German prisoners captured at the Battle of St. Quentin, marched by a Rifle Brigade escort from the 20th (Light) Division, along the Roye-Ham road, 22 March 1918. Imperial war Museum image Q10772.
Regimental Depot
Rifles Depot, Upper Barracks, Winchester, Hampshire
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : at Colchester. Under command of 11th Brigade in 4th Division.
23 August 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
1919: to Makina in Mesopotamia.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : at Kuldana in India. Sailed from Bombay on 20 September, landing at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. Moved to Hursley Park and came under orders of 25th Brigade in 8th Division.
6 November 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
1919: to Oudenarde Barracks, Aldershot.
3rd Battalion
August 1914 : at Cork. Under command of 17th Brigade in 6th Division. Moved to Cambridge but quickly on to Newmarket.
12 September 1914 : landed at St Nazaire.
14 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 24th Division.
1919: to Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth.
4th Battalion
August 1914 : at Dagshai in India. Sailed from Bombay in October, landing at Devonport on 18 November 1914. Moved to Magdalen Hill camp (Winchester) and came under orders of 80th Brigade in 27th Division.
21 December 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
November 1915 : moved with Division to Salonika.
1919: to Quetta, India.
5th (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Winchester. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Minster (Sheppey) where it remained as part of Thames & Medway Garrison.
1919: to Rifles Depot at Winchester.
6th (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Winchester. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Sheerness, going on in March 1916 to Eastchurch where it remained as part of Thames & Medway Garrison.
1919: to Rifles Depot at Winchester.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
18th (London); 19th (Western), 20th (Northern), 21st (Midland), 22nd (Wessex & Welsh), 23rd (North Western) and 24th (Home Counties) Battalions
Formed in accordance with an Army Council Instruction on 29 November 1915. The battalions were made up of supernumerary TF Companies, formed from National Reservists who were used for guarding vulnerable points in Great Britain. They were posted for garrison duty overseas in 1916. The 18th, 23rd and 24th went to India; 19th and 20th to Egypt. The 21st went to India via Egypt, and the 22nd Salonika via Egypt. The latter was attached to the 228th Brigade in 28th Division.
25th (Reserve) Garrison Battalion
Formed in August 1916 and was at Falmouth for the rest of the war.
Battalions of the New Armies
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester on 21 August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 41st Brigade in 14th (Light) Division. Moved to Aldershot, going on to Elstead in November and returned to Aldershot in March 1915.
May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
27 April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
17 June 1918 : returned to England with Division and cadre absorbed by 33rd Bn, the London Regiment.
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester on 21 August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 41st Brigade in 14th (Light) Division. Moved to Aldershot, going on to Grayshott in November and returned to Aldershot in March 1915.
May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
27 April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
16 June 1918 : left the Division. Cadre disbanded at Desvres on 3 August 1918.
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester on 21 August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 42nd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division. Moved to Aldershot, going on to Petworth in November and returned to Aldershot in February 1915.
May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
27 April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
16 June 1918 : left the Division. Cadre disbanded at Desvres on 3 August 1918.
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 59th Brigade in 20th (Light) Division. Moved to Blackdown, going on in February 1915 to Witley and then in April to Hamilton Camp (Stonehenge) and subsequently No12 Canadian Camp at Larkhill.
21 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
5 February 1918 : disbanded at La Clytte, having sustained very heavy casualties during the latter stage of the Battle of Cambrai on 30 November 1917.
11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 59th Brigade in 20th (Light) Division. Moved to Blackdown, going on in February 1915 to Witley and then in April to Hamilton Camp (Stonehenge).
21 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
12th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 60th Brigade in 20th (Light) Division. Moved to Blackdown, going on in February 1915 to Witley and then in April to Larkhill.
22 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
13th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Winchester in October 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army Troops to 21st Division. Moved in November 1914 to billets in High Wycombe.
Moved to Andover in April 1915 and transferred to 111th Brigade in 37th Division.
30 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
14th and 15th (Reserve) Battalions
Formed at Southend in October 1914 for K4, attached to 92nd Brigade of original 31st Division.
10 April 1915 : converted into a reserve battalion. Moved in May 1915 to Purfleet, going next month to Belhurst Park and went on in September to Seaford.
1 September 1916 : converted into 19th and 20th Training Reserve Battalions of 4th Reserve Brigade at Seaford. 14th eventually became 51st (Graduated) Battalion (see below).
16th (Service) Battalion (St Pancras)
Formed in the Borough of St. Pancras on 2 April 1915 by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee.
August 1915 : moved to Hursley Park and came under orders of 117th Brigade in 39th Division. Moved to Aldershot in November 1915 and on to Witley in same month.
8 March 1916 : landed at Le Havre.
16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre.
16 August 1918 : moved to Abancourt and transferred to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
20 September 1918 : attached to 197th Brigade in same Division and on to Lines of Communication.
17th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Charrington Hall in October 1915 from depot companies of 16th Bn. Moved to Banbury in January 1916, then to Wimbledon in April.
1 September 1916 : converted into 112th Training Reserve Battalion of 26th Reserve Brigade at Wimbledon.
Other Battalions
51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 237th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 19th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (see above). A training unit based at Welbeck, it was part of 206th Brigade in 69th Division. Moved in January 1918 to Aldershot, went on next month to Ipswich and from June was at Foxhall Heath.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 241st Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 21st Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. A training unit based at Clipstone, it was part of 207th Brigade in 69th Division. Moved to Colchester in February 1918 and joined 202nd Brigade in 67th Division..
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 18th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 15th (Reserve) Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. A basic recruit training unit based at Northampton, it was part of 4th Reserve Brigade. Sailed from Tilbury for Antwerp and service with the Army of Occupation in Germany on 21 March 1919.
Note
The London Rifle Brigade was not a unit of this regiment, but was a title of the 5th Battalion of the London Regiment.