Militia (United Kingdom)

The British Militia was the principal military reserve force of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Militia units were repeatedly raised in Great Britain during the Victorian and Edwardian eras for internal security duties and to defend against external invasions. The British Militia was transformed into the Special Reserve under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907, which integrated all militia formations into the British Army.

A separate voluntary Local Militia was created in 1808 before being disbanded in 1816.^[1]

By 1813 the British Army was experiencing a shortage of manpower to maintain their battalions at full strength. Some consideration was given to recruiting foreign nationals; however, on 4 November 1813 a bill was introduced to Parliament to allow Militia volunteers to serve in Europe. In the event only three battalions were raised, and these were sent to serve under Henry Bayly. On 12 April 1814 they arrived in Bordeaux, where they were attached to the 7th Division.^{[2][page needed]}

After the Napoleonic Wars, the Militia fell into disuse, although regimental colonels and adjutants continued to appear in the Army List. Whilst muster rolls were still prepared during the 1820s, the element of compulsion was abandoned. For example, the City Of York Militia & Muster Rolls run to 1829. They used a pre-printed form with a printer's date of Sept 1828.^[3]

Militia Act 1852
Act of Parliament
15 & 16 Vict. c. 50
Dates
Royal assent	30 June 1852
Other legislation
Repealed by	Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921
Status: Repealed

The Militia was revived by the Militia Act 1852 (

Until 1852 the militia were an entirely infantry force, but the Militia Act 1852 introduced Militia Artillery units whose role was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery for active service. Some of these units were converted from existing infantry militia regiments, others were newly raised.^[4][7] In 1877 the militia of Anglesey and Monmouthshire were converted to Royal Engineers.

Up to 1855, the Home Office administered the Militia and Yeomanry, until such time as they were 'embodied'. The resultant 'confusion and inconvenience' it caused, from 1854 to 1855, resulted in being administered exclusively by the War Office from that time onwards.^[8][9]

Under the reforms introduced by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, the remaining militia infantry regiments were redesignated as numbered battalions of regiments of the line, ranking after the two regular battalions. Typically, an English, Welsh or Scottish regiment would have two militia battalions (the 3rd and 4th) and Irish regiments three (numbered 3rd – 5th).

The militia must not be confused with the volunteer units created in a wave of enthusiasm in the second half of the nineteenth century. In contrast with the

The militia was transformed into the

In contrast with the soldier serving in the militia, those who served under Special Reserve terms of service had an obligation to serve overseas, as stipulated in paragraph 54.[11] The standards of medical fitness were lower than for recruits to the regular infantry.^[12] The possibility of enlisting in the army under Regular terms of service were facilitated under paragraph 38, one precondition was that the recruit 'fulfils the necessary physical requirements.'^[13]

A further contrast was the replacement of several weeks of preliminary training with six months of full time training upon enlisting in the Special Reserve.^[12]

Upon mobilisation, the special reserve units would be formed at the depot and continue training while guarding vulnerable points in Britain. The special reserve units remained in Britain throughout the

The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to Supplementary Reserve in 1924, though the units were effectively placed in "suspended animation" until disbanded in 1953.^[14]

The term militiaman was briefly revived in 1939. In the aftermath of the

Two units still maintain their militia designation in the British Army, in the Army Reserve. These are the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (formed in 1539) and the Jersey Field Squadron (The Royal Militia Island of Jersey) (formed in 1337).

• Lord-lieutenant
• Fencibles
• Home Guard