4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
2nd Surrey Rifle Volunteer Corps 4th Battalion, Queen's Regiment 63rd (Queen's) Searchlight Regiment 127th (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 598 (4th Bn Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment | |
---|---|
Active | 16 June 1859–1 May 1961 |
Country | Air Defence |
Garrison/HQ | Croydon |
Engagements |
|
The 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (4th Queen's) was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 to 1961. Beginning from small independent units recruited in the South London suburbs, it was attached to the
Origins
An invasion scare in 1859 led to the emergence of the
Under the scheme of 'localisation' introduced by the Cardwell Reforms in 1873,[12][13] the Surrey RVCs, together with the Surrey Militia were grouped into two 'sub-districts' alongside the Regular regiments in the county. The 2nd Surrey RVC was assigned to Sub-District No. 48 with the 2nd Foot (The Queen's Royal Regiment). While the sub-districts were referred to as 'brigades', they were purely administrative organisations and the Volunteers were excluded from the 'mobilisation' part of the Cardwell system, though they carried out joint manoeuvres, and the Surrey RVCs were assigned a role in the garrison of Sheerness Dockyard.[10][14]
Under the Childers Reforms, the unit became a Volunteer Battalion (VB) of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) ('The Queen's') on 1 July 1881 and was redesignated as the regiment's 1st VB on 1 March 1883.[3][4][10][6][15]
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 time of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training.[16][17] Under this scheme the Volunteer Battalions of the Surrey regiments formed the Surrey Brigade, the assembly point for which was at Caterham Barracks, the Brigade of Guards' depot conveniently situated for the London Defence Positions along the North Downs.[10]
2nd Boer War
Members of the 1st VB served in the Volunteer Company sent to augment the Regulars of the Queen's in South Africa during the Second Boer War. This was the first time the Volunteers had fought alongside the Regulars, gaining the battalion its first Battle honour: South Africa 1900–1902. The company was commanded by Captain De La Mare of 1st VB and joined the 2nd Battalion on 12 April 1900. During May and June the battalion fought in the Biggarsberg and Drakensberg mountains, including a brisk action to capture Alleman's Nek.[4][18]
By 1900 the 1st VB had 10 companies, reducing to nine in 1903 (seven at Croydon and one each at Crystal Palace and Caterham).[4][10][6][19] In the reorganisation after the end of the war in 1902, separate East and West Surrey Brigades were formed, under command of the respective regimental districts.[10]
Territorial Force
When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,[20][21] the battalion became the 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), forming part of the Surrey Brigade in the Home Counties Division.[3][4][22][23][24][25][26]
First World War
Mobilisation
On the outbreak of war, TF units were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. 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.[27]
On mobilisation, the majority of the men of the Home Counties Division accepted liability for overseas service and it was sent to India to relieve Regular troops. The Home Service-only men, together with the recruits who were flooding in, remained at the depots to form 2nd-Line battalions. Thus when the 1/4th Queen's sailed for India on 30 October, the 2/4th Bn was forming at Croydon. Subsequently, 3/4th and 4/4th Battalions were formed in June and July 1915.[3][7][23][24][25][26]
1/4th Battalion
India
The Home Counties Division disembarked at
2/4th Battalion
The 2/4th Battalion was attached to
Gallipoli
The 53rd Division was destined as reinforcements for the
2/4th Queen's was relieved on the night of 12 August and rejoined the rest of its brigade at the beach. On 18 August two companies went forward to the front line to support with rifle fire an attack by
Palestine
From Mudros the 53rd Division was shipped to Alexandria, and began a long period of rest and recuperation guarding the Nile Valley in Egypt. When the Turks attacked the Suez Canal defences in August 1916, leading to the Battle of Romani, only part of 53rd Division was actually engaged, but the 4th Queen's was later awarded the battle honours Rumani and Egypt 1915–1916.[7][23][32][30][37]
The British opened the
A
There followed a pause of several months while the EEF was reorganised. The
