Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire 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 Lichfield. Part of 18th Brigade, 6th Division. Moved on 7 August to Dunfermline then six days later to Cambridge. Landed St Nazaire (France) on 10 September 1914.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Malta. Returned
to England and landed at Southampton on 25 September 1914.
25 September 1914 : attached to 23rd Brigade, 8th Division,
forming up at Hursley Park near Winchester. Landed at Le Havre 5 November
1914.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in York. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved in August 1914 to Whitley Bay and played a part as Tyne Garrison.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in York. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved in August 1914 to Falmouth, going on in December 1915 to Redcar and in April 1916 to West Hartlepool, where it played a part as Tees Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in York.
Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on 10 August
to Selby, end of the month to Strenshall and late October to York.
In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
15 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 15 May 1915 : formation became 146th Brigade, 49th Division
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at York
on 28 September 1914.
1 March 1915 : attached to 185th Brigade, 62nd Division. Moved
on 1 March 1915 to Matlock and on in May to Thoresby Park, going on in October
1915 to Retford, November to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain and June
1916 to Somerleyton near Lowestoft. In October 1916 to Bedford and finally landed
at Le Havre in January 1917.
13 August 1918 : disbanded in France.
> Review of book about this battalion
1/6th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Bradford.
Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on 10 August
to Selby, end of the month to Strenshall and late October to York.
In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
15 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 15 May 1915 : formation became
146th Brigade, 49th Division
2/6th Battalion:
Formed at York,
28 September 1914.
1 March 1915 : attached to 185th Brigade, 62nd
Division. Moved on 1 March 1915 to Matlock and on in May to Thoresby
Park, going on in October 1915 to Retford, November to Newcastle, January
1916 to Salisbury Plain and June 1916 to Somerleyton near Lowestoft.
In October 1916 to Bedford and finally landed at Le Havre in January
1917.
31 January 1918 : disbanded in France
1/7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Carlton
Barracks, Leeds. Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division.
Moved on 10 August to Selby, end of the month to Strenshall and late
October to York. In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
15 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 15 May 1915 : formation became
146th Brigade, 49th Division
2/7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion:
Formed at Leeds,
15 September 1914.
1 March 1915 : attached to 185th Brigade, 62nd Division. Moved
on 1 March 1915 to Matlock and on in May to Thoresby Park, going on in October
1915 to Retford, November to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain and June
1916 to Somerleyton near Lowestoft. In October 1916 to Bedford and finally landed
at Le Havre in January 1917.
16 June 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
Cadre returned to England and was absorbed
into 18th York &
Lancs on 19 June 1918.
1/8th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Carlton
Barracks, Leeds. Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division.
Moved on 10 August to Selby, end of the month to Strenshall and late
October to York. In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
15 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 15 May 1915 : formation became
146th Brigade, 49th Division
30 January 1918 : transferred to 185th Brigade, 62nd Division, absorbing 2/8th Bn.
2/8th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion:
Formed at Leeds,
14 September 1914.
1 March 1915 : attached to 185th Brigade, 62nd Division. Moved
on 1 March 1915 to Matlock and on in May to Thoresby Park, going on in October
1915 to retford, November to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain and June
1916 to Somerleyton near Lowestoft. In October 1916 to Bedford and finally landed
at Le Havre in January 1917.
1 February 1918 : absorbed by 1/8th Bn.
3/5th to 3/8th Battalions:
Formed in York, Bradford
and Leeds (3/7 and 3/8th) in March 1915.
Became Reserve Battalions
on 8 April 1916, all being at Clipstone Camp in Nottinghamshire at
this time.
1 September 1916 : became
5th (3/5th absorbing 3/6th) and 7th (3/7th absorbing 3/ 8th) Reserve
Bns in West Riding Reserve Brigade. Moved to Rugeley on Cannock Chase
in October 1917. In summer 1918 5th Battalion moved to Suffolk and 7th Battalion
went to Ireland.
