Regimental Depot
The Castle, Carlisle
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Maymyo, Burma. Returned to England, landing at Avonmouth 10 January 1915. Moved to Rugby.
January 1915 : came under orders of 87th Brigade in 29th Division.
Sailed from Avonmouth on 17 March 1915 for Gallipoli, going via Egypt and Mudros. Landed at Cape Helles 25 April 1915.
January 1916 : evacuated via Mudros to Egypt. Moved to France in March 1916.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Llanion Barracks at Pembroke Dock.
5 September 1914: moved to Lyndhurst and came under orders of 20th Brigade in 7th Division.
Landed at Zeebrugge 6 October 1914.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in the Carlisle depot. A depot/training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved on mobilisation to Shoeburyness and on in January 1916 to Conway, November 1916 to Barrow and finally in March 1917 to Great Crosby for duty with Mersey Garrison.
The badge of the Border Regiment as inscribed on a WW1 war grave. An extract from an image at the Lonsdale Roll of Honour website, with my thanks.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) Battalion
August 1914 : headquartered at drill hall at Strand Road in Carlisle. Companies located at Carlisle (A, B), Keswick (C), Penrith (D), Kirkby Lonsdale (E), Kendal (F and G), Windermere (H).
The battalion was an Army Troops unit attached to East Lancashire Division.
August 1914: after completing mobilisation at the normal stations, the battalion moved to Barrow.
September 1914 : moved to Sittingbourne in Kent and transferred to Middlesex Brigade in Home Counties Division.
29 September 1914 : sailed from Southampton for India. The division was broken up on arrival and remained in India throughout the war. On arrival the battalion was attached to Burma Division and arrived at Rangoon in early December 1914.
February 1918: transferred to Jubbulpore Brigade in 5th (Mhow) Division.
1/5th (Cumberland) Battalion
August 1914 : in Workington. Army Troops attached to East Lancashire Division. Moved to Barrow.
26 October 1914 : landed at Le Havre and attached to Lines of Communication. [Official History of the war mentions attachment to Jullundur Brigade in Lahore Division].
5 May 1915 : came under orders of 149th Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
20 December 1915 : transferred to 151st Brigade in same Division.
12 February 1918 : transferred to as Pioneer Bn to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
7 May 1918 : transferred to 97th Brigade in 32nd Division and absorbed the cadre of the regiment’s 11th Battalion (Lonsdale).
2/4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) Battalion
Formed at Kendal in September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Moved to billets in Blackpool.
4 March 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for India. Its journey was however disrupted: as the old troop ship “Dongola” with all lights out and escorted by two torpedo boats, was proceeding down the channel, she collided after midnight with a steamer in the Bristol Channel off Barry, a mishap which necessitated the landing here of all on board and the docking of the “Dongola”, when the troops were transferred for further passage to the “Tunisian”.
31 March 1815: the battalion landed at Bombay and was then attached to Poona Brigade in 6th (Poona) Divisional Area.
November 1915 : transferred to Jubbulpore Brigade in 5th (Mhow) Division.
March 1916: transferred to Peshawar Brigade in 1st (Peshawar) Division.
March 1917: moved to 4th (Rawalpindi) Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division.
December 1917: transferred to Nowshera Brigade in 1st (Peshawar) Division.
October 1918: returned to 4th (Rawalpindi) Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division.
The battalion participated in the Third Afghan War in 1919.
2/5th (Cumberland) Battalion
Formed at Workington in October 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Moved to billets in Blackpool.
In November 1915 was at Falkirk and merged with 2/4th and 2/5th Bns, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, to form the 13th Battalion. Absorbed by the 2/4th Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers in January 1916.
3/4th and 3/5th Battalions
Formed at Kendal and Workington about March 1915 as depot/training (“third line”) units. 3/4th moved to Ramsey on Isle of Man in December 1915.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916: at Witley, where 4th absorbed 5th. Moved to Ripon in January 1917, Hunmanby (Scarborough) in May 1917 and Filey in November 1917.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Carlisle in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 33rd Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division. Moved to Belton Park (Grantham). Moved to Frensham in April 1915.
Sailed from Liverpool on 1 July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Helles 20 July.
Evacuted to Egypt January 1916.
Moved to France in July 1916.
9 February 1918 : disbanded at Mazingarbe in France.
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Carlisle on 7 September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 51st Brigade in 17th (Northern) Division. Moved to Andover and on to Bovington in January 1915. Moved to Winchester in June 1915.
Landed at Boulogne 15 July 1915.
Article: 7th Border Regiment attack on Bayonet Trench, 23 April 1917
22 September 1917 : absorbed the dismounted Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry and renamed 7th (Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry) Bn.
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Carlisle in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 75th Brigade in 25th Division. Moved to Codford and into billets in Boscombe in November 1914. Moved to Romsey in May 1915 and on to Aldershot following month.
Landed at Boulogne 27 September 1915.
22 June 1918 : transferred to Composite Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
7 July 1918 : disbanded in France.
9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers)
Formed at Carlisle in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 66th Brigade in 22nd Division. Moved to Lewes and Seaford. Moved to billets in Eastbourne in November 1914.
February 1915 : became Divisional Pioneers in same Division. Moved to Seaford March 1915 and on to Aldershot May 1915.
Landed at Le Havre 4 September 1915 but soon to Salonika, arriving 7 November 1915.
10th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Southend in October 1914 as Service Battalion of K4.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve Battalion. Moved to Billericay.
1 September 1916 : at Seaford, absorbed into Training Reserve Battalions of 4th Reserve Brigade.
11th (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale)
Formed in Penrith (HQ), Carlisle, Kendal and Workington on 17 September 1914 by the Earl of Lonsdale and an Executive Committee. Moved to Carlisle Racecourse.
May 1915 : moved to Prees Heath and came under orders of 97th Brigade in 32nd Division. Moved in June 1915 to Wensleydale and on to Fovant in August. Adopted by War Office 27 August 1915.
Landed at Boulogne 23 November 1915.
10 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength, with surplus persoinnel being transferred to 1/5th Bn.
13 May 1918 : transferred to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
31 July 1918 : cadre absorbed by 1/5th Bn.
12th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Prees Heath as a Reserve Bn.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into 75th Training Reserve Battalion of 17th Reserve Brigade.
Other Battalions
13th Battalion
Formed in Lowestoft on 1 June 1918 but absorbed by 11th Hampshire Regiment on 18 June 1918.
Links
Other British infantry regiments
66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division
Cumbria’s museum of military life
Border Regiment discussion forum