Regimental Depot
Horfield Barracks in Bristol
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : stationed at Bordon Camp. Part of 3rd Brigade in 1st Division.
Landed at Le Havre 13 August 1914.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : stationed in Tientsin in China.
Returned to England, landing at Southampton on 8 November 1914.
8 November 1914 : came under command of 81st Brigade in 27th Division at Winchester.
Landed at Le Havre 18 December 1914.
Moved to Salonika theatre in late November 1915.
3 November 1916 : transferred to 82nd Brigade in same Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : stationed at regimental depot.
Moved on mobilisation to Abbey Wood (Woolwich) and on to Gravesend in May 1915. Relocated to Sittingbourne-Maidstone area in May 1916 for duty with Thames and Medway Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th (City of Bristol) Battalion
August 1914 : in Clifton, Bristol. Part of Gloucester and Worcester Brigade in South Midland Division. Moved on mobilisation to Swindon but very quickly on to Maldon in Essex.
30 March 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became the 144th Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division.
November 1917 : moved with the Division to Italy.
1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : in Gloucester. Part of South Midland Brigade, South Midland Division. Moved on mobilisation to Isle of Wight but thence to Swindon but very quickly on to Maldon in Essex, arriving by end of August 1914.
29 March 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became the 145th Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division.
November 1917 : moved with the Division to Italy.
11 September 1918 : left the Division and returned to France.
17 September 1918 : attached to 75th Brigade in 25th Division.
1/6th Battalion
August 1914 : in St Michael’s Hill, Bristol.
Record same as 1/4th Bn.
2/4th (City of Bristol) Battalion
Formed at Bristol in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit.
January 1915 : came under command of 2nd Gloucester & Worcester Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division, at Northampton. Moved to Chelmsford in April 1915 and on to Salisbury Plain in February 1916.
Landed in France on 24 May 1916.
August 1915 : formation became 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
20 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Gloucester in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit.
January 1915 : came under command of 2nd South Midland Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division, at Northampton. Moved to Chelmsford in April 1915 and on to Park House Camp (Tidworth) in February 1916.
Landed in France on 23 May 1916.
August 1915 : formation became 184th Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
2/6th Battalion
Formed at St Michael’s Hill, Bristol in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit.
January 1915 : came under command of 2nd Gloucester & Worcester Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division, at Northampton. Moved to Chelmsford in April 1915 and on to Salisbury Plain in February 1916.
18 May 1916: received a large draft of men transferred from the 2/6th (Cyclist) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment.
Landed at Le Havre in France on 23 May 1916.
August 1915 : formation became 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
20 February 1918 : disbanded in France
3/4th, 3/5th and 3/6th Battalions
Formed at home stations in 1915 as depot/training (“third line”) units. Moved to Weston-super-Mare.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Battalions and 4th then absorbed 5th and 6th on 1 September 1916 at Ludgershall. Moved to Cheltenham in winter 1916-17, Catterick in March 1917, Horton in July 1917 and finally Seaton Delaval in October 1917 for duty with Tyne Garrison.
17th Battalion
Formed at Walton-on-the-Naze on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 82nd Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed in June 1915 from “Home Service only” personnel. Moved to Clacton-on-Sea in March 1917 and on to St Osyth in 1918.
Battalions of the New Armies
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bristol in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 39th Brigade in 13th (Western) Division. Moved to Tidworth but by January 1915 was in billets in Basingstoke. Moved to Blackdown (Aldershot) in February 1915.
Sailed from Avonmouth on 19 June 1915 and landed on Gallipoli next month.
January 1916 : Division evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Egypt.
July 1918 : Brigade transferred to North Persia Force.
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bristol in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 57th Brigade in 19th (Western) Division.
Moved to Perham Down and in March 1915 to Tidworth.
Landed in France 18 July 1915.
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bristol in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 78th Brigade in 26th Division. Moved to Codford St Mary but by November 1914 was in billets in Cheltenham. Moved to Longbridge Deverill in April 1915.
Landed in France 21 September 1915.
Moved to Salonika in November 1915.
4 July 1918 : left Division and returned to France.
21 July 1918 : attached to 198th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
22 September 1918 : became Pioneer Battalion to same Division.
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bristol in September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to as Army Troops to 26th Division. Moved to Salisbury Plain but by November 1914 was in billets in Cheltenham. Returned to Salisbury Plain in April 1915.
Landed in France 8 August 1915.
17 August 1915 : transferred to 1st Brigade in 1st Division.
14 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
11th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Abbey Wood (Woolwich) in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and came under command of 106th Brigade, original 35th Division. Moved to Cheltenham.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion. Moved to Belhus Park (Grays) and in September 1915 went to Seaford.
1 September 1916 : converted into 16th Training Reserve Battalion of 4th Reserve Brigade.
12th (Service) Battalion (Bristol)
Formed at Bristol on 30 August 1914 by the Citizens Recruiting Committee.
June 1915 : came under command of 95th Brigade in 32nd Division at Wensleydale. Adopted by War Office 23 June 1915. Moved to Salisbury Plain August 1915.
Landed in France 21 November 1915.
26 December 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 5th Division.
19 October 1918 : disbanded in France.
Detail from the wooden cross memorial to the 12th (Service) Battalion, the “Bristol’s Own”, erected near the village of Longueval on the Somme.
13th (Service) Battalion (Forest of Dean)(Pioneers)
Formed in December 1914 and early 1915 by Lieut-Col. Sir Harry Webb, MP and moved to Malvern.
Adopted by War Office 12 July 1915.
Relocated to Witley Camp in Surrey.
August 1915 : attached as Divisional Pioneers to 39th Division.
Moved to Aldershot in September 1915 and landed in France 3 March 1916.
6 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
16 June 1918 : transferred to 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
20 September 1918 : Brigade transferred to Lines of Communication.
14th (Service) Battalion (West of England)
Formed at Bristol on 22 April 1915, by the Citizens Recruiting Committee, as a Bantam Battalion.
June 1915 : came under command of 105th Brigade in 35th Division at Masham. Adopted by War Office 23 June 1915. Moved to Salisbury Plain August 1915.
Landed in Le Havre on 30 January 1916.
11 February 1918 : disbanded in France, 12 officers and 250 men going to 13th Bn.
15th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Sutton Coldfield in August 1915 as a Reserve Bn. Moved to Chiseldon
1 September 1916 : converted into 93rd Training Reserve Battalion of 22nd Reserve Brigade.
16th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Chiseldon in November 1915 as a Reserve Bn.
1 September 1916 : converted into 94th Training Reserve Battalion of 22nd Reserve Brigade.
Other Battalions
18th (Service) Battalion
Formed in Clacton on 20 June 1918 from cadre of 5th Bn, the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry.
2 July 1918 : attached to 49th Brigade in 16th Division.
Landed in France 1 August 1918.
Regimental records
Warwick Infantry Records Office
Note: this was the army’s administrative office covering the regiment the time and is not a present-day location of records
Books
The Gloucestershire Regiment in the War 1914-1918. The Records of the 1st (28th), 2nd (61st), 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th, 5th, and 6th (First-Line T.A.) Battalions (Wyrall) (free PDF download)
Infantry. An Account of the 1st Gloucestershire Regiment during the War 1914–1918 (Pagan) (free PDF download)
Links
Other British infantry regiments
61st (2nd South Midland) Division