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108-606: 1 Militia battalion 1–2 Territorial and Volunteer battalions The Wiltshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army , formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot . The regiment was originally formed as the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) , taking

216-603: A Special Reserve (SR) battalion, while the other would be the Territorial Force units. In the case of the Wiltshire Regiment, the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion was the SR unit. The 3rd Wilts came into active service during 1914. It would remain in the home islands throughout the war. For most of the war, it would act as the depot and training unit for the battalions of the Wiltshire Regiment. In 1917, it moved from

324-801: A French invasion force in 1758. After its initial baptism, the regiment would go on to see active service in the American Revolutionary War . Being used as light infantry, the regiment took part in General John Burgoyne 's doomed campaign , culminating in the Battles of Saratoga . Twelve years after the end of the American Revolution, the regiment would fight against revolutionary and imperial France. Taking part in campaigns in West Indies, Sicily, and

432-591: A further ten- or twelve-year term. If they chose the latter, they would be rewarded with two months furlough, another enlistment bounty, and a pension on completion of their term. After many years with no trade other than that of soldiering, more than half of all discharged soldiers chose to re-enlist immediately. Of those who took a voluntary discharge, fully one in five signed on again within six months. The Army's existing system of enlistment therefore produced an army of experienced or even veteran soldiers, but no class of reserves that could be recalled to serve in case of

540-772: A large contingent of Boer prisoners were sent. Following the end of the war in June 1902, most of the officers and men returned home on the SS Dominion , which arrived in Southampton in September. In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the Territorial Force and the latter the Special Reserve ; the regiment now had one Reserve and one Territorial battalion. At

648-643: A lifelong advocate of the volunteer reserves, later commenting that all military reforms since 1860 in the British Army had first been introduced by the volunteers. Long after Cardwell's departure, on his appointment back at the War Office as Quartermaster-General to the Forces in July 1880, he found that there was still great resistance to the short service system and used his growing public persona to return to

756-807: A national emergency. The lesson of the Franco-Prussian War was the absolute necessity of a trustworthy army reserve of well trained men in good health and vigour. Almost every British soldier served more than half his enlistment abroad, most often in tropical climates, such as India . After returning to Britain, their physique was seldom good. Under the Reserve Force Act 1867 , a "First Class Army Reserve" had been created, of soldiers released from active service who had not completed their terms of service, to have an establishment of 20,000 men in theory. In practice, as of 1868, only 2,033 were in this body of men. The "Second Class Army Reserve"

864-843: A number of reforms through Orders in Council or other statutory instruments . By the War Office Act 1870 Cardwell also reformed the administration of the War Office , preventing infighting and bickering between the various departments and abolishing the separate administration of the Reserves and Volunteers. The defence policy of Canada , the Australian colonies and New Zealand was devolved to those colonies, and several small garrisons were replaced by units raised locally. Then-Colonel (later Field Marshal Lord) Garnet Wolseley

972-733: The Army Enlistment Act 1870 ( 33 & 34 Vict. c. 67), also known as the Army Enlistment (Short Service) Act 1870 or the Reserve Forces Act 1870, which reached the floor of the House of Commons in late spring, 1870. From the end of the Napoleonic Wars until 1847, men were enlisted for twenty-one years, practically for life (the seven year short service option available during the wars ended when

1080-629: The 233rd Brigade , later the 234th Brigade , of the 75th Division , part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force . While serving with the 75th Division, 1/4th Wilts would see action at the Battle of Megiddo . The 2/4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment came into being in October 1914, assigned to the 2/1st South Western Brigade of the 2nd Wessex Division . Like the 1/4th Wilts, it was also dispatched to British India. However, unlike

1188-662: The 3rd Division 's 7th Brigade , landing in France on 14 August 1914, and soon fought in the Battle of Mons and the Great Retreat and, in October, in the First Battle of Ypres , by which time the battalion had lost 26 officers and over 1,000 other ranks. The 1st Wilts remained on the Western Front with the 3rd Division until the 7th Brigade was transferred to the 25th Division on 18 October 1915. In March 1918

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1296-661: The 7th Division . 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. The Militia

1404-734: 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). Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone . Gladstone paid little attention to military affairs but he

1512-638: The Convention of Peking . The regiment would remain in Hong Kong until 1865. From 1865 until 1868, the 99th served in South Africa. While there, Prince Alfred , the Duke of Edinburgh, inspected the regiment as part of a tour of the colony. The regiment impressed him so much that he took a continued interest in the regiment for the rest of his life. This culminated in permission being granted to re-title

1620-574: The Garigliano river in January 1944. From March until late May, the battalion fought in the Battle of Anzio , enduring terrible conditions and fighting in trench warfare , similar to that on Western Front nearly 30 years before. They later fought in the breakout from the Anzio beachhead , Operation Diadem and the subsequent capture of Rome. On 3 June 1944 Sergeant Maurice Albert Windham Rogers

1728-740: The Gloucestershire Regiment to form the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment , which later amalgamated with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment , the Royal Green Jackets and The Light Infantry to form The Rifles , which continues the lineage of the regiment. The regiment's depot was at Le Marchant Barracks in Devizes . The senior partner in the amalgamated Wiltshire Regiment

1836-532: The Kitchener's New Army formations. Nearly 5,000 officers and other ranks of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) had been killed in action or died of wounds sustained during the Great War. 60 battle honours were awarded to the regiment, along with numerous awards for bravery, including a VC . Upon mobilization and the declaration of war, the 1st Battalion, Wilts deployed to France as part of

1944-593: The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force . Initially assigned to reinforce the forces at Cape Helles on 6 July 1915, the division was temporarily withdrawn and then landed at ANZAC Cove to support the operations there. With the rest of the division, it was withdrawn to Egypt in January 1916 before being dispatched to Mesopotamia as part of the ill-fated attempt to relieve the garrison of Kut. The battalion remained in Mesopotamia for

2052-719: The New Zealand Wars . Detachments of the 99th took part in the Hutt Valley Campaign , seeing action at the Battle of Battle Hill . three government soldiers and at least nine Ngāti Toa were killed. Following the capture of Te Rauparaha in 1846, the Regiment would depart New Zealand and return to Australia, although detachments would be sent as needed to reinforce the British forces in New Zealand for

2160-652: The " die-hards ", senior officers who opposed almost any reform on principle. The arch-conservatives among the Army's officers were led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces , Prince George, Duke of Cambridge , who was Queen Victoria 's cousin, and, in the opinion of historian William McElwee: ... almost the last of the typically Hanoverian characters thrown up by the English ruling dynasty, and derived his ideas on drill and discipline from Butcher Cumberland and

2268-656: The 1/4th, 2/4th Wilts never saw action in the First World War. Instead, the battalion took over garrison duties, freeing first-line units up for action against the Central Powers. The final Territorial Force unit of the Wiltshire Regiment was the 3/4th Battalion. Raised in October 1915, the battalion converted into the 4th Reserve Battalion in April 1916. The battalion remained in the Home Islands throughout

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2376-587: The 110th Brigade, part of the 21st Division , with which it served for the rest of the war. At the outbreak of war, the 2nd Wilts was serving as part of the Gibraltar Garrison. Recalled home to Britain, the 2nd Wilts was attached to the 21st Brigade , part of the 7th Division . As part of the 21st Brigade, the 2nd Wilts arrived in France in October 1914, in time to take part in the First Ypres , where it suffered heavy casualties in helping to stop

2484-741: The 2nd Wilts received orders to join the 58th Brigade , part of the 19th (Western) Division . As part of the 19th Division, the 2nd Wilts would see action with the division through the Hundred Days Offensive . In 1919, with the division's disbandment, the 2nd Wilts returned to its pre-war duties of policing the British Empire . Under the pre-war British Army system, created during the Haldane Reforms , each regiment, in addition to having two regular battalions would have two reserve formations associated with it. One would be

2592-706: The 2nd Wiltshires participated in Operation Ironclad, the capture of Vichy-held Madagascar, known as the Battle of Madagascar . On 19 May the Battalion re-embarked on the Franconia to sail to India to rejoin the 5th Division and were stationed in Bombay and Ahmednagar until August. The Wiltshires, as well as the rest of the brigade, were then sent to the Middle East . As part of 13th Infantry Brigade,

2700-534: The 3rd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles and 8th Battalion, 8th Punjab Regiment , part of 26th Indian Infantry Division , in October 1943. With the 26th Indian Division, the 1st Wiltshires took part in the Battle of the Admin Box . Before General Slim's offensive to recapture Burma, 1st Wiltshires were rotated back to serve along the North-West Frontier. The 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, began

