Regimental Depot
Normanton Barracks, Derby
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Bombay, India. Returned to England, landing Plymouth 2 October 1914.
2 October 1914 : moved to Hursley Park and came under orders of 24th Brigade in 8th Division.
5 November 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
Note: brigade attached for purposes of giving instruction to 23rd Division, 18 October 1915 to 15 January 1916.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Sheffield. Moved to Edinburgh on mobilisation.
14 August 1914: moved to Cambridge and came under orders of 18th Brigade in 6th Division.
11 September 1914 : landed at St Nazaire.
27 October 1915 : transferred to 71st Brigade in same Division.
3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions
August 1914 : in Derby. Both depot/training units, they moved to Plymouth and Sunderland respectively in August 1914. 3rd also moved there in May 1915. Both remained at Sunderland as part of Tyne Garrison.
The regimental badge as depicted on a CWGC grave headstone. This image courtesy of the excellent Headington & Marston in the First World War web page. 2/Lt John Holland Bellamy, 13th but attached to the 11th Battalion, died of wounds on 4 October 1916 and is buried at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : in Derby. Part of Notts. & Derby Brigade in the North Midland Division. Moved on mobilisation to Harpenden and went on in November 1914 to Braintree.
25 february 1915 : landed in France.
12 May 1915 : formation became the 139th Brigade in 46th (North Midland) Division.
1/6th Battalion
August 1914 : in Chesterfield. Record same as 1/5th Bn.
1/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion
August 1914 : in Nottingham. Record same as 1/5th Bn.
31 January 1918 : transferred to 178th Brigade in 59th (2nd North Midland) Division and absorbed 2/7th Bn; renamed 7th Bn.
7 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
29 May 1918 : transferred to 30th Division.
19 June 1918 : transferred to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
15 August 1918 : transferred to 116th Brigade in 39th Division but remained near Etaples until the Armistice.
1/8th Battalion
August 1914 : in Newark. Record same as 1/5th Bn.
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Derby on 16 October 1914 as a second line unit.
Moved to Luton in January 1915 and placed under command of 2nd Notts. & Derby Brigade in the 2nd North Midland Division.
August 1915 : formation became the 178th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. Moved to Watford.
Moved to Ireland in April 1916 to quell disturbances.
Moved in January 1917 to Fovant and landed at Le Havre 26 February 1917.
7 May 1918 : reduced to cadre.
2 June 1918 : transferred to 16th (Irish) Division.
17 June 1918: transferred to 34th Division.
28 June 1918 : transferred to 117th Brigade in 39th Division.
3 August 1918 : disbanded in France.
2/6th Battalion
Formed at Chesterfield on 14 September 1914 as a second line unit. Moved on 2 November to Buxton, with Bn HQ occupying the Empire Hotel.
Moved to Luton in January 1915 and placed under command of 2nd Notts. & Derby Brigade in the 2nd North Midland Division.
August 1915 : formation became the 178th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. Moved to Watford after a few weeks at Dunstable.
Moved to Ireland in April 1916 to quell disturbances.
Moved on 12 January 1917 to Fovant and landed at Boulogne 25 February 1917.
7 May 1918 : reduced to cadre.
31 July 1918 : disbanded in France.
2/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion
Formed at Nottingham on 19 September 1914 as a second line unit.
Record same as 2/5th Bn. Absorbed by 1/7th Bn on 6 February 1918.
2/8th Battalion
Formed at Newark on 11 September 1914 as a second line unit.
Record same as 1/5th Bn. Disbanded in France on 6 February 1918
3/5th and 3/6th Battalions
Formed at home bases on 29 March and 1 March 1915 respectively. Moved to Grantham in October 1915.
8 April 1916 : became 5th and 6th Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916 : 5th Reserve Bn absorbed 6th at Grainthorpe. By March 1917 had moved to Louth and went on in November 1917 to Saltfleet.
3/7th and 3/8th Battalions
Formed at home bases on 1 March and 26 February 1915 respectively. Moved to Grantham in October 1915.
8 April 1916 : became 7th and 8th Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916 : 7th Reserve Bn absorbed 8th at Saltfleet. In Louth for much of 1918.
21st Battalion
On 1 January 1917, the 29th Provisional Bn became the 21st Sherwood Foresters. It had been formed in June 1915 from Home Service personnel. Based initially at Walton-on-the-Naze, it moved to Frinton by July 1917 and Clacton by November. Disbanded in England on 12 January 1918.
Battalions of the New Armies
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Derby in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 33rd Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division. Moved initially to Grantham. Moved to Frensham in April 1915.
