Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : stationed in Ferozepore, India. Part of the 7th (Ferozepore) Brigade in 3rd (Lahore) Division. Sailed from Karachi on 28 August 1914 as part of the Indian Corps and moved to France, landing at Marseilles on 26 September 1914.
5 December 1914 : absorbed 2nd Bn.Bn served on the Western Front until leaving France on 11 December 1915, whereupon it moved to Mesopotamia, landing at Basra on 10 January 1916.
3 April 1918 : sailed from Kuwait to Egypt for service in Palestine.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : stationed at Aldershot. Part of 5th Brigade in 2nd Division.
14 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne.
26 August 1914: suffered heavy losses in the Rearguard Affair of Le Grand Fayt
26 November 1914 : transferred to 7th (Ferozepore) Brigade in 3rd (Lahore) Division. Absorbed into 1st Bn at Le Touret on 5 December 1914.
5 February 1919: reconstituted from the 5th (Service) Battalion,
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Renmore Barracks in Galway.
A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Crosshaven, going on in September 1914 to Kinsale. Moved to England in November 1917, going to Newcastle-on-Tyne. Moved to Dover in May 1918 and there absorbed the 4th Bn, as part of Dover Garrison.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : stationed at Boyle Barracks in County Roscommon.
A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Queenstown, going on in March 1915 to Bere Island, February 1916 to Fermoy. Returned to Crosshaven in May 1916. Moved to Scotland in November 1917, going to Nigg. Moved to Fort George in early 1918 and in May was absorbed into 3rd Bn at Dover.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
As the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 did not call for the creation of TF units in Ireland, the regiment had no TF battalions.
Battalions of the New Armies
5th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Dublin in August 1914 as part of K1 and placed under orders of 29th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to Kilworth but back to Dublin in October. Moved to the Curragh in January 1915.
May 1915 : moved to Hackwood Park (Basingstoke).
9 July 1915: embarked at Devonport and sailed to Gallipoli via Mudros.
Landed Anzac Cove 5 August 1915.
30 September 1915 : moved via Mudros to Salonika.
September 1917 : moved to Egypt for service in Palestine.
30 April 1918 : left the Division and sailed from Port Said, arriving Marseilles 1 June.
23 July 1918 : came briefly under command of 14th (Light) Division.
22 July 1918 : placed under command of 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
5 February 1919: formed a basis for the reconstituted 2nd Battalion and ceased to exist as 5th.
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Kilworth in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 47th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Moved to Fermoy. Moved to England in September 1915, going to Blackdown.
18 December 1915 : landed in France.
13 April 1918 : reduced to cadre, almost 300 troops going to the 2nd Bn, the Leinster Regiment.
3 August 1918 : disbanded in France after brief spells under 34th and 39th Divisions.
Books
The Connaught Rangers volume II (free PDF download)
The Connaught Rangers volume III – the 5th and 6th Battalions (free PDF download)
Record of the 5th (Service) Battalion the Connaught Rangers from 19th August, 1914 to 17th January, 1916 (free PDF download)
Links
66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division