British Army First World War reserve brigades
The article lists British Army reserve brigades in World War I. At the start of the war volunteers in the vast majority of cases joined their local infantry regiment's reserve battalion. As the army expanded rapidly, further reserve battalions and brigades were formed. After conscription was introduced in 1916 the existing regimental system could not cope with the large influx of recruits and the existing reserve brigades were incorporated into the Training Reserve, with an official complement of over 209,000 soldiers, in addition to the regimental training units.
Recruitment edit
On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army, and the newly-appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'. 'K2' and 'K3', followed shortly afterwards.[1] In addition, recruits flooded into the drill halls of the part-time Territorial Force (TF), which had largely volunteered for overseas service.[2] The flood of volunteers overwhelmed the ability of the army to absorb and organise them, and by the time the Fifth New Army ('K5') was authorised on 10 December 1914, many of the units were being organised as 'Pals battalions' under the auspices of mayors and corporations of towns up and down the country. Many of these pals who had lived and worked together, joined up and trained together and were allocated to the same units. The policy of drawing recruits from amongst the local population ensured that, when the Pals battalions suffered casualties, whole towns, villages, neighbourhoods and communities back in Britain were to suffer disproportionate losses.[3][4][5]
By the end of August 1914, 300,000 men had signed up to fight, and another 450,000 had joined up by the end of September.[6] Voluntary recruitment remained fairly steady through 1914 and early 1915, but it fell dramatically thereafter. Conscription for single men was introduced in January 1916. Four months later, in May 1916, it was extended to all men aged 18 to 41.[7] The Military Service Act March 1916 specified that men from the ages of 18 to 41 were liable to be called up for service in the army, unless they were married (or widowed with children), or served in one of a number of reserved occupations, which were usually industrial but which also included clergymen and teachers. This legislation did not apply to Ireland, despite its then status as part of the United Kingdom (but see Conscription Crisis of 1918).[8] By January 1916, when conscription was introduced, 2.6 million men had volunteered for service, a further 2.3 million were conscripted before the end of the war; by the end of 1918, the army had reached its peak strength of 4 million men.[5]
Training edit
Before the war I British Army infantry regiments trained their recruits at their home depots from where they were drafted to one of their regiment's Regular Army battalions. On the outbreak of the war the part-time Special Reserve (SR; formerly Militia) battalions were mobilised to supply these reinforcement drafts from Reservists, Special Reservists, returning wounded, and new recruits. The voluntary TF was also mobilised, and after its units volunteered for overseas service in August 1914 they began forming 2nd Line battalions to train their own recruits. By May 1915 the 2nd Line was also being prepared for overseas service, and the TF began forming 3rd Line (in some cases 4th Line) units for training. Meanwhile, the battalions of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd New Armies ('K1', 'K2' and 'K3' of 'Kitchener's Army') were quickly formed at the regimental depots. The SR battalions also swelled with new recruits and were soon well above their establishment strength. By the autumn the depots were overwhelmed, and on 8 October 1914 each SR battalion at its coast defence station was ordered to use its surplus to form a service battalion of the 4th New Army ('K4'). These were organised into six new divisions (30th–35th) divided into 18 brigades (89th–106th). However, on 10 April 1915 the War Office decided to convert the K4 battalions into reserve units, to provide drafts for the K1–K3 battalions in the same way that the SR was doing for the Regular battalions. The K4 divisions were scrapped and their brigades renumbered as 1st–18th Reserve Brigades (the original brigade and division numbers were re-allocated to the 'Pals battalions' of K5). Later the depot companies of the K5 battalions were combined into reserve battalions, and grouped into 19th–26th Reserve Brigades.[2][9][10][11]
On 1 September 1916 the whole training system was centralised with the formation of the Training Reserve (TR). The K4 and K5 reserve battalions lost their regimental affiliation and were redesignated as 1st–112th TR battalions, to which all recruits not required for the regimental reserves (SR and TF) were posted. They were issued with 'General Service' badges and could be drafted to any regiment, but the training officers and non-commissioned officers remained part of their parent regiments. The reserve brigades had now been concentrated at large training camps, and the TR had a total establishment of 209,537 men. Reserve brigades for the Machine Gun Corps were introduced in 1918.[12][11][13][14] There was no change to the status or organisation of the SR battalions, but on 1 September 1916, the 3rd Line TF battalions (referred to as reserve battalions since 1 April) were amalgamated into only one, two or at most three per infantry regiment, and grouped into new reserve brigades bearing the titles of the TF divisions they were reinforcing.[15]
The scheme was further developed to provide for the progressive training of recruits under 19 years old (when they could be sent overseas). Of the 112 TR battalions, 42 were selected: 14 became 'Young Soldier Battalions' and 28 became 'Graduated Battalions'. When a recruit had finished initial training in the Young Soldier Battalion he was sent to one of two associated Graduated battalions, in which the four companies were organised by age, for training in 3-monthly steps between 18 and 19 years. As a result, every 3 months, 28 companies of newly trained 19-year-old soldiers were ready for drafting to France. In due course the War Office decided that Graduated battalions could be used for home defence while the men completed their training (as was the case with the SR). The Graduated battalions then began to be transferred from the Reserve brigades to replace 2nd Line TF battalions in the Home Service divisions. They were renumbered from 201st upwards, but later were once again affiliated with a particular regiment and numbered as the 51st (G), 52nd (G) or 53rd (YS) battalions of their regiment.[13][14][16]
List of brigades edit
Reserve Brigades edit
