Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Regimental Depot

Cowley Barracks, Oxford.

From the 1910 Ordnance Survey map of the Oxford area. The barracks lay on Hollow Way, north of the motor works in Temple Cowley. It was also sometimes know as Bullingdon Barracks.

Battalions of the Regular Army

1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Ahmednagar, India. Under command of 17th Indian Brigade of 6th (Poona) Division, Indian Army.
27 November 1914 : moved to Mesopotamia.
29 April 1916 : Battalion was captured after surrender of garrison at Kut-el-Amara. A Provisional Bn was formed from the reinforcements and details who were not captured, which was attached to 28th Indian Brigade, 6th Poona Division. This Provisional Bn was renamed 1st Bn on 6 July 1916.
19 October 1917 : transferred to 50th Indian Brigade in 15th Indian Division. Remained in Mesopotamia throughout the war.

2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Aldershot. Part of 5th Brigade in 2nd Division.
14 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne.

Ration party of the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Ox and Bucks LI) in a front line trench at Cuinchy, March 1915. Soldier in right foreground rests his arm on a crate of 'Machonochie' tinned stew. Imperial War Museum image Q52982B
Ration party of the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Ox and Bucks LI) in a front line trench at Cuinchy, March 1915. Soldier in right foreground rests his arm on a crate of ‘Machonochie’ tinned stew. Imperial War Museum image Q52982B

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Oxford. A depot/training unit, it moved to Portsmouth in August 1914 and went on to Dover in October 1917.

Battalions of the Territorial Force

1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Oxford. Part of South Midland Brigade in South Midland Division.
30 March 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became the 145th Brigade in 48th (South Midland) Division.
November 1917 : moved with the Division to Italy.

1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion
August 1914 : in Aylesbury. Record same as 1/4th Bn.

2/4th Battalion
Formed at Oxford in September 1914 as a second line unit.
January 1915 : moved to Northampton and attached to 184th Brigade in 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. Moved to Writtle and quickly on to Broomfield (Essex) in April 1915.
January 1916 : moved to Parkhouse Camp, Salisbury Plain.
24 May 1916 : landed in France.
7 April 1918: absorbed the 25th Entrenching Battalion.
March 1919 : sailed for Egypt and was still there by the end of that year.

Did you know you can download a complete copy of the history of the 2/4th Battalion?
Free of charge, care of Gutenberg: The story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

2/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion
Formed at Aylesbury in September 1914 as a second line unit. Record same as 2/4th Bn.
22 February 1918 : all officers and men transferred to the 25th Entrenching Battalion at Curchy, and this battalion disbanded.

3/4th and 3/1st Buckingham Battalions
Formed at Oxford and Aylesbury in May and April 1915 respectively.
8 April 1916 : became 4th Reserve and 1st Reserve Buckinghamshire Bns. 4th absorbed 1st Buckinghamshire at Ludgershall on 1 September 1916. Moved to Cheltenham in autumn 1916 and on to Catterick in March 1917. Finally moved to Seaton Delaval in July 1917 where it then remained as part of the Tyne Garrison.

10th Battalion
Originally formed as the 83rd Provisional Bn in June 1915 and intended for home service only.
Came under orders of 216th Brigade of 72nd Division from November 1916.
1 January 1917 : became the 10th Ox & Bucks.
Moved to Bedford in January 1917 and on to Ipswich in May where it then remained.
Left the Division in July 1917 and disbanded in January 1918.

Pic
The regimental badge as depicted on a CWGC grave stone. From the excellent PaulHOP collection at flickr website, with my thanks.

Battalions of the New Armies

5th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Oxford in August 1914 as part of K1 and placed under orders of 42nd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division.
21 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
27 April 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
16 June 1918 : transferred to 16th Division.and returned to England.
20 June 1918 : absorbed by 18th Bn, the Gloucestershire Regiment.

6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Oxford in September 1914 as part of K2 and placed under orders of 60th Brigade in 20th (Light) Division.
22 July 1915 ; landed at Boulogne.
15 February 1918 : disbanded in France, troops going to 2/4th and 5th Bns and 14th Entrenching Battalion.

7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Oxford in September 1914 as part of K3 and placed under orders of 78th Brigade in 26th Division.
21 September 1915 : landed at Boulogne in France.
11 November 1915: division had been ordered to Salonika. Battalion departed from Marseilles.
26 November 1915: landed at Salonika.

8th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers)
Formed at Oxford in October 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army Troops to 26th Division
25 January 1915 : became Pioneer Battalion to same Division.
19 September 1915 : landed at Le Havre but moved to Salonika 17-24 November 1915.

9th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Portsmouth in October 1914, as a Service battalion for K4 and placed under orders of 96th Brigade, original 32nd Division.
10 April 1915 : converted into a reserve battalion.
1 September 1916 : became 36th Training Reserve Battalion of 8th Reserve Brigade at Wareham.

Other Battalions

11th (Garrison) Battalion
Formed as 2nd (Garrison) Battalion at Portland in July 1916, and moved to France on 22 August 1916 where it then remained. Renamed the 11th (Garrison) Bn on 13 July 1918.

1st (Garrison) Battalion
Formed in Portland in September 1915, and moved to India in February 1916, where it then remained.

Links

Other British infantry regiments

2nd Division

6th (Poona) Division

14th (Light) Division

15th Indian Division

20th (Light) Division

26th Division

48th (South Midland) Division

61st (2nd South Midland) Division

72nd Division

Training Reserve

Entrenching Battalions of 1918

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum