The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment
MILITIA AND VOLUNTEERS
The Cheshire Militia was first embodied at the time of the Spanish
Armada and is much older than The Cheshire Regiment itself. As the
Old Constitutional Force, its home-based conscripts were called to the
Colours intermittently for 300 years, but the Militia was never a combat-ready
contingent and only went overseas once, to defend block-houses in the Boer
War.
The Volunteers were founded in 1859 and, unlike the Militia, served
for the fun of it. They were mainly drawn from artisans and overseers
from the new industrial towns of Cheshire, who enjoyed Rifle Meetings and
Summer Camp away from the mills and factories of their daily lives.
The two separate traditions of part-time soldiering were brought together
by the Cardwell reforms of 1870 to 1872, when the Militia became a Special
Reserve and the Volunteers were grouped into battalions, the whole commanded
by the 22nd Regimental District at Chester Castle, which also housed the
Regimental Depot training recruits for the Regular battalions.
In 1908, this loose grouping was united under the badge of The Cheshire
Regiment; The Militia became the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the
Volunteers became the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions (Territorial Army).
This was the firm foundation which enabled The Cheshire Regiment to field
38 battalions in the First World War.
Since 1945, the size of the Territorial Army has changed many times.
Only the 4th and 7th Battalions reformed. They remained for a while, amalgamated,
reduced to cadre, and then disbanded altogether.
3RD (VOLUNTEER) BATTALION
THE 22ND (CHESHIRE) REGIMENT
The 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion of the Regiment was formed in 1986 from
elements of 1 and 2 MERCIAN. The Battalion traced its roots much
further back, through the Territorial Battalions of the Second World War,
the Territorial Force Battalions of the First World War and indeed the
Volunteer Battalions which formed the Volunteer movement in 1859.
Like its predecessors, the 3rd Battalion was based in the towns and areas
from which the older Battalions were originally raised.
Battalion Headquarters and Headquarter company were situated in Chester
at Abbots Park in a fine Edwardian building. Chester was originally
the home of the 5th (Earl of Chester’s) Battalion which distinguished itself
during the First World War. Northwich
was home to one of the Machine Gun Platoons and again fell under the old
5th Battalion’s area. A Mortar Platoon was located at Ellesmere Port
which is part of the 4th Battalion’s area. This Battalion distinguished
itself at Gallipoli and in the Middle East particularly during the three
battles for Gaza, after which one of the Fire Support Companies is named,
and on the Western front.
The Armoury in Stockport,
built in 1860, was the home of the other Fire Support Company Headquarters,
Mortar and Machine Gun Platoons. The Armoury was also the home of
the 6th Battalion, which was amongst the very first Territorial Battalions
to deploy to the Western Front in 1914. This Battalion retained its
pre-war Territorial identity up to the action at St. Julien in the third
battle of Ypres in 1917. At St. Julien, the Battalion bravely achieved
its objectives, but was severely depleted in the process. Each year
the Stockport branch of the CRA commemorate this action on the nearest
Sunday to the battle at St. George’s Church.
During the Second World war, the 6th Battalion participated in the campaigns
in North Africa and Italy, winning more awards for gallantry than almost
any of the other Cheshire Battalions. The 6th Battalion won the battle
honour “Salerno” for the Regiment, and the 3rd Battalion Fire Support Company,
based in Stockport bore this name. Crewe
was the location of the other Gaza Company Headquarters and Anti-Tank Platoon.
Crewe, and Macclesfield
where Salerno Company’s Anti-Tank Platoon was located fall into the area
covered by the old 7th Battalion, which alongside the 4th, distinguished
itself at Gallipoli, in the Middle East and on the Western Front.
During the Second World War, the 7th were the most widely travelled of
the Cheshire Battalions, serving in France in 1940, the Middle East, Italy,
India and North West Europe.
Although the Territorial Army has been much reduced in the decades that
have followed the Second World War, the Territorials of the 22nd continue
to play a significant role in the Nation’s defence. The 3rd Battalion
became a Fire Support Battalion in 1995 and served as part of the Allied
Rapid Reaction Corps. The Fire Support role returned to the wartime
role of The Cheshire Regiment’s active battalions.
The Battalion also distinguished itself at cross country and orienteering.
Officers and men from the Battalion served in Northern Ireland and Bosnia
in varied roles, and were also ready to support their sister Regular Battalion
on operations when required.
The 3rd Battalion fell foul of the Strategic Defence Review and was
amalgamated with 5/8 Kings. The new Regiment will be named The Kings
Cheshire Regiment with 2 x Cheshire Comapnies and 2 x Kings Companies.
The Colours of the 3rd Battalion were paraded for the last time at The
Dale Barracks, Chester on 22nd May 1999.
3 Cheshire's Colour Party executing a left-form prior to the final trooping
of the Colours at the final parade at The Dale Barracks, Chester, 22nd
May 1999.
Photo courtesy of Steve Gregory
Pocket History 1,
Pocket
History 2, Pocket History 3 ,
Regimental Information 1,
2,
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4,
5,
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This page was created by Eardley Bryan. My email address
is ewh.bryan@ukonline.co.uk