Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The South Staffordshire 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 Pietermaritzburg,
South Africa. Returned to England, landing Southampton
19 September 1914.
Attached to 22nd Brigade, 7th
Division. Moved to Lyndhurst. Landed at Zeebrugge 6 October 1914.
20 December 1915 : transferred to 91st Brigade, 7th
Division.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Aldershot. Part of 6th Brigade, 2nd Division. Landed at Le Havre 13 August 1914.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Lichfield. A depot/training unit, it remained in UK throughout
the war. Moved on mobilisation to Plymouth and in May
1915 to Sunderland. Moved again in November 1916 to Forest Hall (Newcastle) for duty with the Tyne Garrison.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Lichfield. Moved on mobilisation to Jersey and in September 1916 to Marske (Redcar). Moved to Canterbury in June 1917.
10 October 1917 : landed at Le Havre and attached
to 7th Brigade, 25th Division.
22 June 1918 : moved with 25th Composite Brigade
to 50th Division.
11 July 1918 : reduced to cadre strength, and transferred
to 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
6 November 1918 : disbanded in
France.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Walsall. Part of Staffordshire
Brigade, North Midland Division. Moved to Luton area and in November 1914 went on to Bishops Stortford. Landed at Le Havre 3 March 1915.
12 May 1915 : formation became the 137th Brigade, 46th
Division.
> Extract from battalion W ar
Diary
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at Walsall in September 1914 as a home service ("second
line") unit. Became part of 2nd Staffordshire
Brigade, 2nd North Midland Division. Moved to Luton area by January 1915 and in July went on to St Albans. Moved to Ireland in April 1916 to quell disturbances.
August 1915 : formation became the 176th Brigade, 59th
Division. Moved in January 1917 to Fovant and landed at Le Havre 25 february 1917.
30 January 1918 : disbanded in
France.
3/5th Battalion:
Formed at Walsall 1915 as a "third line" unit. Moved to Catterick.
8 April 1916
: renamed 5th (Reserve) Bn.
On 1 September 1916, absorbed the
2/6th Bn. Moved to Lincoln in March 1917 and spent July to December at Mablethorpe. Moved to Lincoln again in 1918 but went on to Sutton on Sea and by November 1918 was back at Mablethorpe.
1/6th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Wolverhampton. Part of Staffordshire
Brigade, North Midland Division. Moved to Luton area and in November 1914 went on to Bishops Stortford. Landed at Le Havre 3 March 1915.
12 May 1915 : formation became the 137th Brigade, 46th
Division.
> Extract from battalion W ar
Diary
2/6th Battalion:
Formed at Wolverhampton in September 1914 as a home service ("second
line") unit. Became part of 2nd Staffordshire
Brigade, 2nd North Midland Division. Moved to Luton area by January 1915 and in July went on to St Albans. Moved to Ireland in April 1916 to quell disturbances.
August 1915 : formation became the 176th Brigade, 59th
Division. Moved in January 1917 to Fovant and landed at Le Havre 25 February 1917.
9 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength and transferred to 66th
Division.
31 July 1918 : disbanded in France..
3/6th Battalion:
Formed at Wolverhampton 1915 as a "third line" unit. Moved to Catterick.
8 April 1916
: renamed 5th (Reserve) Bn.
On 1 September 1916, absorbed by the
2/5th Bn.
Battalions of the New Armies
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Lichfield in August 1914 as part of K1 and became part of 33rd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division. Moved to Grantham. Moved to Frensham in April 1915. Sailed from Liverpool in early July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla bay 7 August 1915. Moved to France in July 1916.
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Lichfield in September
1914 as part of K2 and became part of 51st Brigade, 17th
(Northern) Division. Moved to Wareham and on to West Lulworth and Wool
in January 1915. Moved to Winchester in June 1915. Landed at Boulogne
14 July 1915.
23 February 1918 : disbanded in
France. Personnel dispersed to 2/6th and 7th Battalions and also to 7th Entrenching Battalion.
9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers):
Formed at Lichfield in September
1914 as part of K3. Moved to Aldershot and in december 1914 went into Talavera Barracks.
Attached as Army Troops to 23rd
Division, and became Pioneer Bn December 1914. Moved to Shorncliffe in March 1915 and went on in May to Oxney Park (Bordon). Landed at Bouogne 24 August 1915.
10th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Plymouth
in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K3 but in November transferred to K4 and attached to 99th Brigade,
original 33rd Division. Moved to Tavistock in December 1914.
April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion and moved soon afterwards to Harrogate.
Moved on to Rugeley Camp (Cannock Chase) in November 1915.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into Battalions
of 2nd Reserve Brigade of Training
Reserve.
11th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Jersey
in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4.
April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion and moved soon afterwards to Harrogate.
Moved on to Rugeley Camp (Cannock Chase) in October 1915.
1 September 1916 : converted into 9th Battalion
of 2nd Reserve Brigade of Training
Reserve.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
12th (Labour) Battalion:
Formed in Brocklesby in June 1916.
October 1916 : landed in France, moved to Fifth Army.
April 1917 : transferred to Labour Corps as 26th and 27th Labour
Companies.
1st (Garrison) Battalion:
Formed in Lichfield in January 1917 and moved to India .
| Did you know? The South Staffords have the distinction of being born in a pub. The 1st Battalion, the old 38th Foot, was originally formed as Lillingston's Regiment in the King's Head in Lichfield - a fine old hostelry that still operates as such. The regiment also has a uniform distiction in the "Holland Patch" - a piece of sackcloth backing worn behind the badge, marking the penury to which the men were condemned when spending many decades in the Caribbean in the 1800s. |
This page is dedicated
to the memory of Charles Wheat, who served throughout with 9th (Service) Battalion; William Charlton, also of that battalion; James Flavell MM of the 1/5th Battalion, killed in action on on 12 October 1918; Captain Reginald Charles Piper who died on 29 April 1918 at the age of 34 - he had been Adjutant of the 1/6th Battalion; William Johnson of 2nd Battalion, who died in enemy hands on 31 July 1918; George Potts of 7th Battalion, who died on 9 June 1917 and finally Thomas Doubleday, who served with 1st Battalion.
All these men and more were researched for private clients by fourteeneighteen|research
This page is also dedicated to the remembrance of all ranks of the 1st Battalion, in whose every footstep on the Western Front I have trodden, from Wipers to High Wood to Bullecourt and back again.