A POCKET HISTORY
The Great War and Inter War Years
The Battle of Mons, 24 August 1914
(Painting by David Rowlands and commissioned for the 1st Battalion)
At the close of the battle of Mons, on 24th August 1914, the lst Battalion was left exposed to the attack of two German Army Corps at a village called Audregnies. Their heroic stand saved the British Expeditionary Force from disaster but sustaining 750 casualties. This day is celebrated as a second Regimental Day.
This Battalion was in every major action in France throughout the war and won 35 Battle Honours.
Territorial and New Army Battalions of The Regiment fought on many fronts in France, especially at Ypres, in Gallipoli, in Sinai, in Palestine, in Salonika and in Mesopotamia.
They worthily bore their full share of the fighting in which The Regiment won 96 Battle Honours.
New Army Battalions were especially distinguished at Mont de Bligny, West Hoek and at Pip Ridge where the l2th Battalion won the French Croix de Guerre.
Over 8,000 officers and men gave their lives.
Ireland - Before normal
peace stations were resumed after the First World War, both Regular Battalions
were sent to Ireland owing to the unstable state of that country.
Territorial Battalions
- (4th, 5th, 6th & 7th). Post-war our Territorial Battalions were reduced
to two - the 4th/5th and 7th. The 6th became
Royal Artillery.
India - The 1st Battalion
was mostly in Central India between 1922 and 1939, when it went to Sudan.
Palestine - The 2nd
Battalion was sent from Egypt to deal with the Arab rebellion in 1936.
250th Anniversary
- Anniversary celebrations were cancelled by the imminence of the Second
World War.
Depot - The Dale was
occupied in 1940.
Machine Gun - Just
prior to the Second World War all battalions were converted to the support
machine gun role with the Vickers medium machine
gun and the Regiment became a Support Regiment for the duration of the
War.
Pocket History 1, Pocket History 3 , Regimental Information 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Links
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This page was created by Eardley Bryan. My e-mail address is
ewh.bryan@ukonline.co.uk