Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Colchester and part of 11th Brigade in 4th Division.
Moved to Harrow on 18 August.
Landed at Le Havre 22 August 1914.
1 February 1918 : transferred to 103rd Brigade, 34th Division.
26 May 1918 : transferred to 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Wijnberg, South Africa.
Returned to England, landing at Southampton 30 October 1914.
30 October 1914 : came under command of 24th Brigade in 8th Division at Hursley Park.
Landed at Le Havre 6 November 1914.
18 October 1915 : moved with the Brigade to 23rd Division.
15 June 1916 : returned with the Brigade to 8th Division.
3 February 1918 : transferred to 25th Brigade in same Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Preston. Moved on mobilisation to the Laira Battery at Plymouth. Moved on to Saltburn and Marske on 1 June 1917 for duty with Tees Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Blackburn. Part of East Lancashire Brigade in East Lancashire Division. Moved on mobilisation to Chesham Fold Camp (Bury) but sailed on 10 September 1914 from Southampton for Egypt.
26 May 1915 : formation became 126th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division.
14 February 1918 : transferred to 198th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division, and absorbed 2/4th Bn. Renamed 4th Bn.
7 April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
16 August 1918 : transferred to 118th Brigade in 39th Division on Lines of Communication work.
1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : in Burnley. Record same as 1/4th Bn.
Was not reduced to cadre in April 1918 and remained with Brigade.
2/4th Battalion
Formed at Blackburn in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit.
November 1914 : moved to Southport and came under command of 198th Brigade in (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
Moved to Burgess Hill in May 1915 but next month to Pease Pottage. Moved to Crowborough in October 1915 and on to Colchester in March 1916.
Landed at Le Havre 2 March 1917.
19 February 1918 : absorbed by 1/4th Bn
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Burnley in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Record same as 2/4th Bn.
April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
31 July 1918 : disbanded in France.
3/4th and 3/5th Battalions
Formed at Blackburn and Burnley respectively in March 1915 as depot/training (“third line”) units. Moved to Witley (Surrey) in early 1916.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Bns and 4th then absorbed 5th on 1 September 1916. Moved to Southport in October 1916, Ripon in January 1917, Whitby in July 1917 and finally Scarborough in April 1918.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Preston in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 38th Brigade, 13th (Western) Division. Moved to Lucknow Barracks, Tidworth but by January 1915 was in billets in Winchester. Moved to Alma Barracks, Blackdown (Aldershot) in February 1915.
Sailed from Avonmouth on 16 June 1915 and landed on Gallipoli 7 July 1915.
December 1915 : Division evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Mudros, going on to Egypt in January 1916.
February 1916: Division moved to Mesopotamia.
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Preston in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 56th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. Moved to Tidworth and was in billets in Andover in December 1914. Moved to Clevedon in February 1915 and on to Perham Down in late March.
Landed in France 18 July 1915.
22 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Preston in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 74th Brigade in 25th Division. Moved to Codford and was in billets in Bournemouth in November 1914.
November 1914 : became Divisional Troops to 25th Division.
March 1915 : transferred to 112th Brigade in 37th Division at Ludgershall.
Landed at Boulogne in late July 1915.
21 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Officers and men transferred to 11th Bn.
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Preston in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 65th Brigade in 22nd Division. Moved to Lewes, on to Seaford in November 1914, billets in Eastbourne in December 1914 and back to Seaford in April 1915. Moved to Aldershot area in June 1915.
Landed at Boulogne 5 September 1915 but moved with Division to Salonika, arriving 5 November 1915.
10th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Plymouth in October 1914 as Service Battalion of K4 and came under command of 99th Brigade, original 33rd Division. Moved to Teignmouth in December 1914.
10 April 1915 : became Reserve battalion. Moved to Swanage but by August 1915 was at Wareham.
1 September 1916 : converted into 47th Training Reserve Battalion of 10th Reserve Brigade.
11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington)
Formed in Accrington on 2 September 1914 by the Mayor and Town. Moved to billets in Carnarvon in February 1915.
May 1915 : moved to Penkridge and came under command of 94th Brigade in 31st Division. Moved to Ripon in July 1915. Adopted by War Office 5 August 1915. Moved to Salisbury Plain in September 1915. Sailed from Plymouth for Egypt on 19 December 1915.
Moved to France in March 1916.
11 February 1918 : transferred to 92nd Brigade in same Division.
12th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Chadderton Camp (Oldham) in May 1915 from depot companies of 11th Bn, as a Reserve Bn.
Moved to Swanage by August 1915 to Prees Heath.
1 September 1916 : converted into 75th Training Reserve Battalion of 17th Reserve Brigade.
Other Battalions
13th (Service) Battalion
Formed in France on 11 June 1918 as 8th Garrison Guard Bn became 13th (Garrison) Bn. Renamed on 13 July 1918.
11 June 1918 : came under command of 119th Brigade in 40th Division.
Links
Other British infantry regiments
42nd (East Lancashire) Division
66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division
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