Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
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 Colchester. Part of 11th Brigade, 4th Division
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2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Quetta, India. Part of 4th (Quetta) Division. Transferred to 1st (Peshawar) Division December 1917. Remained in India throughout the war.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Taunton. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout
the war. Moved to Devonport on 8 August 1914 and stayed there until
November 1917 when going to Londonderry. Moved to Belfast in April 1918.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Lower Bristol Road,
Bath. Part of South-Western Brigade, Wessex Division.
9 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton, landing at Bombay 9 November
1914.
The Division (later renamed 43rd) was broken up on arrival in India.
21 January 1916 ; landed at Basra in 37th Indian Brigade, 3rd Indian
Division.
Remained in Mesopotamia throughout
the war.
5 May 1916 : transferred to 41st Indian Brigade.
March 1918
: transferred to 56th Indian Brigade, which was attached to 14th Indian
Division in September 1918.
2/4th Battalion:
Formed at Bath in September 1914.
Became part of 135th Brigade, 2nd Wessex Division.
12 December 1914 : landed in India. The Division was broken up on arrival
in India.
August 1915 : moved to Andaman Islands, returned to India January
1916.
25 September 1917 : landed in Suez, Egypt, attached to 232nd Brigade, 75th
Division.
1 June 1918 : landed in Marseilles, having been detached
from the Division, and proceeded to the Western Front.
19 June 1918 :
attached to 34th Division as Pioneers.
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Taunton. Part of
South-Western Brigade, Wessex Division.
9 October
1914 : sailed from Southampton, landing at Bombay 9 November 1914.
The
Division (later renamed 43rd) was broken up on arrival in India.
11 May
1917 : landed in Suez, Egypt, attached to 223rd Brigade, 75th
Division.
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at Bath in September 1914.
Became part of 135th Brigade, 2nd Wessex Division.
12 December 1914 : landed in India. The Division was broken up on arrival in
India. Became divisional troops to Burma Division, then in January 1916 joined
part of Rangoon Brigade in same Division.
3/4th and 3/5th Battalions:
Formed at Bath and Taunton respectively
in March 1915.
April 1916 : became Reserve Bns and 5th then absorbed 6th on 1 September
1916 while at Hursley Park, Winchester. Moved to Bournemouth in October
1916; Sutton Veny in March 1917; Larkhill by late 1917 and finaly Oswestry
in April 1918.
11th Battalion:
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 85th Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed at Yeovil in April 1915 from "Home Service only" personnel. Known to have been at Herne Bayt in October 1917 and Wrentham in March 1918. Between 27 April 1918 and 16 July 1918, it was entitled 'Garrison Guard' Bn. 6 May 1918 : moved to France, and attached to 177th Brigade, 59th Division.
12th (West Somerset Yeomanry) Battalion:
Formed in Ismaila, Egypt on 4 January 1917 from
dismounted Yeomanry.
January 1917 : attached to 229th Brigade, 74th
Division.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Taunton in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached
to 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division.
14 April 1918 : formed a composite unit with 5th Bn, Ox & Bucks
Light Infantry, which was reduced to cadre strength two weeks later.
18 June 1918 : transferred to 16th Division.
20
June 1918 : reconstituted by absorbing 13th Bn, DCLI.
4 July 1918 : transferred to 49th Brigade, 16th Division
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Taunton in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 61st Brigade, 20th (Light) Division
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Taunton in October 1914
as part of K3 and attached to 63rd Brigade, 21st
Division.
8 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 37th
Division
9th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Plymouth
in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 98th Brigade,
original 33rd Division.
April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion.
September 1916 : converted into 45th Battalions of 10th Reserve Brigade
of Training
Reserve.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
10th (Home Service) Battalion:
Formed in Weston-super-Mare
in November 1916 and attached to 216th Brigade, 72nd
Division.
November 1917 : disbanded in England, having left the Division
in July 1917.
13th (Home Service) Battalion:
Formed in Wrentham, Suffolk, on 27 April 1918, to replace 11th Bn in 227th Brigade.
1st (Garrison) Battalion:
Formed in Plymouth in January 1917. Moved to India in February 1917. Joined Rawalpind Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division.
| Did you know? The author C.S Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, and many more) served with 1st Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry before suffering a severe wound on 15 May 1918. Read his army service history here |