1st Sussex Rifle Volunteers
1st Sussex Rifle Volunteers 1st Volunteer Bn, Royal Sussex Regiment 6th (Cyclist) Bn, Royal Sussex Regiment | |
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Active | 23 November 1859–29 December 1919 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Volunteer Force/Territorial Force |
Role | Infantry Bicycle infantry |
Size | 1–3 Battalions |
Garrison/HQ | Brighton |
Engagements |
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The 1st Sussex Rifle Volunteers was a part-time unit of the
Volunteer Force
An invasion scare in 1859 led to the emergence of the
Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the
The Childers Reforms of 1881 took Cardwell's reforms further, the linked battalions becoming county regiments to which the Volunteers were formally affiliated. The 35th and 107th became the Royal Sussex Regiment on 1 July 1881, the 1st Sussex RVC becoming its 1st Volunteer Battalion (VB), but without changing its title.[4][5][7][6]
The late Victorian era saw a craze for cycling and the Volunteer Force took a leading role in developing the new Safety bicycle for military use. In April 1885 the 1st Sussex RVC was the first to raise a scout section using bicycles.[9] The battalion raised its seventh and eighth companies in 1886, and officially changed its name to 1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment in February 1887.[4][5][6]
While Cardwell's sub-districts were often referred to as 'brigades', they were purely administrative organisations and the Volunteers were excluded from the 'mobilisation' part of the scheme. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 proposed a more comprehensive Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training.[10][11][12] Under this scheme the 1st Sussex formed part of the Dover Brigade, later entitled the South Eastern Brigade, before the Royal Sussex VBs formed their own Sussex Brigade at the end of the 1890s. This became the Sussex and Kent Brigade in the early 1900s.[7]
Second Boer War
After Black Week in December 1899, the Volunteers were invited to send active service units to assist the Regulars in the Second Boer War. The War Office decided that one company 116 strong could be recruited from the volunteer battalions of any infantry regiment that had a regular battalion serving in South Africa. The Royal Sussex's VBs accordingly raised a service company that joined the 1st Battalion, replaced by a second contingent after a year, and earned the volunteer battalions their first Battle honour: South Africa 1900–02.[7][6][13]
There was a general expansion of the Volunteers in 1900, and the 1st VB raised a ninth company.[5][6] In addition, three school Cadet Corps were affiliated to the battalion: Brighton College in 1900, Christ's Hospital in 1904 and Cottesmore School (later Brighton College Preparatory School) in 1905.[5][7]
Territorial Force
When the
What remained of the battalion was then converted on 21 November 1911 into the 6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex, consisting of headquarters (HQ) and A-H Companies.
The cyclist battalions were not included in the TF's main divisional structure but were instead given the role of using their mobility to defend vulnerable sectors of the coastline and to maintain communications between the static defence units.[21] The 6th Bn Royal Sussex fulfilled this role in Eastern Command.[7][18]
World War I
Mobilisation
The battalion mobilised at Brighton on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, still under the command of Lt-Col Cecil Clarke.[4][7][22] Shortly afterwards, TF units were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later 3rd Line units were created to train reinforcements for the 1st and 2nd lines.[23]
1/6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex
From August 1914 to the end of 1915 the battalion served in coast defence in Norfolk as 'Army Troops' attached to the 1st Mounted Division, with battalion HQ at Holt.[22][24][25][26] During this period the cyclist battalions with 1st Mtd Division operated as dispersed companies. In line with their pre-war training they prepared all the important road and rail bridges for demolition to impede an invading force, manned coastal lookout stations, and mounted guards on important infrastructure locations such as ports and oil tanks. In the prevailing mood of 'spy fever' they were also alert for possible espionage.[27] On 14 July 1915 the battalion's remaining Home Service men were sent to join the 9th Provisional Brigade (see below).[4]
In July 1916 the Yeomanry of the 1st Mtd Division were converted to cyclists and the original cyclist battalions ceased to be attached. 1/6th Royal Sussex moved to St Leonards-on-Sea on the South Coast as part of the General Reserve. By March 1917 it was at Folkestone. In July 1917 it was at Wingham, Kent, attached to the reformed 1st Mtd Division.[22][24][25][26][28]
Early in 1918 the battalion was sent to Tralee in Ireland, where it was attached to the 6th Cyclist Brigade. By August it was at Limerick, where it remained until the end of the war.[22][24]
2/6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex
The 2/6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex, was mobilised at Brighton on 26 October 1914 under the temporary command of Maj C.V. Johnson. It moved to its war station at Southwold, Suffolk, on 12 March 1915 and deployed in the Centre Sub Section, Coast Defences, with one company detached at Dunwich, one at Wrentham and one at Southwold Fish Market. It was attached to 1st Mounted Division for operations, coordinating with the infantry of 2nd Welsh Border Brigade, 2nd Welsh Division. The battalion began a routine of training, trench digging, and road and railway patrols.[4][22][24][29]
On the night of 15/16 April
In November 1915 the 2/6th Royal Sussex under Lt-Col F.W. Johnson,
India
2/6th Sussex were stationed at Cornwallis Barracks in Bangalore, two companies later exchanging with two companies from 1/1st Kents at Hebbal Camp outside the city. At the beginning of December 1916 the brigade entrained for a six-day journey to a camp at Burhan, north of Rawalpindi. Here it was broken up and its individual units joined different brigades of 16th Indian Division, which was being assembled there. 2/6th Royal Sussex and 1/1st Kents joined 44th (Ferozepore) Brigade in February 1917. The division began training for mountain warfare on the North-West Frontier. However, training was abruptly stopped on 4 March when 44th Bde was sent to join a field force in South Waziristan.[29] [33][35][36][37]
