List of battalions of the King's Regiment (Liverpool)

This is a list of battalions of the King's Regiment (Liverpool), which existed as an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1958.

Original composition

When the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot became The King's (Liverpool Regiment) in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, eight pre-existent militia and volunteer battalions of Lancashire and the Isle of Man were integrated into the structure of the King's Regiment.[1] Volunteer battalions had been created in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France in the late 1850s. Organised as "rifle volunteer corps", they were independent of the British Army and composed primarily of the middle class.[2] The only change to the regiment's structure during the period of 1881-1908 occurred during the Second Boer War. During the conflict, the regiment formed two additional regular battalions in Ireland in 1900, which required the militia to be renumbered the 5th and 6th battalions to accommodate them. The new battalions disbanded in 1901 and the militia reverted to their original designations.[1]

Battalion Formed Formerly
Regular
1st[1] 1685
2nd[1] 1857
Militia
3rd (Militia) 1797 1st Battalion, 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles)[1][3][4]
4th (Militia) 1854 2nd Battalion, 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles)[1][3][4]
Volunteers
1st Volunteer 1859 1st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps[1][3][5]
2nd Volunteer 1859 5th (The Liverpool Rifle Volunteer Brigade) Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps[1][3][5]
3rd Volunteer 1859 13th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps[1][3][5]
4th Volunteer 1860 15th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps[1][3][5]
5th (Irish) Volunteer 1860 18th (Liverpool Irish) Lancashire Rifle Volunteers Corps[1][3][5]
6th Volunteer 1861 19th (Liverpool Press Guard) Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps[1][3][5]
7th (Isle of Man) Volunteer 1860 1st Isle of Man Rifle Volunteers[1][6][7]

Reorganisation

The Territorial Force (later Territorial Army) was formed in 1908, which the volunteer battalions joined, while the militia battalions transferred to the "Special Reserve". All volunteer battalions were renumbered to create a single sequential order. Uniquely, the 7th (Isle of Man) Battalion did not join the Territorial Force, instead remaining a "volunteer" battalion.

Battalion Formerly
5th (Rifle) 1st Volunteer Battalion[1][3]
6th (Rifle) 2nd Volunteer Battalion[1][3]
7th Amalgamation of 3rd and 4th Volunteer Battalions[1][3]
8th (Irish) 5th (Irish) Volunteer Battalion[1][3]
9th 6th Volunteer Battalion[1][3]
10th (Liverpool Scottish) 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalion (formed 1900)[8][9]

First World War

The King's Regiment fielded 49 battalions and lost 13,795 officers and other ranks during the course of the war. The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions. As an example, the three-line battalions of the 5th King's were numbered as the 1/5th, 2/5th, and 3/5th respectively. Many battalions of the King's were formed as part of Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener's appeal for an initial 100,000 men volunteers in 1914. They were referred to as the New Army or Kitchener's Army. The 17th to 20th King's, New Army "Service" battalions, were referred to as the Liverpool "Pals" because they were predominantly composed of work colleagues.