| Reserve brigade[9][10] | Training camp September 1916[15][17] | Original battalions[9][14] | TR battalion number September 1916[15] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Reserve Brigade (former 89th Brigade) | Rugeley | 16th (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry | 1st |
| 17th (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry | 2nd | ||
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment | 3rd | ||
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment | 4th | ||
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment | 5th | ||
| 2nd Reserve Brigade (former 90th Brigade) | Brocton | 13th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment | 6th |
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment | 7th | ||
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | 8th | ||
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment | 9th | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, Green Howards | 10th | ||
| 3rd Reserve Brigade (former 91st Brigade) | Brocton | 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment | 11th |
| 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters | 12th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters | 13th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment | 14th | ||
| 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers | 15th | ||
| 4th Reserve Brigade (former 92nd Brigade) | Seaford | 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment | 16th |
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment | 17th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | [a] | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | 18th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade | 19th | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade | 20th | ||
| 5th Reserve Brigade (former 93rd Brigade) | Shoreham | 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) | 21st |
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment | [b] | ||
| 16th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 22nd | ||
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) | [c] | ||
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment | 23rd | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment | 24th | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment | [d] | ||
| 6th Reserve Brigade (former 94th Brigade) | Harwich | 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | 25th |
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment | 26th | ||
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment | [e] | ||
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment | 27th | ||
| 8th (Reserve) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment | 28th | ||
| 7th Reserve Brigade (former 95th Brigade) | Dover | 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) | 29th |
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment | 30th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 31st | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 32nd | ||
| 8th Reserve Brigade (former 96th Brigade) | Wool | 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment | 33rd |
| 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment | 34th | ||
| 7th (Reserve) Battalion, Dorset Regiment | 35th | ||
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry | 36th | ||
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment | 37th | ||
| 8th (Reserve) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment | [f] | ||
| 9th Reserve Brigade (former 97th Brigade) | Dunfermline | 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Black Watch | 38th |
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders | 39th | ||
| 8th (Reserve) Battalion, Cameron Highlanders | 40th | ||
| 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders | 41st | ||
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders | 42nd | ||
| 10th Reserve Brigade (former 98th Brigade) | Wareham | 10th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) | 43rd |
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment | 44th | ||
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry | 45th | ||
| 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment | 46th | ||
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment | 47th | ||
| 11th Reserve Brigade (former 99th Brigade) | Prees Heath | 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry | 48th |
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) | 49th | ||
| 16th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) | [g] | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment | 50th | ||
| 10th (Reserve) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment | 51st | ||
| 12th Reserve Brigade (former 100th Brigade) | Kinghorn | 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry | 52nd |
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers | 53rd | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots | 54th | ||
| 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers | 55th | ||
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles | 56th | ||
| 13th Reserve Brigade (former 101st Brigade) | Kinmel Park | 9th (Reserve) Battalion, South Wales Borderers | 57th |
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Welsh Regiment | 58th | ||
| 13th (Reserve) Battalion, South Wales Borderers | 59th | ||
| 20th (Reserve) Battalion (3rd Rhondda), Welsh Regiment | 60th | ||
| 21st (Reserve) Battalion, Welsh Regiment | 61st | ||
| 14th Reserve Brigade (former 102nd Brigade) | Kinmel Park | 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers | 62nd |
| 18th and 20th (Reserve) Battalions, Royal Welsh Fusiliers | 63rd | ||
| 21st and 22nd (Reserve) Battalions, Royal Welsh Fusiliers | 64th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, South Wales Borderers | 65th | ||
| 22nd (Reserve) Battalion, the Welsh Regiment | 66th | ||
| 15th (Ulster) Reserve Brigade (former 103rd Brigade) | Ireland | 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | – |
| 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | – | ||
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | [h] | ||
| 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles | – | ||
| 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles | – | ||
| 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles | – | ||
| 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers | – | ||
| 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers | – | ||
| 16th Reserve Brigade (former 104th Brigade) | Altcar | 21st (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) | 67th |
| 22nd (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) | 68th | ||
| 25th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment | 69th | ||
| 26th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment | 70th | ||
