Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Leicestershire 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 Fermoy, Ireland. Part of 16th Brigade, 6th Division. Moved on 19 August 1914 to Cambridge and landed at St Nazaire on 10 September 1914. 17 November 1915 : transferred to 71st Brigade, 6th Division.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Ranikhet. Part of Gharwal Brigade, Meerut Division of the Indian Army. 12 October 1914 : Division landed at Marseilles for service in France. Moved to 28th Indian Brigade in Egypt, 7 November 1915. Early December 1915 moved to Basra in Mesopotamia, rejoining 7th (Meerut) Division. Landed at Suez on 22 January 1918 and took part in Palestine campaign.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Leicester. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout
the war. Moved within a few days of
declaration of war to Portsmouth but by May 1915 was at Hull, for
duty with the Humber Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Leicester. Part of Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, North Midland Division. Soon moved to Luton and by November 1914 was at Bishop's Stortford. Landed at Le Havre 3 March 1915. 12 May 1915 : formation became the 138th Brigade, 46th Division.
2/4th Battalion:
Formed at Leicester in September 1914 as a second line unit. Became part of 2nd Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, 2nd North Midland Division. Moved in January 1915 to Luton and by July 1915 was at St Albans. August 1915 : formation became the 177th Brigade, 59th Division. Served in Ireland and France with this Division. 8 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength and returned to England with 16th Division. 20 June 1918 : absorbed by 14th Bn.
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Loughborough. Part of Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, North Midland Division. Soon moved to Luton and by November 1914 was at Bishop's Stortford. Landed at Le Havre 28 February 1915. 12 May 1915 : formation became the 138th Brigade, 46th Division.
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at Loughborough in September 1914 as a second line unit. Became part of 2nd Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, 2nd North Midland Division. Moved in January 1915 to Luton and by July 1915 was at St Albans. August 1915 : formation became the 177th Brigade, 59th Division. Served in Ireland and France with this Divisionbefore being disbanded on 3 February 1918.
3/4th and 3/5th Battalions:
Formed at Leicester and Loughborough
respectively in early 1915.
8 April 1916 : became 4th and 5th Reserve Battalions and by now were at
Grantham. On 1 September 1916, 4th absorbed 5th. Later moved to
Catterick and on to North Coates and Louth.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Leicester in
August 1914 as part of K1 and attached as Army Troops
to 9th
(Scottish) Division.
April 1915 : transferred to 110th Brigade, 37th
Division.
Landed in France on 29 July 1915.
7 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 21st
Division.
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Leicester in
September 1914 as part of K2 and attached as Army Troops
to 15th
(Scottish) Division.
April 1915 : transferred to 110th Brigade, 37th
Division.
7 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 21st
Division.
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Leicester in
September 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army
Troops to 23rd
Division.
April 1915 : transferred to 110th Brigade, 37th
Division.
Landed in France on 29 July 1915.
7 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 21st
Division.
28 June 1918 : reduced to cadre strength, surplus men going
to 7th Bn.
29 June 1918 : transferred to 25th Division.
9th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Leicester in
September 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army Troops to 23rd
Division.
April 1915 : transferred to 110th Brigade, 37th Division.
Landed in France on 29 July 1915.
7 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 21st Division.
20 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Men went to 6th, 7th, 8th and
11th Bns and some to VIII Corps Reinforcement Camp for posting to other
units..
10th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at Portsmouth in
November 1914 as a Service battalion for K4 and attached to 96th
Brigade, original 32nd Division. Moved to Barnard Castle in
June 1915 and in November 1915 went to Rugeley Camp at Cannock Chase.
10 April 1915 : converted into a Reserve battalion and Brigade became
1st Reserve Brigade.
1 September 1916 : converted into 5th Battalion of 1st Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve.
11th (Service) Battalion (Midland Pioneers):
Formed at Leicester in
October 1915 by the Mayor and a local committee.
March 1916 : landed
in France.
1 April 1916 : attached to 6th Division as
a Pioneer Bn..
12th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at Leicester in
March 1916 as a reserve bn. Moved
to Newcastle area in July 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 83rd Battalion of 19th Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve.
14th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Aldeburgh in
June 1918, absorbing the cadre of the 2/4th Bn.
26 June 1918 : attached
to 47th Brigade, 16th Division, reforming at Aldershot.
Landed in France 30 July 1918.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
13th (Labour) Battalion:
Formed in Autumn 1916. October 1916 : landed in France, moved to Third Army. April 1917 : transferred to Labour Corps as 20th and 21st Labour Companies.
1st (Home Service) Garrison Battalion:
Formed at Easington in May 1916. August 1917, converted into 9th Bn, the Royal Defence Corps.
51st (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 26 October 1917, this was known as 261st Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 10th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 15th (Reserve) Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. A training unit based at Ipswich, it was part of 216th Brigade in 72nd Division. In January 1918 it went to 207th Brigade of 69th Division at Clipstone Camp but by April 1918 had moved to Thoresby. In September 1918 it moved to 208th Brigade in the same Division and location.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 267th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 15th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 13th (Reserve) Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers . A training unit based at Witham in Essex, it was part of 218th Brigade in 73rd Division. In January 1918 it went to 207th Brigade of 69th Division at Clipstone Camp but by April 1918 had moved to Thoresby. In September 1918 it moved to 208th Brigade in the same Division and location.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 12th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 13th (Reserve) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. A basic recruit training unit based at Rugeley Camp, it was part of 1st Reserve Brigade. By November 1918 it had moved to Clipstone Camp.
| Did you know? Today's professional rugby football team in the city of Leicester is known as the Tigers. This has a regimental connection. In 1825 the regiment, which at the time was known as the 17th Foot, was given the honour of wearing the insignia of a tiger superimposed with the word "Hindoostan", in recognition of its long stint in India between 1804 and1823. The regiment began to be popularly called the Tigers and the name had since stuck. In WW1, the Leicester Brigade (110th Brigade of 21st Division - see above) was known as the Tigers. |
This page is dedicated to the memory of Thomas Botham MM; Edward Moore of 6th Bn, killed on 17 July 1916; Cecil Bailey, a conscript posted to the 2nd Battalion in 1918; Cecil Vernie Jordan DCM, who served with 1/5th Bn before being attached to 138 Trench Mortar Battery; Alfred Wood, killed while with 7th Battalion on 13 March 1918; James William Hickling, killed on 24 May 1916 when two large working parties that had been sent out by the 9th Bn to extend the trench system were hit by 200 enemy shells; Honorary Lieutenant and Quartermaster David Dudman of the 11th (Service) Battalion, and John Moss Dakin, a Boer War veteran who played a part training recruits with 10th (Reserve) Bn.