Regimental depot
Warley Barracks, Warley (near Brentwood), Essex
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : HQ and half battalion in Mauritius, remainder in Durban in South Africa.
Returned to England in December 1914 and went into Warley Barracks before relocating to Harwich.
18 January 1915 : moved to Banbury and came under orders of 88th Brigade in 29th Division.
21 March 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for Gallipoli, going via Egypt and Mudros. Landed at Cape Helles 25 April 1915.
8 January 1916 : evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Egypt.
16 March 1916 : sailed from Alexandria for France.
4 February 1918 : transferred to 112th Brigade in 37th Division
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Chatham. Part of 12th Brigade in 4th Division.
Moved to Cromer, Norwich and Harrow.
28 August 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
Note: 12th Brigade was attached to 36th (Ulster) Division for purposes of giving instruction 5 November 1915 to 3 February 1916.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Warley, Essex. A depot/training unit, it moved to Harwich in August 1914 and went on to Felixstowe in March 1916.
The badge of the Essex Regiment as depicted on a CWGC gravestone. From the excellent website Buckhurst Hill History, with my thanks.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : headquartered at Brentwood. Under command of Essex Infantry Brigade in East Anglian Division. Soon after war began the battalion moved to Felixstowe but remained only briefly.
Moved to Norwich Workhouse in late August 1914 and on to Colchester in April 1915.
May 1915 : formation became 161st Brigade in 54th (East Anglian) Division. Moved late in the month to St Albans.
21 July 1915 : sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Malta, Alexandria, and Lemnos. Landed at Suvla Bay 11 August 1915.
4 December 1915 : evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Mudros, going on to Alexandria 17 December 1915. Remained in Egypt/Palestine theatre thereafter.
Article: Place of Great War memory for 1/4th Essex Regiment: a bridge in a park in Tel Aviv
1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : headquartered at Chelmsford.
Under command of Essex Infantry Brigade in East Anglian Division. Soon after war began the battalion moved to Harwich but remained only briefly.
Moved to Drayton in Norfolk in late August 1914.
Record otherwise same as 1/4th Bn.
23 July 1915 : sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Malta, Alexandria, and Lemnos. Landed at Suvla Bay 11 August 1915.
1/6th Battalion
August 1914 : in The Cedars in West Ham.
Under command of Essex Infantry Brigade in East Anglian Division. Soon after war began the battalion moved to Shoeburyness, Thames Haven and Coalhouse Fort but remained only briefly.
Moved to Norwich Cavalry Barracks in late August 1914 but soon on to Costessey Hall.
Record otherwise same as 1/4th Bn.
24 July 1915 : sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Malta, Alexandria, and Lemnos. Landed at Suvla Bay 11 August 1915.
1/7th Battalion
August 1914 : headquartered in Walthamstow.
Under command of Essex Infantry Brigade in East Anglian Division. Soon after war began the battalion moved to Landguard, Felixstowe and Harwich and but remained only briefly.
Moved to Norwich Cavalry Barracks in late August 1914 but soon on to Costessey Hall.
Record otherwise same as 1/4th Bn.
24 and 26 July 1915 : sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Malta, Alexandria, and Lemnos. Landed at Suvla Bay 11 August 1915.
1/8th (Cyclist) Battalion
August 1914 : in Colchester, unallotted to a Brigade. Moved on mobilisation to the Essex coast, Bn HQ being at Wivenhoe. Came under orders of 73rd Division January-October 1917. Moved in January 1917 to Southminster and on in October to Margate. Moved to Enniskillen in February 1918, then on to the Curragh (March), Tulla and Naas (October 1918).
2/4th Battalion
Formed at Brentford in October 1914 as a second line unit.
Moved to Stamford in December 1914 and on to Yarmouth next month. By summer 1915 was at Thetford. Disbanded in December 1915.
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Chelmsford in October 1914 as a second line unit.
Moved to Peterborough in December 1914. By summer 1915 was at Thetford. Moved in July 1916 to Harrogate, April 1917 to Welbeck, winter 1917 to Middlesbrough. Disbanded in March 1918.