Sailed from Liverpool in early July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay 7 August 1915.
Evacuated from Gallipoli December 1915, moved to Imbros.
29 January 1916: departed Imbros for Alexandria in Egypt, landing on 3 February.
5 July 1916: departed from Egypt and landed at Marseilles in France on 10 July.
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Derby in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 51st Brigade in 17th (Northern) Division. Moved to Wool and on to West Lulworth October 1914, returning to Wool on December. Moved to Winchester in June 1915.
Landed at Boulogne on 14 July 1915.
11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Derby in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 70th Brigade in 23rd Division. Moved to Stanhope Lines at Aldershot in December 1914.
Moved to Shorncliffe in February 1915 and went on in May to Bordon.
Landed at Boulogne 27 August 1915.
Moved with Division to Italy in November 1917.
Left Division and moved to France, arriving at St Riquier on 18 September 1918 and there joined 74th Brigade in 25th Division.
12th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers)
Formed at Derby on 21 September 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army Troops to 24th Division. Moved to Shoreham.
April 1915 : converted into Pioneer Battalion for same Division.
29 August 1915 : landed in France.
13th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Plymouth in October 1914, as a Service battalion for K4 andcame under orders of 98th Brigade, original 33rd Division. Moved to Lostwithiel in December 1914.
10 April 1915 : converted into a reserve battalion. Moved in June 1915 to Lichfield and then on to Rugeley in November 1915. Moved to nearby Brocton Camp in February 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 12th Training Reserve Battalion of 3rd Reserve Brigade at Brocton.
14th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Lichfield in October 1914, as a Service battalion for K4 and came under orders of 91st Brigade, original 30th Division.
10 April 1915 : converted into a reserve battalion. Moved to Brocton Camp in March 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 13th Training Reserve Battalion of 3rd Reserve Brigade at Brocton.
See 53rd (Young Soldier) battalion, below
15th (Service) Battalion (Nottingham)
Formed at Nottingham in February 1915, by the Mayor and a Committee, as a Bantam Battalion.
June 1915 : moved to Masham and came under orders of 105th Brigade in 35th Division.
Moved to Salisbury Plain in August 1915.
1 February 1916 : landed in France.
16th (Service) Battalion (Chatsworth Rifles)
Formed at Derby on 16 April 1915, by the Duke of Devonshire and the Derbyshire TF Association.
Moved to Buxton on 4 May 1915 and then on to Redmires near Sheffield on 8 June.
2 September 1915 : moved to Hursley near Winchester and came under orders of 117th Brigade in 39th Division.
Moved to Aldershot on 30 September 1915 but soon moved to Witley.
6 March 1916 : landed at Le Havre.
16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
16 August 1918 : transferred to 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
17th (Service) Battalion (Welbeck Rangers)
Formed at Nottingham on 1 June 1915 by the Mayor and a Recruiting Committee.
October 1915 : moved to Aldershot and came under orders of 117th Brigade in 39th Division. Moved to Witley in November 1915.
6 March 1916 : landed in France.
12 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
18th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Derby on 27 July 1915, as a Bantam Battalion.
October 1915 : moved to Aldershot and came under orders of 121st Brigade in 40th Division.
2 April 1916 : absorbed by the 13th Bn, the Yorkshire Regiment at Woking.
19th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Brocklesby in August 1915 from depot companies of 15th, 16th and 17th Bns.
Moved to Ripon in November 1915 and on to Harrogate in July 1916; then to Durham in July 1916.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions of 19th Reserve Brigade at Newcastle.
Other Battalions
20th (Labour) Battalion
Formed in Derby in May 1916.
June 1916 : landed in France, moved to Fifth Army.
April 1917 : transferred to Labour Corps as 28th and 29th Labour Coys.
1st Garrison Battalion
Formed at Lichfield in July 1915 and moved in October to Malta and then onto Egypt, where it remained.
51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 246th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 15th Battalion of the Training Reserve. A training unit based at Thoresby, it was part of 208th Brigade in 69th Division. It spent January to April 1918 at Doncaster and then moved to Welbeck, where it remained.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 278th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 14th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. A training unit based at Canterbury, it was part of 200th Brigade in 67th Division. After periods at Ashford and Clipstone it moved in May 1918 to Welbeck, where it remained.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 13th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. A basic recruit training unit based at Rugeley, it was part of 1st Reserve Brigade. It moved around October 1918 to Clipstone.
Links
Other British infantry regiments
59th (2nd North Midland) Division