18 battalions[7] and lost almost 7,000[8] officers and other ranks during the course of the war. The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions. As an example, the three-line battalions of the 4th Borderers were numbered as the 1/4th, 2/4th, and 3/4th respectively. Many battalions of the regiment were formed as part of Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener's appeal for an initial 100,000 men volunteers in 1914. They were referred to as the New Army or Kitchener's Army. The 11th and 12th Borderers, New Army "Service" battalions, were referred to as "Pals" Battalions because they were predominantly composed of colleagues. The Volunteer Training Corps were raised with overage or reserved occupation men early in the war, and were initially self-organised into many small corps, with a wide variety of names. Recognition of the corps by the authorities brought regulation and as the war continued the small corps were formed into battalion sized units of the county Volunteer Regiment. In 1918 these were linked to county regiments.[9]
| Battalion | Formed | Served | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular[10][11] | ||||
| 1st | 1702 | Gallipoli, Western Front | ||
| 2nd | 1755 | Western Front, Italy | ||
| Special Reserve[10][11] | ||||
| 3rd (Reserve) | 1798 | Britain | ||
| Territorial Force[10][11] | ||||
| 1/4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) | 1908 | India | ||
| 1/5th (Cumberland) | 1900 | Western Front | ||
| 2/4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) | Kendal, October 1914 | India | Disbanded in 1920 | |
| 2/5th (Cumberland) | Kendal, October 1914 | Britain | Absorbed into the 2/4th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers | |
| 3/4th (Cumberland and Westmorland), 4th (Reserve) (Cumberland and Westmorland) from 8 April 1916 |
March 1915 | Britain | Disbanded in 1919 | |
| 3/5th (Cumberland), 5th (Reserve) (Cumberland) from 8 April 1916 |
March 1915 | Britain | Absorbed into the 4th (Reserve) (Cumberland and Westmorland) on 1 September 1916 | |
| New Army[10][11] | ||||
| 6th (Service) | Carlisle, August 1914 | Gallipoli, Suez Canal, Western Front | Disbanded on 9 February 1918 | |
| 7th (Service), 7th (Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry) from 22 September 1917 |
Carlisle, 7 September 1914 | Western Front | Disbanded in 1919 | |
| 8th (Service) | Carlisle, September 1914 | Western Front | Disbanded on 7 July 1918 | |
| 9th (Service) | Carlisle, September 1914 | Salonika | Disbanded in 1919 | |
| 10th (Reserve) | Southend, October 1914 | Britain | Absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalion of the 4th Reserve Brigade | |
| 11th (Lonsdale) (Service) | Carlisle, 17 September 1914 | Western Front | Absorbed into the 1/5th (Cumberland) Battalion on 31 July 1918 | |
| 12th (Reserve) | Prees Heath, 1915 | Britain | Absorbed into the 75th Training Reserve Battalion | |
| Others[10][11] | ||||
| 13th | Lowestoft, 1 June 1918 | Britain | Absorbed into 11th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment on 18 June 1918 | |
| Volunteer Training Corps[12] | ||||
| 1/1st Battalion Cumberland Volunteer Regiment later 1/1st Battalion Cumberland and Westmoreland Volunteer Regiment later the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Border Regiment |
Carlisle | Disbanded post war | ||
| 2/1st Battalion Cumberland Volunteer Regiment | Workington | Amalgamated with the 1st Battalion Westmoreland Volunteer Regiment February - August 1918 | ||
| 1st Battalion Westmoreland Volunteer Regiment later the 2nd (Cumberland and Westmoreland) Volunteer Battalion, Border Regiment |
Kendal, Workington | Amalgamated with the 2/1st Battalion Cumberland Volunteer Regiment February - August 1918, Disbanded post war | ||
Inter-War[edit]
By 1920, all of the regiment's war-raised battalions had disbanded. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to the Supplementary Reserve in 1924; however, its battalions were effectively placed in 'suspended animation'. As World War II approached, the Territorial Army was reorganised in the mid-1930s, many of its infantry battalions were converted to other roles, especially anti-aircraft.
Second World War[edit]
The Border Regiment's expansion during the Second World War was modest compared to 1914–1918. National Defence Companies were combined to create a new "Home Defence" battalion. In addition 12 battalions of the Home Guard were affiliated to the regiment, wearing its cap badge. A number of Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) troops were formed from the local battalions to defend specific points, such as factories.[13] Due to the daytime (or shift working) occupations of the men in the LAA troops, the troops required eight times the manpower of an equivalent regular unit.[14]
| Battalion | Formed | Served | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ||||
| 1st | 1702 | France, Sicily, Italy, Western Front[15] | See Post-World War II | |
| 2nd | 1755 | Burma[16] | See Post-World War II | |
| Supplementary Reserve | ||||
| 3rd | 1798 | See Post-World War II | ||
| Territorial Army | ||||
| 4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) | 1908 | France, North Africa, Burma (Chindits)[17] | See Post-World War II | |
| 5th (Cumberland) | 1900 | France, Britain[18] | Disbanded in 1947 | |
| 6th (East Cumberland) | April 1939 | France[19] | Soldiers drafted to one of the nine battalions making up the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, formally disbanded in 1947 | |
| 7th (Cumberland) | April 1939 | Disbanded in 1947 | ||
| 8th (Home Defence) | 1939 | Britain[20] | Disbanded 1942 | |
| 9th | October 1940, redesignation of the 50th (Holding) Battalion | Britain, Burma, India[21] | Amalgamated with the 4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) Battalion, taking on the name of the latter on 1 December 1945 | |
| 30th | 1941 | Disbanded? 1942 | ||
| Others | ||||
| 50th (Holding) | June 1940 | Britain | Redesignated as the 9th Battalion in October 1940 | |
| 70th (Young Soldier) | 1940 | Britain | Disbanded 1943 | |
| Home Guard[22] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battalion | Headquarters | Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) | Battalion | Headquarters | Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) |
| Cumberland | |||||
| 1st | Longtown | CUM 1 | 2nd | Carlisle City | CUM 2 |
| 3rd | Carlisle | CUM 3 | 4th | Cockermouth | CUM 4 |
| 5th | Workington | CUM 5 | 6th | Whitehaven | CUM 6 |
| 7th | Millom | CUM 7 | 8th | Penrith | CUM 8 |
| 12th | Warwick Bridge | CUM 12 | |||
| Westmoreland | |||||
| 9th "Lakes" | Keswick | WES 9 | 10th | Appleby | WES 10 |
| 11th | Kendall | WES 11 | |||
| Home Guard Light Anti-Aircraft units[13] | |||||
| Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) |
Headquarters or Location | AA Formation and Designation | Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) |
Headquarters or Location | AA Formation and Designation |
| CUM 5 | Workington Workington Iron and Steel Co. Ltd |
A and B Troops LAA | CUM 5 | Distington High Duty Alloys Ltd |
C Troop LAA |
| CUM 7 | Drigg Royal Ordnance Factory |
A and B Troops LAA | |||
Post-World War II[edit]
In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced: nearly all infantry regiments had their first and second battalions amalgamated and the Supplementary Reserve disbanded.
| Battalion | Fate |
|---|---|
| 1st | Amalgamated with 2nd Battalion on the 28 October 1950, without a change in title[23] |
| 2nd | Amalgamated with 1st Battalion on the 28 October 1950[24] |
Amalgamation[edit]
The 1957 Defence White Paper stated that the Border Regiment was due to amalgamated with The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), to form The King's Own Royal Border Regiment on the 1 October 1959.
| Battalion | Fate |
|---|---|
| 1st | Amalgamated with 1st Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), to form 1st Battalion, The King's Own Royal Border Regiment |
| 4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) | Transferred to the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, without a change in title |
References[edit]
- ^ "Cumberland militia history – Cumbria County Council" (PDF). cumbria.gov.uk. p. 1. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ a b Parkyn, H. G. (1936). "English Militia Regiments, 1757-1935: Their Badges and Buttons". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 15 (60): 216–248. JSTOR 44219688.
- ^ Westlake, Ray (January 2010). Tracing the Rifle Volunteers: A Guide for Military and Family Historians. Casemate Publishers. p. 55. ISBN 9781848842113. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ Westlake, Ray (19 August 2010). Tracing the Rifle Volunteers: A Guide for Military and Family Historians. Casemate Publishers. p. 244. ISBN 9781844686940. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Border Regiment – 4th Battalion (TF) – 1908-1914". armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Border Regiment – 5th Battalion (TF) – 1908-1914". armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "The Border Regiment". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "The Border Regiment – Cumbria's Museum of Military Life". cumbriasmuseumofmilitarylife.org. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ Westlake, Ray (2020). Guide to the Volunteer Training Corps 1914-1918. Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. pp. 4–7. ISBN 9781783315390.
- ^ a b c d e "Border Regiment". Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Unit History: Border Regiment". Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ Westlake pps. 117, 125
- ^ a b Whittaker p. 118
- ^ Whittaker p. 23
- ^ "1st Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "2nd Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "4th (Westmoreland and Cumberland) Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "5th (Cumberland) Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "6th (East Cumberland) Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "8th (Home Defence) Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "9th Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "History of the Home Guard". Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "1st Battalion, 34th Regiment of Foot 1702–1881/1st Battalion, The Border Regiment 1881-1959". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "1st Battalion, 55th Regiment of Foot 1755–1881/2nd Battalion, The Border Regiment 1881-1950". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2020.