| 27th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment | 71st | ||
| 17th Reserve Brigade (former 105th Brigade) | Prees Heath | 21st (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers | 72nd |
| 22nd (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers | 73rd | ||
| 17th (Reserve) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment | 74th | ||
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment | 75th | ||
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) | 76th | ||
| 18th Reserve Brigade (former 106th Brigade) | Dundee | 18th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots | 77th |
| 19th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry | 78th | ||
| 20th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry | 79th | ||
| 19th Reserve Brigade | Newcastle upon Tyne | 32nd (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers | 80th |
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment | 81st | ||
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment | 82nd | ||
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment | 83rd | ||
| 20th Reserve Brigade (1st Training Brigade, MGC, early 1918)[14] | Hornsea | 29th (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "A" Battalion, MGC | 84th |
| 30th (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "B" Battalion, MGC | 85th | ||
| 31st (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "C" Battalion, MGC | 86th | ||
| 21st (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry re-designated "D" Battalion, MGC | 87th | ||
| 23rd (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry | [i] | ||
| 21st Reserve Brigade | Blyth, Northumberland | 19th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment | 88th |
| 20th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment | 89th | ||
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (Hull) | 90th | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment | 91st | ||
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment | [j] | ||
| 22nd Reserve Brigade | Chiseldon | 17th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment | 92nd |
| 15th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment | 93rd | ||
| 16th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment | 94th | ||
| 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry | 95th | ||
| 16th (Reserve) Battalion, (Portsmouth), Hampshire Regiment | 96th | ||
| 23rd Reserve Brigade | Aldershot | 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) | 97th |
| 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Essex Regiment | 98th | ||
| 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal West Kents | 99th | ||
| 24th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment | 100th | ||
| 27th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment | 101st | ||
| 28th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment | 102nd | ||
| 24th Reserve Brigade | Edinburgh | 27th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 103rd |
| 28th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 104th | ||
| 29th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 105th | ||
| 30th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 106th | ||
| 31st (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 107th | ||
| 26th Reserve Brigade | Wimbledon | 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (Cambridgeshire) | 108th |
| 19th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | 109th | ||
| 22nd (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | 110th | ||
| 23rd (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | 111th | ||
| 17th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade | 112th | ||
| 28th Reserve Brigade (Formed early 1918, became 2nd Training Brigade, MGC)[14] | "E" Battalion, MGC | 113th | |
| "F" Battalion, MGC | 114th | ||
| "G" Battalion, MGC | 115th | ||
| "H" Battalion, MGC | 116th |
Territorial Force Reserve Brigades edit
Note edit
- ^ Absorbed into the other battalions of 4th Reserve Bde
- ^ Amalgamated with 9th Queen's to form 21st TR Battalion
- ^ Absorbed into 16th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers[18]
- ^ Absorbed into the other battalions of 5th Reserve Bde
- ^ Absorbed into the other battalions of 6th Reserve Bde[19][20]
- ^ Absorbed into the other battalions of 8th Reserve Bde
- ^ Absorbed into the other battalions of 11th Reserve Bde
- ^ Absorbed into 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
- ^ Absorbed into the other battalions of 20th Reserve Bde
- ^ Absorbed into 15th (Reserve) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment[21]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 2, 8, 59, 108.
- ^ a b Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
- ^ Middlebrook, Somme, pp. 9–11, 260, 270.
- ^ "The Pals Battalions in World War One". BBC History. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ a b Tucker & Roberts (2005), p. 504.
- ^ Chandler, (2001) p. 11.
- ^ Strachan, Hew Professor. . BBC History. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
- ^ Simkin, John. . Spartacus Educational. Archived from the original on 22 April 1999. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
- ^ a b c War Office Instruction 96 of 10 April 1915.
- ^ a b Becke, Pt 3b, Appendices 1 & 2.
- ^ a b James, Appendices II & III.
- ^ Army Council Instruction 1528 of 1916, Appendix 136.
- ^ a b Becke, Pt 2b, Appendix 2.
- ^ a b c d e Training Reserve at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b c d Army Council Instruction 1528 of 1916, Appendix 135.
- ^ Ward p. 331-2
- ^ James, p. 120.
- ^ Frederick, pp. 208, 287.
- ^ Frederick, p. 230.
- ^ James, p. 100.
- ^ Frederick, p. 182.
- ^ James, p. 56.
- ^ James, p. 117.
Bibliography edit
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division, London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-41-X.
- Chandler, Malcolm (2001). The Home Front, 1914–18. Heinemann. ISBN 0-435-32729-1.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- Brig E.A. James, British Regiments 1914–18, London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
- Martin Middlebrook, The First Day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, London: Allen Lane 1971/Fontana, 1975, ISBN 0-00-633626-4.
- Tucker, Spencer; Roberts, Priscilla Mary (2005). World War I: encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-85109-420-2.
- Ward, S G P (1962) Faithful: The Storey of the Durham Light Infantry. Naval and Military Press. ISBN 9781845741471
- Army Council Instructions Issued During August 1916, London: HM Stationery Office.
- Instructions Issued by the War Office During April 1915, London: HM Stationery Office.
External sources edit
- Chris Baker, The Long, Long Trail