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To trace the movements and actions of any battalion, click on the Divisions with which it served
Battalions of the regular army
1st Battalion:
August 1914 : in Mullingar in Ireland. Part of 15th Brigade, 5th Division. Landed in France on 15 August 1914.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Pretoria in South Africa.
Returned to England and landed at Southampton 19 September 1914.
19 September 1914 : attached to 21st Brigade, 7th Division.
19 December 1915 : moved with the Brigade to 30th Division, and transferred to 89th Brigade.
11 February 1918 : transferred to 90th Brigade, 30th Division.
22 May 1918 : transferred to 54th Brigade, 18th Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Bedford. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout
the war. Moved within a few days of declaration
of war to Felixstowe, for duty with the Harwich Garrison.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Bedford. A training unit, it m oved
within a few days of declaration of war to Felixstowe, for duty with the
Harwich Garrison.
25 July 1916 having been converted for war service it landed at Le Havre and
was attached to 190th Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Gwyn Street, Bedford.
Part of East Midland Brigade, East Anglian Division. Moved in August
1914 to Romford and thence to Bury St Edmunds. In May 1915 moved to St
Albans.
May 1915 : formation became 162nd Brigade, 54th (East Anglian) Division
Landed at Mudros on 10 August 1915 and at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, on 11 August.
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at Bedford in September
1914 as a second line battalion.
Moved to Newmarket and became part
of 207th Brigade, 69th Division in January 1915.
Remained in UK until disbanded on 18 March 1918. Moved to Harrogate in
June 1916 and Darlington in October 1916. In May 1917 went to Carburton Campo
in the Dukeries, Nottinghamshire and in October 1917 to nearby Clipstone Camp.
3/5th Battalion:
Formed at Bedford in June 1915 but
soon moved to Windsor Great Park.
In October 1915 moved to Halton Park
near Tring.
8 April 1916 : became 5th Reserve Battalion.
Merged with with 1st (Reserve) Bn, the Hertfordshire
Regiment on 11 July
1917.
Moved to Crowborough in Autumn 1917 and by August 1918 was at Hastings.
18th Battalion:
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 68th Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed at Southwold in June 1915 from "Home Service only" personnel. Was based at Pakefield near Lowestoft from January 1917 until the end of the war.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers):
Formed at Bedford in
August 1914 as part of K1 and attached
as Divisional Troops to 9th (Scottish) Division.
March 1915 : transferred to 112th Brigade, 37th Division.
20 May 1918 : reduced to cadre, 700 men transferring to 1/1st Bn, Hertfordshire Regiment.
20 May 1918 :cadre transferred to 39th Division.
4 August 1918 : disbanded in France.
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Bedford in
September 1914 as part of K2 and attached
as Divisional Troops to 15th (Scottish) Division.
25 February 1915 : transferred to 54th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division.
25 May 1918 : reduced to cadre, men transferring to 2nd Bn.
25 May 1918 :cadre transferred to 89th Brigade, 30th Division.
19 June 1918 :transferred to 197th Brigade, 66th Division.
31 July 1918 : cadre absorbed by 2nd Bn.
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Bedford
in October 1914 as part of K3 and attached
to 71st Brigade, 24th Division.
11 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 6th Division.
17 November 1915 : transferred to 16th Brigade, 6th Division.
16 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
9th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at Felixstowe in
October 1914 as a Service battalion for K4 and attached to 94th
Brigade, original 31st Division. Moved to Mill Hill in February
1915.
10 April 1915 : converted into a Reserve battalion and Brigade became 6th
Reserve Brigade. Moved to Colchester in May 1915.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into other battalions of 6th Reserve Brigade
of Training
Reserve.
10th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at Dovercourt in November 1914 as a Service battalion for K4 and attached to 106th Brigade, original 35th Division. Moved to White City in January 1915.
10 April
1915 : converted into a Reserve battalion.
Moved to Colchester in May 1915 and joined 6th
Reserve Brigade. Moved to Dovercourt in March 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into
27th Battalion in 6th Reserve Brigade of Training
Reserve.
See 52nd (Young Soldier) Battalion, below.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
12th and 13th (Transport Workers) Battalions:
Formed at Croydon in December 1916 and March 1917. Essentially training and administration units, providing men for work at ports and docks.
1st Garrison Battalion:
Formed in Bedford in December 1915. Moved to India in February 1916. Came under command of the Dehra Dun Brigade in the 7th (Meerut) Divisional Area. Moved in March 1918 to the Delhi Brigade in the same area.
2nd Garrison Battalion:
Formed in Bedford in December 1916. Moved to India in February 1917. Came under command of the Karachi Brigade in the 4th (Quetta) Division.
3rd Garrison Battalion:
Formed in Bedford in January 1917. Moved to India and thence to Burma. Came under command of the Burma Division and under the Rangoon Brigade of the same Division in November 1917.
51st (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 26 October 1917, this was known as 219th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 25th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 10th (Reserve) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. A training unit based at Colchester, it was part of 212th Brigade in 71st Division. In February 1918 it went to 193rd Brigade of 64th Division at Norfolk.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 252nd Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 26th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 10th (Reserve) Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. A training unit based at Colchester, it was part of 213th Brigade in 71st Division. In February 1918 it went to 193rd Brigade of 64th Division at Norfolk.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 27th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 10th (Reserve) Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment . A basic recruit training unit based at Clipstone Camp, it was part of 2nd Reserve Brigade. In early 1918 it moved to Cannock Chase.
| Did you know? In common with many of the County regiments, the Bedfords have gradually disappeared from the order of battle of the British Army. Merging in 1919 to become the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and serving in WW2 as such, it was amalgamated with the Essex Regiment in 1958 and became the 3rd East Anglian Regiment. In September 1964 this was absorbed into the Royal Anglian Regiment, becoming the 3rd Battalion of this new regiment. In 1992, the battalion was disbanded and the unbroken connection going all the way back to formation in the 1600's was gone forever. |