Regimental depot
Le Marchant Barracks at Devizes.
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : at Tidworth. Under command of 7th Brigade in 3rd Division.
14 August 1914 : landed at Rouen.
18 October 1915 : transferred with the Brigade to 25th Division.
21 June 1918: transferred to 110th Brigade in 21st Division.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Gibraltar. Returned to England, landing Southampton 3 September 1914.
September 1914 : moved to Lyndhurst where came under command of 21st Brigade in 7th Division.
7 October 1914 : landed at Zeebrugge.
19 December 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 30th Division.
13 May 1918 : transferred to 58th Brigade in 19th (Western) Division
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Devizes. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Weymouth, going in April 1915 to Dorchester but returning in July and forming part of the Portland Garrison. Moved to Sittingbourne around September 1917, becoming part of the Thames & Medway Garrison.
The regimental badge as depicted on a CWGC grave headstone. Image courtesy of the excellent Headington, Oxfordwebsite, with my thanks.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : at Trowbridge. Part of the South-Western Brigade in Wessex Division. Moved to Salisbury Plain.
9 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton, landing at Bombay 9 November 1914 after going via Suez (left there on 27 October). The Division (later renamed 43rd) was broken up on arrival in India. Moved to Dehra Dun Brigade in 7th (Meerut) Divisional Area. Moved in March 1917 to Poona Brigade in 6th (Poona) Divisional Area.
September 1917 : moved to Egypt, where it then remained.
25 September 1917 : attached to 233rd Brigade in 75th Division.
3 May 1918 : transferred to 232nd Brigade in same Division.
2/4th Battalion
Formed at Trowbridge in October 1914 as a second line unit. Became part of 2/South Western (135th) Brigade in 2/Wessex Division.
12 December 1914 :moved in India, landing in Bombay in January 1915. The Division was broken up on arrival in India, where the Bn remained throughout the war. Attached on arrival to to Poona Brigade in 6th (Poona) Divisional Area. In March 1917 moved to Allahabad Brigade in 8th (Lucknow) Division.
3/4th Battalion
Formed at Trowbridge in March 1915. Moved to Bournemouth.
8 April 1916 : became 4th Reserve Battalion. By September 1916 was at Hursley Park, and moved to Bournemouth (October 1916), Sutton veny (February 1917), Larkhill (October 1917) and finally to Dublin (May 1918).
Battalions of the New Armies
5th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Devizes in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached as Army Troops to 13th (Western) Division. Moved to Tidworth and on in October 1914 to Chisledon.
December 1914 : moved to billets in Cirencester and joined 40th Brigade in same Division. Moved on to Woking in February 1915 and then Bisley in May.
1 July 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for Gallipoli. Landed at Cape Helles 17 July but moved to Anzac cove area 4 August 1915. Suffered heavy casualties in Turkish attack 10 August. Later moved to Suvla Bay area.
January 1916 : evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Egypt.
February 1916 : moved to Mesopotamia where it then remained.
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Devizes in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached as Army Troops to 19th (Western) Division. Moved to Salisbury Plain.
December 1914 : moved to billets in Basingstoke and joined 58th Brigade in same Division. Moved to Perham Down in March.
July 1915 : landed in France.
20 September 1917 : amalgamated with the Wiltshire Yeomanry, becoming the 6th (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Bn.
13 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength. Surplus troops went to 2nd Bn and 30th Division.
16 June 1918 : moved to Boulogne, transferred to 42nd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division and returned to England.
18 June 1918 : at Brookwood, reconstituted by absorbing the 9th Bn, the Dorsetshire regiment.
4 July 1918 : landed at Boulogne.
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Devizes in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under command of 79th Brigade in 26th Division. Moved to Codford. In November went to billets at Marlborough and in April 1915 went to Sutton Veny.
September 1915 : landed in France.
November 1915 : moved to Salonika.
June 1918 : left the Division and returned to France, arriving Serqueux on 1 July 1918.
16 July 1918 : attached to 150th Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
8th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Weymouth in November 1914 for K4 and came under command of 102nd Brigade of original 34th Division. Moved to Trowbridge in February 1915.
10 April 1915 : converted into a reserve battalion. Moved in May 1915 to Wareham.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions of 8th Reserve Brigade at Wareham.
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