Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire 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 Quetta Division in India. Remained in India throughout the war.
2nd Battalion:
August
1914 : in Tidworth. Part of 7th Brigade, 3rd Division.
Landed at Le Havre 14 August 1914.
18 October 1915 : transferred with the
Brigade to 25th
Division.
26 October 1915 : transferred
to 75th Brigade, 25th
Division.
21 June 1916 : transferred
to 64th Brigade, 21st
Division.
30 June 1918 : transferred
to 89th Brigade, 30th
Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Warrington. A training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Crosby and in May 1917 went on to Barrow in Furness for a role with the Barrow garrison and remained as such throughout the rest of the war.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion:
August
1914 : in Warrington. Part of South
Lancashire Brigade, West Lancs Division.
13 February 1915 : left the Brigade
and landed at Le Havre.
13 February
1915 : attached to 7th Brigade, 3rd
Division.
12 October 1915 : became
Pioneers to 3rd Division.
9 January 1916 : transferred to 55th Division.
2/4th Battalion:
Formed
at Warrington in September 1914.
8 February
1915 : moved to Ashford (Kent) and attached to 172nd Brigade, 57th
Division.
Moved in June 1916 to Mytchett (Aldershot) and went on in October 1916 to Blackdown.
16 February 1917: landed at Boulogne.
1/5th Battalion:
August
1914 : in St. Helens. Part of South Lancashire
Brigade, West Lancs Division.
13 February
1915 : left the Brigade and landed at
Le Havre and attached
to 12th Brigade, 4th Division.
4 November 1915 : 12th Brigade was attached
to 36th (Ulster) Division.
6 January 1916 : transferred to 166th
Brigade, 55th Division.
2/5th Battalion:
Formed
at St. Helens in September 1914.
February
1915 : moved to Ashford (Kent) and attached to 172nd Brigade, 57th
Division.
Moved in June 1916 to Mytchett (Aldershot) and went on in October 1916 to Blackdown.
20 February 1917: landed at Boulogne.
25 February 1918: disbanded at Steenwerck.
3/4th and 3/5th Battalions:
Formed at home stations in April 1915. Moved to Blackpool in autumn 1915 and on to Oswestry in early 1916.
8 April 1916 : became 4th and 5th Reserve Bns.
1 September 1816: 5th was absorbed into 4th Reserve Bn.
Moved to Dublin in April 1918.
14th Battalion:
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had been the 49th Provisional Bn TF. The 49th was formed from Home Service personnel from the TF Bns of the regiment. Based at Hemsby (Norfolk) but moved to Palling (Norfolk coast) in late 1917.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Warrington in August 1914 as part of K1 and moved to Tidworth, attached to 38th Brigade, 13th (Western) Division.Moved to billets in Winchester in January 1915 before going next month to Blackdown. Sailed from Avonmouth in June 1915. Landed at Helles (Gallipoli) 7-31 July then moved to Mudros. Landed at Anzac Beach 4 August 1915.
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Warrington in September 1914 as part of K2 and moved to Tidworth, attached to 56th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. Moved to billets in Andover, December 1914, and to Clevedon February 1915. Mobed back to Tidworth in March. Landed at Boulogne 18 July 1915. 22 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Warrington in September 1914 as part of K3 and moved to Codford, attached to 75th Brigade, 25th Division. Moved to billets in Bournemouth in November 1914. Moved to Wokingham in May 1915 and on to Aldershot in June. Landed in France in September 1915. 16 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
9th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Warrington in September 1914 as part of K3 and moved to Seaford, attached to 66th Brigade, 22nd Division. Moved to billets in Eastbourne in December 1914. Moved back to March 1915 and on to Bourley (Aldershot) in May. Landed in France on 7 September 1915 but sailed from Marseilles 29 October, landing at Salonika 5 November 1915.
10th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed
in Crosby in October 1914 as a Service battalion, part of K4. Attached to 105th Brigade, original 35th Division. Moved to Heswall in December 1914.
10 April 1915 : converted into a Reserve battalion. Moved to Kinmel in July 1915 and in August went on to Prees Heath.
1 September 1916 : became 51st Battalion of 11th Reserve Brigade of Training
Reserve.
11th (Service) Battalion (St Helens Pioneers):
Formed
in St.Helens on 1 September 1914 by Lord
Derby. Moved to Bangor in February 1915.
15 May 1915 : moved to Grantham and attached as Pioneers
to 30th Division. Adopted by War Office 15 August 1915.
Moved to Larkhill in september 1915. Landed at le Havre 7 November 1915.
15 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
19 June 1918 : attached to 66th
Division.
30 June 1918 : returned
to England with 75th Brigade, 25th
Division.
3 July 1918 : absorbed the
18th Bn at Aldershot and returned to France as Pioneers
to 25th Division.
12th (Service) Battalion:
Formed
in Warrington in June 1915 as a Bantam Bn.
January 1916 : moved to Blackdown and attached to 120th Brigade, 40th Division.
2 March 1916 : absorbed by the 11th Bn,
the King's Own.
13th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed
at Oswestry in September 1915 as a
Reserve Bn.
Moved to Prescot in November 1915 and on to Altcar in April 1916.
1 September 1916 : absorbed
into the Training Reserve Bns of 16th
Reserve Brigade.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
15th and 16th (Transport Workers) Battalions
Formed
at Bebington and Prescot, in December
1916 and April 1917 respectively, for
work in Mersey docks.
17th (Transport Workers) Battalion
Formed
at Bidston, Cheshire, in April 1918 for
work on canals.
18th Battalion
Formed
at North Walsham on 1 June 1918 but
absorbed
into 11th Bn in July 1918.
| Did you know? On 1 July 1958 the regiment amalgamated with the East Lancashire Regiment to form The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers), which, in 1970, in turn amalgamated with The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment to form The Queen's Lancashire Regiment. |
This page is dedicated
to the memory of Albert Brooks, an Old Contemptible of 2nd Battalion who survived the war; James Kelly, of 1/5th Battalion; Richard Litherland, who served with 7th (Service) Battalion before going to the Machine Gun Corps; Henry Gething, another 2nd Battalion old soldier who had seen service in the Sudan. henry was discharged after getting frostbite in Flanders; James Bramhall, also of 2nd Battalion who died on 29 January 1915. He is buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, the victim of shellfire that fell on their billet in the village; and finally Joseph Howe of 1st Battalion, who also went on to the Machine Gun Corps.
All these men and more were researched for private clients by fourteeneighteen|research