Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The South Wales Borderers
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 Bordon. Part of 3rd Brigade, 1st Division. Landed at Le Havre 13 August 1914.
> Extract from battalion war diary
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Tientsin, China.
23 September 1914 : landed at Lao Shan Bay for operations against the German
territory of Tsingtao.
Read
Brigadier-General Barnardiston's Despatch on operations
at Tsingtao
4 December 1914 : embarked at Hong Kong, landing at Plymouth 12 January 1915.
12 January 1915 : attached to 87th Brigade, 29th
Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Brecon. A training unit, it remained in UK
throughout the war. Moved on 8 August 1914 to Pembroke
Dock. A detachment was sent between November 1914 and March
1915 to Ediunburgh. Moved in June 1915 to Hightown near Liverpool
for duty as part of Mersey Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/1st Brecknockshire Battalion:
August 1914 : in Brecon.
Part of South Wales Brigade, Welsh Division.
29 October 1914 : left Brigade and sailed from Southampton with the Home
Counties Division, arriving Bombay.
3 December 1914 : moved to Aden, arriving 16 December 1914 and coming under orders
of the Aden Brigade.
August 1915 : returned to Bombay. Joined
Mhow Brigade in 5th (Mhow) Division and remained in India
throughout the war.
2/1st Brecknockshire Battalion:
Formed
in Brecon in September 1914 as a home service ("second line")
unit.
Late 1915 : attached to 68th (2nd Welsh) Division at Bedford.
November 1916: absorbed by 2/7th Royal
Welsh Fusiliers. at Wrentham.
2/1st Brecknockshire Battalion:
Formed
in Brecon in April 1915 as a depot/training unit. Moved to
Milford Haven.
8 April 1916 : became 1st (Reserve) Bn.
August 1917 : merged with 1st (Reserve) Bn., Monmouthshire
Regiment.
Battalions of the New Armies
4th (Service) Battalion:
August 1914 : formed as part of K1 and attached to 40th Brigade, 13th (Western) Division. Moved to Park House Camp at Tidworth and in October 1914 went on to Chisledon. Was in billets in Cirencester by December 1914. Moved to Woking in March 1915 and embarked at Avonmouth on 29 June 1915, goingto Gallipoli vuia Mudros and landing on Gallipoli on 15 July 1915.
5th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers):
Formed at Brecon in September
1914 as part of K2 and attached to 58th
Brigade, 19th
(Western) Division. Moved
to Park House Camp at Tidworth. Was in billets in Basingstoke
by December 1914.
10 January 1915 : converted into a Pioneer
Bn. Moved to billets in Burnham in January
1915 and to Bulford in March 1915. Moved again in April 1915
to Perham Down. Landed at Le Havre on 16 July 1915.
6th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers):
Formed at Brecon on 12
September 1914 as part of K3 and attached
to 76th Brigade, 25th
Division. Moved to Codford but was in billets
in Bournemouth by November 1914.
February 1915 : converted into a Pioneer Bn. Moved to Hursley Park in April 1915 but went on to Aldershot soon after. Landed at Le Havre on 25 September 1915.
2 July 1918 : transferred to 30th Division.
7th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Brecon on 14 September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 67th Brigade, 22nd Division. Moved to Seaford but by December 1914 was in billets in St Leonards. Returned to Seaford in April 1915 and moved to Aldershot by the end of May. Landed at Boulogne on 6 September 1915 but sailed at Marseilles on 10 October for service in Salonika.
8th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Brecon on 19 September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 67th Brigade, 22nd Division. Moved to Seaford but by December 1914 was in billets in Hastings. Returned to Seaford in April 1915 and moved to Aldershot by the end of May. Landed at Boulogne on 6 September 1915 but sailed at Marseilles on 30 October for service in Salonika. 30 June 1918 : transferred to 65th Brigade, 22nd Division.
9th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at Pembroke Dock
on 31 October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached
to 104th Brigade, original 35th Division.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion and moved to Kinmel
Park (Rhyl).
1 September 1916 : converted into 57th Battalion of 13th Reserve
Brigade of Training Reserve. (See
52nd (Graduated) Battalion, below)
10th (Service) Battalion (1st Gwent):
Formed at Brecon in October
1914 by the Welsh National Executive Committee. Moved by end
of December 1914 to Colwyn Bay and attached
to 130th Brigade, 43rd Division.
29 April 1915 : formation renamed 115th Brigade, 38th
(Welsh) Division.
Moved to Hursley Park (Winchester) in July 1915
but thence to Hazeley Down.
Landed at Le Havre on 4 December 1915.
11th (Service) Battalion (2nd Gwent):
Formed at Brecon on 5
December 1914 by the Welsh National Executive Committee. Moved
in January 1915 to Colwyn Bay and attached to 130th Brigade,
43rd Division.
29 April 1915 : formation renamed 115th Brigade, 38th
(Welsh) Division.
Moved to Hursley Park (Winchester)
in July 1915 but thence to Hazeley Down.
Landed at Le Havre on
4 December 1915.
27
February 1918 : disbanded in
France.
12th (Service) Battalion (3rd Gwent):
Formed at Newport in March
1915 by the Welsh National Executive Committee as
a Bantam Bn.
March 1915 : attached to Welsh Bantam Brigade. Moved in July 1915 to Prees Heath.
September 1915 : moved to Aldershot, where formation renamed 119th Brigade, 40th
Division.
Landed at Le Havre on 2 June 1916.
10 February 1918 : disbanded in
France.
13th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at St Asaph in
July 1915 as a Reserve Battalion. Moved in September to Kinmel
Park (Rhyl).
1 September 1916 : converted into 59th Battalion of 13th Reserve
Brigade of Training Reserve.
14th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed atPrees Heath in
September 1915 as a Reserve Battalion. Moved to Conway in October
1915 bit moved on to Kinmel Park (Rhyl) in January 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 65th Battalion of 14th Reserve
Brigade of Training Reserve.
15th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at North Walsham in June 1918 and next month absorbed the cadre of the 10th Cheshires.
Moved to Aldershot around September 1918 and possibly disbanded by November 1918.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
51st (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 230th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 58th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 12th (Reserve) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. A training unit based at Aldeburgh, it was part of 204th Brigade of 68th Division . By April 1918 it had moved to Stowlangtoft in Suffolk.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 282nd Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 57th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 9th (Reserve) Battalion of the South Wales Borderers. A training unit based at Patrickbourne near Canterbury, it was part of 201st Brigade in 67th Division. By anuary 1918 it had moved to Broadstarirs and in April went to Foxhall Heath (Ipswich)..
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 59th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. A basic recruit training unit based at Kinmel Park, it was part of 14th Reserve Brigade.
| Did you know? The 2nd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment is often remembered for its gallant "lone" advance to recapture Ghelvult at the height of a crisis on 31 October 1914. It could be argued that this action halted the enemy break through to the Channel Ports and saved the war for the Entente. A public space in the city of Worcester is to this day named Gheluvelt Park. It is much less well-known that the 1st South Wales Borderers also played a part in this action. The battalion has a memorial on the spot, right next to that of the Worcesters. |
This page is dedicated to the memory of Wiliam Spooner, a Special Reservist who served with the 1st Battalion and was taken prisoner - almost certainly on the Aisne in 1914; Arthur Edwards, a pre-war regular who re-enlisted at the age of 47 and became a Sergeant with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers; William Jospeh Garrett, a conscript posted to the 4th (Service) Battalion; and Joseph Henry Haighton, Sergeant with 7th (Service) Battalion.