Regimental Depot
Halifax
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Lahore. Part of 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division. Attached to 1st (Peshawar) Division June-July 1915. Remained in India throughout the war.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Portobello Barracks in Dublin. Under command of 13th Brigade in 5th Division.
Landed at Le Havre 16 August 1914.
14 January 1916 : transferred to 12th Brigade in 4th Division.
10 February 1918 : transferred to 10th Brigade in same Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Halifax. A depot/training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved on mobilisation to Earsdon and on in May 1915 to North Shields for duty with Tyne Garrison.
The badge of the West Riding Regiment as represented on a war grave. From the excellent website Leeds Daily Photo, with my thanks.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Halifax. Part of 2nd West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on mobilisation to coastal defences near Hull and Grimsby. Moved on 5 November 1914 to billets in Doncaster.
14 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became 147th Brigade in 49th (West Riding) Division.
Article: Into action: 1/4th West Riding Regiment trench raid 17 February 1917
1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : in Huddersfield. Record same as 1/4th Bn.
30 January 1918 : reduced down to 12 officers and 200 men by transferring the remainder to 1/4th, 1/6th and 1/8th Battalions. Cadre then transferred to 186th Brigade in 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division and merged with the 2/5th Battalion, whereupon it resumed the use of its original title of 5th Battalion.
1/6th Battalion
August 1914 : in Skipton in Craven. Record same as 1/4th Bn.
1/7th Battalion
August 1914 : at the Drill Hall at Scar Lane in Milnsbridge. Record same as 1/4th Bn. Went to Immingham Docks in August 1914.
2/4th Battalion
Formed at Halifax in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Moved to Derbyshire.
1 March 1915 : came under orders of 186th Brigade in 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. Moved to Thoresby Park (Ollerton) in May 1915. Moved in October 1915 to Retford, November 1915 to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain, June 1916 Halesworth, October 1916 to Bedford.
Landed in France in January 1917.
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Huddersfield in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Record same as 2/4th Bn.
30 January 1918 : absorbed by 1/5th Bn.
2/6th Battalion
Formed at Skipton in Craven in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Record same as 2/4th Bn.
31 January 1918 : disbanded in France.
2/7th Battalion
Formed at Milnsbridge in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Record same as 2/4th Bn.
18 June 1918 : reduced to cadre strength. Cadre returned to England and was absorbed into 29th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry.
3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th and 3/7th Battalions
Formed at home stations in March 1915 as depot/training (“third line”) units.
Moved to Clipstone Camp in Nottinghamshire.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Battalions, 4th Reserve to 7th Reserve.
1 September 1916: 4th absorbed 5th and 6th absorbed 7th Bns. Moved to Rugeley Camp in October 1917, on to Bromeswell (Woodbridge) in July 1918 and finally Southend in October 1918.
Battalions of the New Armies
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Halifax in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 34th Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division. Moved to Belton Park (Grantham).
18 January 1915: transferred to 32nd Brigade in same Division. Moved to Witley in April 1915.
Sailed from Liverpool in July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay 7 August 1915. Moved to France in July 1916.
13 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Halifax in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 52nd Brigade in 17th (Northern) Division. Moved to Wareham, on to Bovington in October and Wimborne in November 1914. Moved to Hursley Park in June 1915.
Landed at Boulogne 15 July 1915.
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Halifax in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 69th Brigade in 23rd Division. Moved to Frensham but was at Aldershot in December 1914. Moved to Folkestone in February 1915 and on to Bramshott in May 1915.
Landed at Le Havre late August 1915.
11th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Halifax in November 1914 as Service Battalion of K4 and came under command of 89th Brigade, original 30th Division.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve Battalion. Moved to Lichfield in July 1915 and went on to Brocton Camp (Cannock Chase) in November 1915.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions of 3rd Reserve Brigade.
Other Battalions
12th (Labour) Battalion
Formed in Marton Hall (Middlesbrough) in March 1916 and moved to France as Army Troops to Third Army.
April 1917 : the battalion was transferred to the Labour Corps and became 24th and 25th Labour Companies.
13th (Service) Battalion
13 May 1918 : the 3rd Garrison Guard Bn of the Labour Corps was redesignated 13th (Garrison) Bn. It came under command of the 177th Brigade in 59th (2nd North Midland) Division.
16 June 1918 : transferred to 178th Brigade in same Division.
16 July 1918 : renamed 13th (Service) Bn.
14th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Clacton on 7 June 1918 from cadre of 8th Bn, the Leicestershire Regiment.
3 November 1918 : disbanded in England.
Links
Other British infantry regiments
59th (2nd North Midland) Division
62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
Regimental Association website