Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The East Surrey Regiment
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 Dublin. Part of 14th Brigade, 5th
Division. Landed at Le Havre 15 August 1914.
12 January 1916 : transferred to 95th Brigade, 5th
Division.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Chaubattia, India. Returned to
England, landing Devonport 23 December 1914.
December 1914 : moved to Winchester and attached
to 85th Brigade, 28th Division. Landed at
Le Havre 19 January 1915.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Kingston-upon-Thames. A depot/training
unit, it moved to Dover and remained there throughout the war .
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Kingston-upon-Thames. A depot/training
unit, it moved on mobilisation to Plymouth and on to Saltash in June 1915.
Moved to Felixstowe in September 1917 for duty with Harwich Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Wimbledon. Part
of Surrey Brigade, Home Counties Division. Moved
on mobilisation to Chatham-Maidstone-Canterbury area. Embarked at Southampton
on 29 October 1914.
2
December 1914 : landed at Bombay, whereupon the Division was broken up.
Was posted to the Allahabad Brigade in 8th (Lucknow) Division. Moved
in August 1915 to Nowshera Brigade in 1st
(Peshawar) Division. May 1916 attached as Army Troops to 2nd (Rawalpindi)
Division but returned to Nowshera Brigade in October 1916. Moved to 7th
(Meerut) Divisional Area in April 1917.
The battalion moved in December 1917 to Mesopotamia and in February
1918 was attached to 55th Brigade of 18th Indian Division.
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at Wimbledon in September 1914
as a home service ("second line") unit.
November 1914 moved to Windsor and became part of 2nd
Surrey Brigade , 2nd Home Counties Division. Formation soon renamed 200th
Brigade in 67th Division. Moved to Tunbridge Wells in May 1915 and on
to billets in Reigate in November 1915. Moved to Sevenoaks in June 1916
but soon to Gore Street (Thanet).
November
1917 : disbanded.
1/6th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Kingston-upon-Thames.
Part of Surrey Brigade, Home Counties Division. Moved
on mobilisation to Chatham-Maidstone-Canterbury area. Embarked at Southampton
on 29 October 1914.
2 December 1914 : landed at Bombay, whereupon the Division was broken up.
Was posted to the Allahabad Brigade in 8th (Lucknow) Division. Moved in
March 1915 to Rawalpindi Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division. Moved to
Jhelum Brigade in same Division in October 1915..
The battalion moved in February 1917 to Aden (coming under orders of Aden
Brigade), and returned to India in January 1918, joining Dehra Dun Brigade
in 7th (Meerut) Division.
2/6th Battalion:
Formed at Kingston-upon-Thames
in September 1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
November 1914 moved to Windsor and became part of 2nd Surrey Brigade ,
2nd Home Counties Division. Formation soon renamed 200th Brigade in 67th
Division. Moved to Tunbridge Wells in May 1915 and on to billets in Redhill
in October 1915. Moved to Gore Street
(Thanet) in June 1916.
November 1917 : disbanded.
3/5th and 3/6th Battalions:
Formed at Wimbledon and Kingston-upon-Thames respectively
in July 1915 as depot/training ("third line")
units. Moved to Cambridge in January 1916.
8 April 1916 : moved to Crowborough and became Reserve Bns and 5th then
absorbed 6th on 1 September 1916. Moved to Tonbridge in October
1916 and finally Tunbridge Wells in September 1918.
Battalions of the New Armies
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Kingston-upon-Thames
in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 37th Brigade, 12th
(Eastern) Division. Moved initially to Purfleet but by November
1914 was in billets in Sandgate. Moved to Albuhera Barracks in Aldershot
in February 1915. Landed at Boulogne 2 June 1915.
5 February 1918 : disbanded in
France.
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Kingston-upon-Thames in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 55th Brigade, 18th Division. Moved initially to Purfleet but by April 1915 was at Colchester. Moved to Salisbury Plain in May 1915. Landed at Boulogne 28 July 1915.
9th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Kingston-upon-Thames in September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 72nd Brigade, 24th Division. Moved initially to billets in Worthing but by April 1915 was at Shoreham. Moved to Blackdown (Aldershot) in June 1915. Landed at Boulogne 1 September 1915.
10th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Dover on 26 October 1914
as Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 95th Brigade, original 32nd
Division.
10 April 1915 : became Reserve battalion. Moved to Purfleet in May 1915,
Shorehama agin in September 1915 and Dover in May 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 30th Battalion of 7th Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve.
11th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Devonport on 1 November
1914 as Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 100th Brigade, original
33rd Division. Moved to Dartmouth in December.
10 April 1915 : became Reserve battalion. Moved to Colchester in summer
1915.
1 September 1916 : converted into 21st Battalion of 5th Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve.
12th (Service) Battalion (Bermondsey):
Formed at Bermondsey
on 14 May 1915 by the Mayor and Borough.
Moved to Witley in October
1915 and attached to
122nd Brigade, 41st Division.
Moved to Marlborough Lines (Aldershot) in February 1916. Landed at Le Havre
2 May 1916.
13th (Service) Battalion (Wandsworth):
Formed at Wandsworth on 16 June 1915 by the Mayor and Borough. Adopted by War Office on 28 August 1915.
Moved to Witley in September 1915 and attached to 41st Division.
October 1915 : transferred to 118th Brigade, 39th Division at Barrosa Barracks (Aldershot). Movbed to Witley in November 1915.
23 February 1916 : moved to Blackdown and transferred to 120th Brigade, 40th Division. Landed at Le Havre 4 June 1916.
16 February 1918 : transferred to 119th Brigade, 40th Division.
5 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
3 June 1918 : transferred to 34th Division.
17 June 1918 : transferred to 39th Division.
30 June 1918 : transferred to 7th Brigade, 25th Division and returned to England. Moved to Lowestoft and reconstituted by addition of troops of 15th Battalion.
3 November 1918 : disbanded in England.
14th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Wandsworth in summer 1915
as a Reserve Bn. Moved to Gravesend in November 1915.
June 1916 : absorbed into
other battalions of 26th Reserve Brigade.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
15th Battalion:
Formed in Lowestoft on 1 June 1918 but absorbed by 13th (Service) Battalion in July 1918.
This page is dedicated to the memory of William Ernest Tanner, 9th Battalion, killed in action at the age of 23 on 16 August 1916; another 9th Battalion man, Frank Ward, killed on 16 October 1918 after initially serving with the Manchester Regiment; Charles Hemmings, a pre-war regular of 1st Battalion who won the MM on the Somme in 1916; John Robert Millroy, a Special Reservist with 1st Battalion who later served with the 8th Royal Irish Regiment; Ernest Pilgrim, who saw service with 1st, 13th and 8th Battalions; William James Daniels of 7th (Service) Battalion, killed in action at the age of 24 on 20 November 1917, and finally Arthur Stanley who served in India and Mesopotamia with 1/5th Battalion.