Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Worcestershire 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 Cairo. Returned to England,
landing at Liverpool 16 October 1914.
16 October 1914 : attached to 24th Brigade, 8th Division. Moved
to Hursley Park (Winchester). Landed
at Le Havre 6 November1914.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Aldershot. Part of 5th Brigade, 2nd
Division. Landed at Boulogne 14 August 1914.
20 December 1915 : transferred to 100th Brigade, 33rd Division.
3rd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Tidworth. Part of 7th Brigade, 3rd
Division. Landed at Rouen 16 August 1914.
18 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 25th Division.
10 November 1915 : transferred to 74th Brigade, 25th Division.
22 June 1918 : transferred to 57th Brigade, 19th Division,
absorbing 10th Bn.
4th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Meiktila, Burma. Returned to
England, landing at Avonmouth 1 February 1915.
February 1915 : attached
to 88th Brigade, 29th Division. Sailed from
Avonmouth 21 March 1915 for Gallipoli, going via Egypt.
5th and 6th (Reserve)
Battalions:
August 1914 : in Worcester. Depot/training units, they remained in
UK throughout the war. Moved on mobilisation
to Plymouth and on to Harwich in autmun 1917 for duty with Harwich
Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/7th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Kidderminster.
Part of Gloucester and Worcester Brigade, South Midland Division.
Moved on mobilisation to Swindon but very quickly on to Maldon in
Essex.
31 March 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became the 144th Brigade, 48th
Division.
2/7th Battalion:
Formed at Kidderminster in September
1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
January 1915 : attached to 2nd Gloucester & Worcester Brigade,
2nd South Midland Division, at Northampton. Moved to Chelmsford in
April 1915 and on to Salisbury Plain in February 1916. Landed in France
on 24 May 1916.
August 1915 : formation became 183rd Brigade, 61st
Division.
6 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
1/8th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Worcester.
Part of Gloucester and Worcester Brigade, South Midland Division.
Moved on mobilisation to Swindon but very quickly on to Maldon in
Essex.
31 March 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became the 144th Brigade, 48th
Division.
17 September 1918 : transferred to 75th
Brigade, 25th Division.
2/8th Battalion:
Formed at Worcester in September
1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
January 1915 : attached to 2nd Gloucester & Worcester Brigade,
2nd South Midland Division, at Northampton. Moved to Chelmsford in
April 1915 and on to Salisbury Plain in February 1916. Landed in France
on 24 May 1916.
August 1915 : formation became 183rd Brigade, 61st
Division.
11 February 1918 : transferred to 182nd
Brigade, 61st Division.
3/7th and 3/7th Battalions:
Formed at Worcester in April
1915 as depot/training ("third line") units. Moved to Weston-super-Mare.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Bns at Salisbury Plain and 7th then absorbed
8th on 1 September 1916. Moved to Cheltenham
in October 1916, Catterick in March 1917, Blyth in summer 1917
and finally Newcastle in 1918 for duty with Tyne Garrison.
Battalions of the New Armies
9th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Worcester in August
1914 as part of K1 and attached to 39th Brigade, 13th
(Western) Division. Moved to Tidworth but by January 1915 was
in billets in Basingstoke. Moved to Blackdown (Aldershot) in February
1915. Sailed from Avonmouth on 24 June 1915 and landed on Gallipoli
next month.
July 1918 : Brigade transferred to North Persia Force.
10th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Bristol in September
1914 as part of K2 and attached to 57th Brigade, 19th
(Western) Division. Moved to Salisbury Plain and in March
1915 to Tidworth. Landed in France 19 July 1915.
22 June 1918 : reduced to cadre strength,
most personnel going to 3rd Bn.
28 June 1918 : cadre attached to 121st Brigade, 40th Division.
10 July 1918 : absorbed by 17th Bn.
11th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Worcester in September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 78th Brigade, 26th Division. Moved to Sherrington but by November 1914 was in billets inWorcester. Moved to Longbridge Deverill in April 1915 and landed in France 21 September 1915. Moved to Salonika in November 1915.
12th and 13th (Reserve) Battalions:
Formed in Plymouth
in November 1914 as Service Battalions of K4 and attached to 98th
Brigade, original 33rd Division. Moved to Plymouth (12th, but by
January 1915 this battalion was at Fowey) and Looe (13th).
10 April 1915 : became Reserve battalions. Moved to Wareham. By July
1916 12th was at Swanage.
1 September 1916 : 13th Bn converted into 46th Battalion of 10th Reserve
Brigade of Training Reserve and
12th Bn absorbed into same brigade.
14th (Service) Battalion (Severn Valley Pioneers):
Formed at Worcester on 10 September
1915 by Lieut-Col. H. Webb, MP. Adopted by War Office in March 1916. Moved
to Larkhill and Codford.
Landed
at Le Havre 21 June 1916 and attached
to 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
15th and 16th (Transport Workers) Battalions:
Formed in Swindon in December
1916 and Bristol in March 1917.
Remained in UK throughout the war.
17th (Service) Battalion:
28 June 1918 : Formed in Hazebrouck from 17th (Garrison) Bn - which had formerly been the 1st Garrison Guard Bn - and at the same time absorbing the cadres of both the 10th Bn and the 12th Yorkshire Regiment. June 1918 : became Pioneer Bn to 40th Division.
1st (Reserve) Garrison Battalion:
Formed in Portsmouth in January 1916. Moved to Ryde in 1917, returned to Portsmouth early 1918 and by June was at Dublin.
 Did you know? The
memorial to the 2nd Battalion, in Gheluvelt near Ypres, commemorates
the action of this unit 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. |
This page is dedicated to the memory of Albert Edward Renyard of the 3rd Battalion, killed in action the age of 19 on 10 April 1918; Thomas Crump who died while serving with 1st Battalion on 6 June 1918; Walter John Jackson killed in action at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915 while with 4th Battalion; Job Fellows of 2nd Battalion, killed at the age of 25 on 1 November 1916; John Heath, a "Derby Scheme" recruit who served with 2nd Battalion; and Harry James Rowe of 2nd Battalion, reported killed at the age of 22 on 26 September 1917.