By early December the EEF was working round Jerusalem. 2/4th Queen's, ordered to capture the hills at Beit Jala on 8 December, advanced under accurate shellfire, but found the position unoccupied. The city fell the following day.[7][44]
On 21 December, 160th Brigade carried out a minor operation near Jericho. At 05.00 three companies of 2/4th Queens captured a Turkish post, and the Turks fell back to 'White Hill'. A company of 2/4th Queen's, together with one of 2/10th Middlesex Regiment, took this position after fierce close fighting with bombs, bayonets, and clubbed rifles.[45] On 27 December the Turks made a strong counter-attack towards Jerusalem; although 2/4th Queen's withdrew from White Hill, its machine guns prevented the Turks from holding it in force, and it was reoccupied during the night.[46]
During the subsequent operations in the
French command
However, the success of the German spring offensive on the Western Front demanded urgent reinforcements from Palestine for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).[48] 2/4th Queen's left 53rd Division on 31 May 1918, sailed from Alexandria on 15 June and after landing at Taranto it proceeded by rail to Proven in Flanders, arriving on 30 June and joining 101st Brigade in 34th Division.[7][23][32][49][50]
34th Division had been virtually destroyed in the Spring battles, and was being reconstituted with battalions from Palestine. As soon as this was complete it was to be sent to reinforce the French sector of the front. When the Germans launched the last effort of their Spring Offensive on 15 July (the Second Battle of the Marne), the division was diverted and by the evening of 18 July was concentrated round Senlis. The infantry were then moved up by lorry and by 03.00 on 23 July had completed the relief of a French division in the front line.[49][51]
The 34th Division immediately joined in the French counter-attack (the
By 29 July the division had shifted position to attack again and capture Beugneux Ridge. 2/4th Queen's attacked on a two-company front in the first line of 101st Brigade. Starting at 04.10 the battalion pushed forward through a German defensive barrage that included Tear gas, and had progressed over a mile by 06.00, when a halt was made. But when the follow-up battalions passed through to continue the attack, the morning fog had lifted and they were stopped.[53] The attack was renewed on 1 August, 2/4th Queen's once again in the lead, though now weak in numbers and obliged to put in three companies to complete the first line. Nevertheless, the attack launched in fog and smoke at 04.49 had achieved its objectives by 06.00. After the battle, the division entrained to return to the British front.[54]
Hundred Days Offensive
34th Division attacked on the first day of the
The division was then in reserve until the
The division was withdrawn into reserve on 1 November, and was still refitting and training when the
2/4th Battalion absorbed the 53rd (Service) Battalion of the Queen's (see below) in April 1919, but was disbanded on 26 October that year.[3]
3/4th Battalion
The residue of the 2/4th Battalion continued in 200th (2/1st Surrey) Bde in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division until it was redesignated 3/4th Bn and reformed at
Western Front
The battalion disembarked at
21st Division was engaged in the Battle of Polygon Wood on 29 September, but the inexperienced 3/4th Queen's did not make its first attack until the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October. Despite the general success of the limited attack the battalion lost nearly half its strength.[7][59][60] The division was then sent in as reinforcements to try to stem the devastating series of German counter-attacks that ended the Battle of Cambrai on 2–3 December 1917.[59]
Disbandment
By now the BEF was suffering a critical manpower shortage, and on 11 February 1918 3/4th Queen's was disbanded. A large draft was sent to reinforce 7th Queen's serving in 18th (Eastern) Division while the transport went to 8th Division. The residue of the battalion went to 20th Entrenching Bn, which carried out railway construction but was sucked into the fighting during the German Spring Offensive.[3][7][23][59][61][62]
4/4th Battalion
Unusually, the 4th Queen's formed a 4th-Line battalion (4/4th). This was raised at Croydon in July 1915, and by September was at Windsor. In October it moved to
19th Battalion
In 1915, when the 2nd Line of the TF was being readied for overseas service, the men who had signed up only for Home Service were separated and formed into provisional battalions. 69th Provisional Battalion (The Queen's) was formed on 19 June 1915 at Tunbridge Wells by amalgamating the Home Service men of the 3/4th and 2/5th Queen's. After working on coast defences the battalion moved to
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion
This battalion was raised on 22 September 1914 at
1st Volunteer Battalion
Croydon also raised a 'town guard' battalion of part-time volunteers in August 1914, known as the Croydon Riflemen. It was affiliated to the Volunteer Training Corps (VTC) on 20 February 1915 and became the 1/1st Battalion (Croydon) Surrey Volunteer Training Corps on 8 March. The Volunteers practised on miniature rifle ranges and drilled twice-weekly, some at the Mitcham Road Barracks of 4th Queen's. From 1915 to 1917 the unit constructed some of the trenches of the Outer London Defences at Caterham. In 1917 the battalion was given responsibility for guarding part of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and in 1918 it manned anti-aircraft searchlight stations in Croydon during air raids. In May 1916 the VTCs were brought under the County Territorial Associations, and the unit became the 1st Battalion, Surrey Volunteer Regiment, then on 1 March 1918 the 1st (Croydon) and 12th (Norbury) Surrey Bns merged to become 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), virtually recreating the pre-1908 title and role of the 4th Queen's. The unit was stood down by 31 October 1919.[72]
3rd Afghan War
Having served in India throughout the First World War without seeing serious service, the 1/4th Queen's (now just 4th Queen's) was involved in the Third Anglo-Afghan War, serving in the Peshawar area in May 1919 when the city was surrounded by a cordon of British and Indian troops to prevent a pro-Afghan rising.[73][74][28] The battalion received the Afghanistan 1919 battle honour.[75]
Interwar years
When the TF was reformed on 7 February 1920 the 4th Queen's was reconstituted at Mitcham Road Barracks, once more forming part of 131st (Surrey) Brigade in 44th (Home Counties) Division. The TF was reorganised as the
During the 1930s the increasing need for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, particularly for London, was addressed by converting a number of TA infantry battalions into AA units. In 1938 the 4th Queen's was converted to the searchlight (S/L) role, adopting the subsidiary title of 63rd Searchlight Regiment, and numbering its companies 438–440. It formed part of 47 AA Brigade in 5 AA Division.[3][78][28][79][80][81][82]
Second World War
63rd (Queen's) Searchlight Regiment
Mobilisation
The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the
47 AA Brigade's role was to provide S/L coverage of Hampshire, supporting the AA guns of the Southampton Gun Defence Area.[80][85][86][87] However, on 5 November 439 S/L Bty was detached to come under the command of 98th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Bristol, deploying 24 teams armed with Lewis guns to defend Avonmouth Docks. These detachments were withdrawn 22–24 February 1940 and went to Plymouth.[88] By the Spring of 1940, 63 S/L Rgt HQ was at Bentley, Hampshire. In April 1940 the newly formed 474 S/L Bty arrived from the West of England and was attached to 63rd S/L Rgt. This battery took over the S/L layout in the Kings Worthy area controlled by RAF Tangmere, with Battery HQ at Winton Lodge, later at Worthy Park. Some of the new 150 cm S/Ls were delivered in April 1940 to supplement the older 90 cm lights.[89]
Battle of Britain
From the beginning of June there were almost nightly alerts as the Battle of Britain got under way, and on the night of 18/19 June several Luftwaffe bombers were picked up by searchlights of 63rd Rgt and destroyed by AA guns and night fighters.[89]
On 3 July 1940, 3rd (Ulster) S/L Rgt, just returned from the Dunkirk evacuation, took over control of 474 S/L Bty and the Kings Worthy layout.[89] Later, another newly formed battery, 524 S/L Bty, was assigned to 63rd S/L Rgt.[90]
On 1 August 1940 all the converted searchlight units were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA) and their companies were redesignated 'batteries'. The 4th Queen's became 63rd (Queen's) Searchlight Regiment, but was awarded the privilege of retaining its Queen's regimental cap badge and buttons.[3][78][28][81][85][91][92]
Southampton was attacked by daylight on 13 August[93] and several times in September.[94] However, the night bombing Bitz, starting in September, saw the S/L units fully engaged, with three big raids on Southampton in November and more in December and January 1941.[95][96][97]
The S/L layouts had initially been based on a spacing of 3,500 yards (3,200 m), but due to equipment shortages this had been extended to 6,000 yards (5,500 m) by September 1940. In November this was changed to clusters of three lights to improve illumination, but this meant that the clusters had to be spaced 10,400 yards (9,500 m) apart. The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with Searchlight Control (SLC) radar and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply.[98][99]
A new 524 Bty joined the regiment on 14 November 1940. This had been formed at 232 S/L Training Rgt at
Mid-War
The Blitz is considered to have ended in mid-May 1941, though periodic raids continued, such that against Southampton in July.[100] By October 1941 the availability of SLC radar was sufficient to allow AA Command's S/L sites to be 'declustered' into single-light sites spaced at 10,400-yard intervals in 'Indicator Belts' in the approaches to the GDAs, and 'Killer Belts' at 6000-yard spacing to cooperate with the RAF's night-fighters.[101]
In the autumn of 1941 the regiment transferred to
127th (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
However, AA Command had a critical shortage of Light AA gun (LAA) units, and had begun a process of converting some S/L units to the role.[103] 63rd (Queen's) was one of the regiments chosen for conversion, becoming 127th (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in February, with 397, 439, 440 and 524 S/L Btys becoming 416, 439, 440 and 420 LAA Btys respectively.[3][78][80][81][85][91][102][104] [105]
Initially, the new regiment returned to 38 LAA Bde after training, though 440 LAA Bty was attached to
In early December 1942, the regiment transferred from 64 AA Bde to 67 AA Bde in 3 AA Group, which had taken over 8 AA Division's responsibilities.[108][109]
It moved again to 51 LAA Bde in 6 AA Group in Scotland in April 1943, with 420 LAA Bty remaining directly attached to 3 AA Group for a few weeks before rejoining. However, soon afterwards the regiment mobilised on a three-battery establishment for overseas service (420 Bty remaining with 51 AA Bde, transferring to 85 LAA Rgt on 11 June 1943) and joined 21st Army Group preparing for the planned Allied invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). The regiment was designated as a Base & Port Defences unit.[104][109][110][111]
Normandy
127th LAA Regiment's role in the Normandy landings was to defend the artificial
The first caissons and blockships sailed on D-Day itself, and 76 AA Bde reported that seven Phoenixes and three Corncobs manned by 127 LAA Rgt had been successfully sunk in place on 11 June. By 16 June, 17 LAA guns on Phoenixes and four on Corncobs were ready for action. In the early stages, the only casualty was one Phoenix that overturned, tipping its crew into the water. Luftwaffe day and night attacks over the beachhead were common, but not particularly effective. Assembly of the artificial harbour at
As the land campaign progressed, 127th LAA Rgt continued to protect the vital Mulberry, latterly with HMS Adventure replacing Despatch. By the end of August, once 21st Army Group had broken out of the Normandy bridgehead, 105 AA Bde arrived to take over command of some of the AA units in the bridgehead, including 127th LAA Rgt.[114][116]
Antwerp
105 AA Brigade and 127th LAA Rgt were withdrawn from the Normandy Base Area between 5 and 14 October, and moved up to reinforce the AA defences of
The regiment remained in the
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the regiment was reformed at Croydon as 598 (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. The full subsidiary title (4th Bn The Queen's Regiment) was added in about 1950–51, when the regiment adopted a supplementary shoulder title of 'QUEEN'S' in white on a red backing worn below the RA shoulder title. 598 LAA Regiment formed part of 106 AA Brigade (TA), based at Kingston upon Thames. When AA Command was disbanded in 1955, 598 LAA Regiment merged with two other Surrey units, 565 (Surrey) LAA/SL Regiment at Kingston, and 566 (City of London Rifles) LAA Regiment, at Sutton, to form a new 565th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment at Sutton in 30 AA Bde with the following organisation:[3][78][81][76][104][121][122][123][124][125]
- P (City of London Rifles) Bty
- Q (4th Queen's) Bty
- R (Surrey) Bty
- S (City of London Rifles) Bty
In 1961 a further reorganisation saw 565 Regiment converted back to infantry and merged with 5th and 6th Queen's to form 3rd (V) Battalion in the new
Honorary Colonels
The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:[10]
- William Monson, 1st Viscount Oxenbridge, appointed 18 March 1882
- Sir Frederick Edridge, appointed 7 April 1906
- Colonel Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe, CB, TD, appointed 12 July 1922
- J.M. Newnham, OBE, appointed 19 October 1927 (former CO of the 1st Surrey VB of the VTC).
Battle Honours
The 4th Queen's was awarded the following Battle honours:[10][30]
- Second Boer War: South Africa 1900–1902
- First World War: North West Frontier 1916–1917, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Rumani, Egypt 1915–1916, Marne 1918, Soissonais, Ourgq, Gaza, El Musha, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell Asur, Palestine 1917–1918, Ypres 1917, Broodseinde, Passchendaele 1917, Cambrai, France and Flanders 1914–1918.
The Royal Artillery does not carry battle honours, so none were awarded to the battalion for service during the Second World War
Memorials
A pair of brass plaques in the entrance to Croydon Town Hall list the names of 103 residents of the town who served in the Second Boer War with 1st VB The Queen's. A wooden panel was set up in the foyer of the town hall in 1953, which gives a potted history of the battalion including its changes of title, battle honours, and service during the Second World War.[30]
A war memorial to 4th Queens in the form of a carved oak screen was erected in 1922 in Croydon Parish Church (
Notes
- ^ Beckett.
- ^ Spiers, pp. 163–8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Frederick, pp. 197–9.
- ^ a b c d e f Westlake, p. 228.
- ^ Beckett, Appendix VII.
- ^ a b c d Volunteers at Queens Royal Surreys
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Haswell, pp. 122–4.
- ^ Croydon at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ Croydon at Stepping Forward London.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Army List, various dates.
- ^ Cadets at Queens Royal Surreys
- ^ Beckett, pp. 129–32.
- ^ Spiers pp. 177–200.
- ^ Training Depots, 1873–1881 at Regiments.org.
- ^ Beckett, pp. 133–34.
- ^ Beckett, pp. 135, 185–6.
- ^ Dunlop, pp. 60–1.
- ^ Haswell, p. 118.
- ^ Leslie.
- ^ Dunlop, Chapter 14.
- ^ Spiers, Chapter 10.
- ^ London Gazette 20 March 1908.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m James, pp. 43–4.
- ^ a b c Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 49–54.
- ^ a b c d e f g Queen's at Long, Long Trail
- ^ a b c "Queen's at Regimental Warpath". Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Queen's Shrine, Croydon Parish Church, at Queen's Royal Surreys". Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ Perry, pp. 35–8, 55–8, 99–110, 137–40.
- ^ a b c d IWM War Memorials Register ref 862.
- ^ a b c Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 75–82.
- ^ a b c d e Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 117–23.
- ^ Aspinall-Oglander, p. 286.
- ^ a b c Westlake, Gallipoli, pp. 12–3.
- ^ Aspinall-Oglander, pp. 291–2.
- ^ North, pp. 170–1.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, p. 156.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 279–.315
- ^ Bullock, pp. 44–5.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 334–49.
- ^ Bullock, pp. 46–7.
- ^ Bullock, pp. 75–6.
- ^ Falls, pp. 84–105, 125.
- ^ Falls, p. 251.
- ^ Falls, p. 277.
- ^ Falls, pp. 281–2.
- ^ Falls, pp. 314–321.
- ^ Falls, pp. 411–13.
- ^ a b c d Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 41–50.
- ^ Edmonds, Appendix A.
- ^ Edmonds, pp. 169, 235, 258–9.
- ^ Edmonds, p. 265–6.
- ^ Edmonds, p. 282–5.
- ^ Edmonds, pp. 294–6.
- ^ Edmonds & Maxwell-Hyslop, pp. 70–1, 79–80.
- ^ Edmonds & Maxwell-Hyslop, pp. 285–90, 438.
- ^ Edmonds & Maxwell-Hyslop, p. 546.
- ^ Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 27–33.
- ^ a b c d Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 103–9.
- ^ Wolff, pp. 207–8.
- ^ Entrenching battalions at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ 'Entrenching Battalions', The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/5494/1.
- ^ Army Council Instruction 221 of January 1916 (Appendix 18).
- ^ Army Council Instruction 2364 of December 1916 (Appendix 204).
- ^ Frederick, p. 184.
- ^ 69th Provisional Battalion (The Queen's) War Diary, TNA file WO 95/5458.
- ^ "David Porter's work on Provisional Brigades at Great War Forum". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ Unallotted Brigades at Regimental warpath.
- ^ Frederick, p. 211.
- ^ James, p. 78.
- ^ Training Reserve at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Moore & Sayers, pp. 102–15.
- ^ Robson, pp. 48–50 and Appendix 2.
- ^ Heathcote, pp. 179–80.
- ^ Queen's at Regiments.org
- ^ a b c 4th Bn Queen's at Regiments.org
- ^ Titles and Designations.
- ^ a b c d e f Frederick, pp. 860–2, 871.
- ^ AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
- ^ a b c d "5 AA Division 1939 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Litchfield, p. 226.
- ^ Routledge, Table LX, p. 378.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 62–3.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 65–6, 371.
- ^ a b c 63 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45
- ^ Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
- ^ Farndale, Annex D.
- ^ 98 HAA Rgt War Diary 1939–41, TNA file WO 166/2388.
- ^ a b c 474 S/L Bty War Diary 1940–41, TNA file WO166/3322.
- ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/79.
- ^ a b Farndale, Annex M.
- ^ Routledge, p. 78.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XII.
- ^ Collier, Chapter 15.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XVII.
- ^ Collier, Appendix XXIV.
- ^ Collier, Appendix XXX.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 388-9, 393.
- ^ Pile's despatch.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XIX.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 399–401.
- ^ a b c d Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80.
- ^ Routledge, p. 400.
- ^ a b c d Frederick, pp. 806, 840.
- ^ a b "127 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45".
- ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/81.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 401–4.
- ^ a b Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/82.
- ^ a b Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/83.
- ^ Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, TNA file WO 212/84.
- ^ Order of Battle of the Forces in the United Kingdom, Part 2: 21 Army Group, 24 July 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/238.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 305, 311; Table XLIX, p. 319.
- ^ Ellis, Vol 1, p. 263.
- ^ a b 76 AA Bde War Diary, 1944, TNA file WO 171/1084.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 311–2.
- ^ Routledge, p. 315; Table LI, p. 328.
- ^ Routledge, Table LII, pp. 330–1; pp. 333-5; Table LIII, p. 342.
- ^ Joslen, p. 463.
- ^ Ellis, Vol II, Appendix IV, p. 370.
- ^ Routledge, Table LVII, p. 366.
- ^ Frederick, p. 1025.
- ^ a b Frederick, p. 1022.
- ^ 592–638 Regiments at British Army units 1945 on
- ^ a b 564–591 Regiments at British Army 1945 on
- ^ Watson, TA 1947.
- ^ IWM War Memorials Register ref 827.
- ^ IWM War Memorials Register ref 835.
- ^ Croydon Minster.
References
- Army Council Instructions Issued During January 1916, London: HM Stationery Office, 1916.
- Army Council Instructions Issued During December 1916, London: HM Stationery Office, 1916.
- Brig C.F. Aspinall-Oglander, History of the Great War: Military Operations Gallipoli, Vol II, May 1915 to the Evacuation, London: Heinemann, 1932/Imperial War Museum & Battery Press, 1992, ISBN 0-89839-175-X.
- 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 1-847347-39-8.
- 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 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3a: New Army Divisions (9–26), London: HM Stationery Office, 1938/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-41-X.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division, London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-41-X.
- Ian F.W. Beckett, Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, ISBN 0-85936-271-X.
- David L. Bullock, Allenby's War: The Palestine-Arabian Campaigns 1916–1918, London: Blandford Press, 1988, ISBN 0-7137-1869-2.
- Basil Collier, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.
- Col John K. Dunlop, The Development of the British Army 1899–1914, London: Methuen, 1938.
- Brig-Gen Sir ISBN 0-89839-211-X.
- Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds & Lt-Col R. Maxwell-Hyslop, History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918, Vol V, 26th September–11th November, The Advance to Victory, London: HM Stationery Office, 1947/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1993, ISBN 1-870423-06-2.
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Online sources
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- British Military History
- Great War Forum Archived 23 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
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- The Long, Long Trail
- Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
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