Battalions of the New Armies
9th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at York on 25
August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 32nd Brigade, 11th
(Northern) Division.
13 November 1917 : absorbed all 400 men of the 1/1/st Yorkshire
Hussars and became 9th (Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry) Bn.
10th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at York on 3 September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 50th Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division.
11th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at York on 10 October 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 69th Brigade, 23rd Division.
12th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at York on 16
September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 63rd
Brigade, 21st Division.
16 November 1915 : transferred to 9th Brigade, 3rd Division.
17 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Formed 10th
Entrenching Bn with 8th East Yorks.
13th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in York in October
1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 90th Brigade, original
30th Division.
April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion.
September 1916 : converted into 8th Battalion of 2nd Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve.
14th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed in Falmouth in November
1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 103rd Brigade,
original 34th Division.
April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion.
September 1916 : absorbed into other battalions of 3rd Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve.
15th (Service) Battalion (1st Leeds):
Formed in Leeds in September
1914 by the Lord Mayor and City.
June 1915 : attached to 93rd Brigade, 31st Division.
7 December 1917 : amalgamated with 17th Bn to form 15th/17th Bn.
16th (Service) Battalion (1st Bradford):
Formed in Bradford in
September 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City.
June 1915 : attached to 93rd Brigade, 31st Division.
15 February 1918: disbanded in France.
17th (Service) Battalion (2nd Leeds):
Formed in Leeds in December
1914 by the Lord Mayor and City, as a bantam Bn.
June 1915 : attached to106th Brigade, 35th Division.
16 November 1917 : left Division for XIX Corps on railway work.
Amalgamated with 15th Bn in December 1917.
18th (Service) Battalion (2nd Bradford):
Formed in Bradford,
January 1915, by the Lord Mayor and City.
June 1915 : attached to 93rd Brigade, 31st Division.
15 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
> Extract from battalion war diary
19th and 20th (Reserve) Battalions:
Formed at Clipstone Camp,
August 1915 as local Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916 : became 88th and 89th Battalions in 21st Reserve Brigade of
the Training
Reserve
21st (Service) Battalion (Wool Textile Pioneers):
Formed in Halifax, 24
September 1915, by the Lord Mayor and City of Leeds.
June 1916 : moved to France. 21 June 1916 : attached to 4th
Division as Pioneers.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
22nd (Labour) Battalion:
Formed April 1916 at Millington. Moved to France in May 1916 and was attached to Fifth Army as Army Troops. Became 18th and 19th Labour Companies, Labour Corps in May 1917.
23rd Battalion:
Formed at Aldeburgh in June 1918 but was soon absorbed into 13th Battalion.
1st (Garrison) Battalion:
Formed in August 1915 then to Malta where it remained throughout the war.
2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion:
Formed March 1916, remaining
in UK throughout the war.
Became 7th Bn, Royal Defence Corps in August 1917.
51st (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 242nd 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 Clipstone Camp, it was part of 207th Brigade in 69th Division. By May 1918 it had moved to Thoresby but by September 1918 had returned to Clipstone.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 277th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 9th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment. A training unit based at Clipstone Camp, it was part of 207th Brigade in 69th Division. By May 1918 it had moved to Thoresby but by September 1918 had returned to Clipstone.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion:
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 6th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 13th (Reserve) Battalion of this regiment (i.e. the West Yorks). A basic recruit training unit based at Rugeley Camp on Cannock Chase, it was part of 2nd Reserve Brigade. In early 1918 it made the very short move to Brocton Camp but by September 1918 joined the regiment's Graduated Battalions at Clipstone Camp.
| Did you know? In 1958 the West Yorks was amalgamated with the East Yorks to form the one-battalion Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, which in June 2006 was merged with others to form the Yorkshire Regiment. This is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure. The direct descendants of the West Yorks of the 1914-1918 war now serve in the 1st (Prince of Wales's) Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. It is currently appropriately based at Somme Barracks at Catterick . |