Battalion Formed Served Fate
Regular
1st 1685 Western Front[10][11]
2nd 1857 India (NWF), Afghanistan[10][11]
Special Reserve
3rd (Reserve) Britain, Ireland[10][11]
4th (Extra Reserve) Western Front[10][11]
Territorial Force
1/5th 1859 Western Front[10][11] See Inter-War
1/6th (Rifle) 1859 Western Front[10][11] See Inter-War
1/7th 1859/1860 Western Front[10][11] See Inter-War
1/8th (Irish) 1860 Western Front[10][11] See Inter-War
1/9th 1861 Western Front[10][11] See Inter-War
1/10th (Scottish) 1900 Western Front[10][11] See Inter-War
2/5th Liverpool, September 1914[1][11] Western Front[10][11] Disbanded 1 February 1918[1][3][11]
2/6th (Rifle) Liverpool, September 1914[1][11] Western Front[10][11] Disbanded May 1919
2/7th Bootle,[1][3] October 1914 Western Front[10][11] Disbanded 15 May 1919[1][3][11]
2/8th (Irish) Liverpool, October 1914 Western Front[1][10][11] Absorbed by 1/8th King's on 31 January 1918[1][3][11]
2/9th Battalion Liverpool, October 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Absorbed by 1/9th King's in February 1918[11]
2/10 (Scottish) Liverpool, October 1914[8][11] Western Front[11] Absorbed by 1/10th King's in April 1918[11]
3/5th Liverpool, May 1915[1][11] Britain Transferred to West Lancashire Reserve Brigade (WLRB), 1916[11]
3/6th (Rifle) Liverpool, May 1915[1][11] Britain Transferred to WLRB, 1916[11]
3/7th Liverpool, May 1915[1][11] Britain Transferred to WLRB, 1916[11]
3/8th (Irish) Liverpool, May 1915[1][11] Britain Transferred WLRB, 1916[11]
3/9th Liverpool, May 1915[1][11] Britain Transferred to WLRB, 1916[11]
3/10th (Scottish) Liverpool, May 1915[8][11] Britain Transferred to WLRB, 1916[11]
25th (Garrison) Sheringham, 1 January 1917, from 43rd Provisional Bn[1][11] Western Front[11] Disbanded March 1920
26th Essex, 1 January 1917, from 44th Provisional Bn[1][11] Britain Disbanded March 1918
New Army
11th (Service) Seaforth, 23 August 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Absorbed by 15th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, August 1918[11]
12th (Service) Seaforth, September 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Disbanded June 1919
13th (Service) Seaforth, October 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Disbanded October 1919
14th (Service) Seaforth, October 1914[1][11] Western Front, Salonika[11] Absorbed by the 18th in August 1918[11]
15th (Reserve) Formby, November 1914[1][11] Britain Became the 49th Training Reserve Battalion, September 1916[11]
16th (Reserve) Hoylake, December 1914[1][11] Britain Absorbed by TR battalions of 11th Reserve Brigade, September 1916[11]
17th (Service) Liverpool, 29 August 1914[1][11] Western Front, Russia[11] Disbanded September 1919
18th (Service) Liverpool, 29 August 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Disbanded May 1919
19th (Service) Liverpool, 29 August 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Absorbed by the 14th King's, 13 August 1918
20th (Service) Liverpool, 16 October 1914[1][11] Western Front[11] Disbanded February 1918
21st (Reserve) Knowsley Park, August 1915[1][11] Britain Became 67th Training Reserve Battalion in 16th Reserve Brigade, September 1916
22nd (Reserve) Knowsley Park, August 1915[1][11] Britain Became 68th Training Reserve Battalion, 16th Reserve Brigade, September 1916
Others
7th (Isle of Man) Volunteer Battalion[1][11] 1860 Britain, Salonika (Service Company)[11] Disbanded March 1920
23rd (Works) Prescot, May 1916[1][11] Britain Became the 1st Labour Battalion, March 1917
24th (Works) Birmingham, June 1916[1][11] Britain Possibly redesignated as the 27th; became the 2nd Labour Battalion, April 1917[11]
27th (Home Service) Sidestrand, 27 April 1918[1][11] Britain Disbanded March 1919
28th (Home Service) Clacton-on-Sea, June 1918[1][11] Britain Absorbed by 17th King's, July 1918
29th (Service) Liverpool, May 1919[1] France & Flanders Disbanded August 1920
30th (Service) May 1919[1] France & Flanders Disbanded August 1920
1st Garrison Liverpool, August 1915[1][11] Egypt[11] Disbanded September 1919
2nd Garrison Pembroke Dock, November 1915[11] Egypt, Salonika[11] Disbanded January 1920
3rd (Home Service) Garrison Pembroke Dock, April 1916[1][11] Britain Became the 3rd Royal Defence Corps, August 1917
1st Dock Liverpool, August 1915[1][11] Liverpool Disbanded November 1917
2nd Dock Liverpool, August 1915[1][11] Liverpool Disbanded by 1918
51st (Graduated) Fermoy, 27 October 1917, formerly 20th Welch Regiment[1][11] Ireland, East Anglia[11] Disbanded November 1919[1]
52nd (Graduated) Herringfleet, 27 October 1917, formerly 12th East Lancashire Regiment[1][11] East Anglia Disbanded February 1920[1]
53rd (Young Soldier) Prees Heath, 27 October 1917, formerly 21st Lancashire Fusiliers[1][11] Kinmel Camp, Rhyl[11] Disbanded June 1919[1]

Inter-War

By 1922, all of the regiment's war-raised battalions had disbanded. The King's Regiment did not, however, return to its original peacetime size; it lost the 8th (Liverpool Irish) and 9th battalions shortly after the war ended. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to the Supplementary Reserve in 1924; however, its battalions were effectively placed in 'suspended animation'. As World War II approached, the Territorial Army was reorganised in the mid-1930s, many of its infantry battalions were converted to other roles, especially anti-aircraft.