At the beginning of December 1916 the brigade entrained for a six-day journey to a camp at Burhan, north of Rawalpindi. Here the brigade was broken up and its individual units joined different brigades of 16th Indian Division, which was being assembled there. 2/6th Royal Sussex and 1/1st Kents joined 44th (Ferozepore) Brigade in February. The division began training for mountain warfare on the North-West Frontier. However, training was abruptly stopped when 44th Bde was sent to join a field force in South Waziristan.[33][38][37]
Waziristan 1917
The South Waziristan Field Force was mobilised at
Next the
For many of the men in the field force, there as a long period of convalescence before they were fit for further service. In 81 days' campaigning 2/6th Sussex had lost 8 men killed or died of disease, 18 evacuated wounded and 415 evacuated sick. The division was reorganised and 2/6th Royal Sussex moved to 43rd Indian Brigade in August. In March 1918 2/6th Royal Sussex went to Lahore, which was within the division's area of responsibility, and remained there throughout the year.[29][37][44][45]
Waziristan 1919
Although World War I had ended in November 1918, 2/6th Royal Sussex was still stationed on the North-West Frontier when 16th Indian Division was mobilised in May 1919 on the outbreak of the
3/6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex
The role of 3rd Line battalions was to provide drafts for the 1st or 2nd Line battalions serving overseas; most had been formed early in 1915, but 2/6th Royal Sussex did not leave until February 1916. The 3/6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex, was then formed during 1916 at Purfleet in Essex. The battalion only had a short existence: on 1 September 1916 it was absorbed into 4th (Reserve) Battalion, which combined the 3rd Lines of the 4th, 5th and 6th Bns Royal Sussex.[4][22]
9th Provisional Cyclist Company
From May 1915 the remaining Home Service men of the TF were withdrawn from their units and formed into brigades of coast defence battalions, termed Provisional Battalions from June. The home service details of 1/6th Royal Sussex were withdrawn on 4 July, and on 8 September the 113 men were ordered to join two platoons (64 men) from
Disbandment
The remaining units of 6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment were disbanded at Brighton at the end of 1919, the 2/6th Bn on 15 December and the 1/6th Bn on 29 December. The battalion was not reformed when the TF was reconstituted the following year.[4][6]
A new 6th Battalion, Royal Sussex, was formed in May 1939 as a duplicate of the 4th Battalion.[4]
Honorary colonels
The following served as honorary colonel of the unit:[7]
- R. Moorsom, founding captain, appointed 17 October 1863
- Maj-Gen Earl De La Warr, appointed 22 April 1867, died 23 April 1873
- Henry Penton, former CO, appointed 3 May 1879
- H. Verrall, VD, former CO, appointed 24 May 1884
See also
Notes
- ^ Beckett.
- ^ Spiers, pp. 163–8.
- ^ Beckett, Appendix VII.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Frederick, p. 210.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Westlake, pp. 233–6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 6th (Cyclist) Bn, Royal Sussex at Regiments.org.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Army List, various dates.
- ^ Spiers, pp. 195–6.
- ^ Beckett, pp. 200–1.
- ^ Beckett, pp. 135, 185–6.
- ^ Dunlop, pp. 60–1; Appendix A.
- ^ Spiers, pp. 228–9.
- ^ Beckett, p. 213.
- ^ Beckett, pp. 247–53.
- ^ Dunlop, Chapter 14.
- ^ Spiers, Chapter 10.
- ^ London Gazette 20 March 1908.
- ^ a b Conrad.
- ^ a b c Anon, London Cyclists, p. 136.
- ^ Brighton at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, p. 106.
- ^ a b c d e f g h James, pp. 78–9.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e f Royal Sussex at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b c Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 1–7.
- ^ a b c 1st Mtd Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 107–15.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 19–26.
- ^ a b c d e f g 2/6th Bn War Diary at West Sussex Council.
- ^ Morris, pp. 32, 178.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 83–90.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 123–31.
- ^ a b c d e f Becke, Pt 2b, p. 3.
- ^ Bristow, p. 39.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 131–7.
- ^ Bristow, pp. 45–55.
- ^ a b c d Perry, pp. 137–40.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 131–7.
- ^ Bristow, pp. 55–61.
- ^ a b Chenevix-Trench, pp. 28–9.
- ^ Robson, pp. 161–2.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 137–60.
- ^ Robson, pp. 162–4.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 160–4.
- ^ Bristow, p. 92.
- ^ Anon, London Cyclists, pp. 184–209.
- ^ Robson, pp. 86, 93, 100, 168, 179.
- ^ 9th Provisional Cyclist Company War Diary, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/5458.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 111–6.
References
- Anon, The London Cyclist Battalion, London: 25th London Cyclist Old Comrade's Association/Forster Groom, 1932.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-739-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-739-8.
- Ian F.W. Beckett, Riflemen Form: A Study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, ISBN 0-85936-271-X.
- Cyril Bristow, History of the Kent Cyclist Battalion, Territorial Force, 1908–1920, Hildenborough: Kent Cyclist Battalions Old Comrades & Sons Association, 1986.
- ISBN 0-19-285164-0.
- Col John K. Dunlop, The Development of the British Army 1899–1914, London: Methuen, 1938.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- Brig E.A. James, British Regiments 1914–18, London: Samson Books, 1978/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
- Capt Joseph Morris, The German Air Raids on Great Britain 1914–1918, first published 1925/Stroud: Nonsuch, 2007, ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
- Brian Robson, Crisis on the Frontier: The Third Afghan War and the Campaign in Waziristan 1919–20, Staplehurst: Spellmount, 2004, ISBN 978-1-86227-211-8.
- Edward M. Spiers, The Army and Society 1815–1914, London: Longmans, 1980, ISBN 0-582-48565-7.
- Ray Westlake, Tracing the Rifle Volunteers, Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84884-211-3.