2/6th Battalion
Formed at West Ham in November 1914 as a second line unit.
Record same as 1/5th Bn. Disbanded in January 1918.
2/7th Battalion
Formed at Walthamstow in November 1914 as a second line unit.
Record same as 1/5th Bn.
2/8th (Cyclist) Battalion
Formed at Colchester in September 1914 as a second line unit.
Moved to Great Clacton in March 1915, Manningtree in early 1915. Moved to Foxhall Heath near Ipswich in Augsut 1916, Faversham in November 1916 and Little Clacton in April 1917. Moved to Hollesley Bay in October 1917 and finally wen to Bawdsley in April 1918.
3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th and 3/7th Battalions
Formed at home bases in May 1915. Moved to Windsor Great Park in August 1915 and went on to Halton Park in the October.
8 April 1916 : became 4th to 7th Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916 : 4th Reserve Bn absorbed all the others.
By August 1917 had moved to Crowborough and went on in August 1918 to Hastings.
3/8th (Cyclist) Battalion
Formed at Colchester in April 1915 and disbanded April 1916.
15th Battalion
On 1 January 1917, the 65th Provisional Bn at Yarmouth became the 15th Essex. It had been formed in June 1915 from Home Service personnel. Became a Garrison Guard Bn on 27 April 1918 (this title being removed on 16 July 1918).
Moved to France in May 1918.
12 May 1918 : came under orders of 177th Brigade in 59th (2nd North Midland) Division.
16th Battalion
On 1 January 1917, the 66th Provisional Bn at Fleet became the 16th Essex. It had been formed in June 1915 from Home Service personnel. Under orders of 213th Brigade of 71st Division.
Moved to Colchester in March 1917 and disbanded in December 1917.
17th Battalion
On 1 January 1917, the 67th Provisional Bn at Sheringham became the 17th Essex. It had been formed in June 1915 from Home Service personnel.
Moved to Weybourne by July 1917.
Battalions of the New Armies
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Warley in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 35th Brigade in 12th (Eastern) Division. Moved to Shorncliffe and in March 1915 went to Blenheim barracks at Aldershot.
31 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Warley in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 53rd Brigade in 18th (Eastern) Division. Moved to Shorncliffe and then Colchester, going on to Codford St Mary in May 1915.
26 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Warley in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 71st Brigade in 24th Division. Moved to Shoreham and then to billets in Brighton in January 1915. Returned to Shoreham in March and then on to Blackdown in June 1915.
30 August 1915 : landed at Boulogne (transport and horses went to Le Havre).
11 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 6th Division.
27 October 1915 : transferred to 18th Brigade in same Division.
12th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Harwich on 26 October 1914, as a Service battalion for K4 and came under orders of 106th Brigade, original 35th Division.
10 April 1915 : converted into a reserve battalion.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into Training Reserve Battalions of 6th Reserve Brigade at Harwich.
13th (Service) Battalion (West Ham)
Formed at West Ham on 27 December 1914 by the Mayor and Borough. Moved to Brentwood in May 1915.
August 1915 : moved to Clipstone Camp and came under orders of 100th Brigade in 33rd Division.
17 November 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
22 December 1915 : transferred to 6th Brigade in 2nd Division.
10 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
14th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Brentwood in September 1915 from depot companies of 13th Bn.
Moved to Northampton in January 1916 and went on in the May to Aldershot.
1 September 1916 : converted into 98th Training Reserve Battalion of 23rd Reserve Brigade at Aldershot.
Other Battalions
18th (Home Service) Battalion
Formed at Yarmouth on 27 April 1918, to replace the 15th Bn on garrison guard duties.
1st Garrison Battalion
Formed at Denham, Buckinghamshire on 21 July 1915.
Left Devonport, arriving Mudros 3 September 1915. Served on Gallipoli before moving to Egypt in February 1916, where it then remained.
2nd Garrison Battalion
Formed at Halton Park in January 1916, soon moving to India where it then remained. A company is reported to have gone to Basra in Mesopotamia for work on Lines of Communication.
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Other British infantry regiments