Battalion Fate
5th Retained, though it became a "line infantry" battalion when its rifle distinctions were relinquished in 1937[1]
6th (Rifle) Transferred to the Royal Engineers, becoming the 38th (The King's Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 1936, later 38th (The King's Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery[1]
7th Became the 40th (The King's) Regiment, Royal Tank Corps, July 1938[1]
8th (Irish) Disbanded 31 March 1922[1][3]
9th Absorbed by the Royal Engineers, 1920[1][12]
10th (Liverpool Scottish) Became a battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, retaining its Liverpool Scottish designation, 1937.

Second World War

The King's expansion during the Second World War was modest compared to 1914-1918. Existing battalions formed duplicates as in the First World War, while National Defence Companies were combined to create a new "Home Defence" battalion. In addition to this, 16 battalions and four batteries of the Home Guard were affiliated to the regiment.

Battalion Formed Served Fate
Regular
1st 1685 India, Burma, Chindits Became the 15th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom), 1945
2nd 1857 North Africa, Italy, Greece See post-World War II
Supplementary Reserve
3rd Britain See Post-World War II
4th Britain See Post-World War II
Territorial Army
5th 1859 Britain, France, Germany See Post-World War II
8th (Irish) Authorised March 1939; reformed October 1939[1][3] Britain, France[13] Effectively disbanded in August 1944;[14] officially placed in "suspended animation" on 22 November 1944; reconstituted on 1 January 1947 as 626th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA[1][3]
9th Authorised March 1939; reformed May 1939 as duplicate of 5th King's[1][3] Britain Effective disbandment; placed in "suspended animation" on 21 March 1946[1][3]
10th (Home Defence) December 1939, from National Defence Companies[1] Britain Redesignated 30th (Home Defence) Battalion November 1940
11th July 1940[1] Britain Became the 152nd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, November 1941[1]
12th July 1940[1] Britain Transferred to the Royal Artillery, November 1941 and became 101st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[1]
13th June 1940[1] India, Burma (Chindits) Disbanded 1945
14th Isle of Man, October 1940, from 50th (Holding) Bn[1] Isle of Man Transferred to the Royal Artillery, February 1942 and became 184th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[1]
15th (Home Defence) Formerly the 2/10th King's, September 1940 Britain Disbanded 1941
30th (Home Defence) Formerly the 10th King's[1] Britain Disbanded March 1943[1]
Others
50th (Holding) Liverpool, 1939 Britain Became 14th Bn October 1940[1]
70th (Young Soldiers) Formed from YS companies of 10th (HD) Bn King's and 8th (HD) Bn Cheshire Regiment, September 1940[1] Britain Disbanded September 1943[1]

Post-World War II

In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced: nearly all infantry regiments had their first and second battalions amalgamated and the Supplementary Reserve disbanded. A defence review by Duncan Sandys in 1957 decided that the King's would be amalgamated with the Manchester Regiment, to form the King's Regiment (Manchester and Liverpool). They united as the 1st Battalion on 1 September 1958.

Battalion Fate
1st Amalgamated with 1st Manchesters to form the 1st Battalion, The King's Regiment (Manchester and Liverpool), September 1958[1]
2nd Amalgamated with 1st King's, September 1948[1]
3rd Disbanded 1953[1]
4th Disbanded 1953[1]
5th Retained its identity until 1967, when it became a company of the Lancastrian Volunteers

Notes
  1. Frederick (1984 edn), pp. 126–30.
  2. Westlake.
  3. Frederick (1969 edn), pp. 107-9
  4. Hay, pp. 262–3.
  5. Westlake, pp. 139–46.
  6. Frederick (1969 edn), p.111
  7. Westlake, p. 112.
  8. Frederick (1984 edn) p. 148.
  9. Frederick (1969 edn), p. 128
  10. Mileham, pp. 240-1
  11. James, pp. 51–3.
  12. Roberts, p. 127.
  13. Mileham, p.165
  14. Mileham, p. 167

References
  • Frederick, John Bassett Moore (1969), Lineage book of the British Army; Mounted Corps and Infantry, 1660-1968, Hope Farm Press
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, New Edition, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
  • Col George Jackson Hay, An Epitomized History of the Militia (The Constitutional Force), London:United Service Gazette, 1905/Ray Westlake Military Books, 1987, ISBN 0-9508530-7-0.
  • Brig E.A. James, British Regiments 1914–18, Samson Books 1978/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
  • Patrick Mileham (2000). Difficulties Be Damned: The King's Regiment - A History of the City Regiment of Manchester and Liverpool. Fleur de Lys. ISBN 1-873907-10-9.
  • Roberts, The Story of the 9th King's in France, 1922.
  • Ray Westlake, Tracing the Rifle Volunteers, Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84884-211-3.

External sources
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