2808-606: The 5th Division instead joined the British Second Army , at the time fighting on the Western Front , to participate in the final drive into Germany in April 1945. They took part in the Elbe River crossing as well as the encirclement of Army Group B . When hostilities ended on 8 May 1945, they were at Lübeck on the Baltic Sea. The Battalion moved to Einbeck on 1 July and settled down to occupation duties. As

2916-503: The 62nd was linked with the 99th Regiment of Foot. With the subsequent Childers reforms , the two regiments were amalgamated into a single regiment, the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment, in 1881. The 99th Regiment of Foot was raised in 1824 in Edinburgh by Major-General Gage John Hall. It was unrelated to earlier units designated as the 99th Regiment of the British Army, including the 99th Regiment of Foot (Jamaica Regiment) and

3024-496: The 6th Battalion would be amalgamated with the Wiltshire Yeomanry to form the 6th (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) battalion on 9 September 1917. Eventually, the battalion would be reduced to cadre strength. The excess personnel would be used as replacements for the 2nd Battalion which assumed its place in the 58th Brigade. The cadre was returned to England on 18 June 1918 and the battalion brought up to strength by absorbing

3132-594: The 7th Wilts transferred to France, arriving there in July 1918. After the German spring offensives , many divisions needed be rebuilt with fresh battalions to replace those decimated by the German offensives. Once in theatre, 7th Wilts was assigned to the 150th Brigade of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division . As part of the 50th Division, the battalion took part in the October 1918 battles, including Battle of St. Quentin Canal ,

3240-544: The 99th Foot which was re-designated as the 100th Regiment of Foot . In 1832, the new 99th Regiment received its county title, becoming the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot. During its early years, the 99th spent much of its time in the Pacific. The first detachments of the 99th Regiment arrived in Australia with convicts transported aboard the transport ship North Briton , destined for Tasmania , in 1842. The rest of

3348-568: The 99th arrived with successive shipments of convicts. The 99th rotated through various colonial posts during much of 1842 until being ordered to Sydney, Australia. However, the 99th soon earned an unsavoury reputation, alienating the locals to such an extent that an additional regiment had to be assigned to Sydney. The 11th Regiment of Foot 's principal job was keeping the men of the 99th under control. The 99th remained in Tasmania for three years before being dispatched to New Zealand to take part in

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3456-480: The 99th helped defeat a Zulu impi that tried to overrun the British while laagered. Although it would not participate in the final battle at Ulundi , the 99th was honoured for its service in the Anglo-Zulu War, being awarded the battle honour South Africa 1879. It would be the last battle honour earned by the 99th as an independent regiment. In 1881, following up on the earlier Cardwell Reforms of 1872,

3564-523: The 99th was merged with the 62nd Regiment of Foot as part of the Childers reforms to the British Army. The new regiment would be known as The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment). Following the amalgamation of the 62nd and 99th regiments into the Duke of Edinburgh (Wiltshire Regiment) in 1881, the regiment rotated through various posts of the British Empire. The 1st battalion was stationed in

3672-429: The 9th Battalion, Dorset Regiment . Now assigned to the 14th (Light) Division , the 6th Wilts became part of the 42nd Brigade . With the rest of the division, it returned to France in July 1918, seeing action in the Battle of Avre . Also formed at the Wiltshire Regiment's depot in Devizes in September 1914, the 7th (Service) Battalion was part of the Third New Army (or K3) of Kitchener's scheme. Soon after formation,

3780-408: The Army Service Corps. On discharge, a soldier in any corps would now remain with the reserves for the remainder of his twelve-year term, under the umbrella of the First Class Army Reserve. (In subsequent years, soldiers entering the reserve to serve the remainder of their time would be classified as either Section A or Section B Army Reserve. ) As to the proportion of time spent on active service with

3888-441: The Army had insisted for years that it could be administered only on the basis of General Service. Under Cardwell's localisation scheme, the country was divided into 66 Brigade Districts (later renamed Regimental Districts), based on county boundaries and population density. All line infantry regiments would now consist of two battalions , sharing a depot and associated recruiting area. One battalion would serve overseas, while

3996-415: The Battle of Slabbert's Nek (23–24 July 1900). With the Royal Irish Regiment , two companies of the 2nd Wilts conducted a night assault up the Nek, capturing the ridge overlooking the Boer position. Although they cleared the Nek, taking 4000 prisoners, the British forces had not been in time to capture De Wet and some his commando, who managed to escape to the mountains. After the capture of Bethlehem,

4104-402: The Battle of the Beaurevoir Line, and the Battle of Cambrai during the Hundred Days Offensive . Formed from volunteers at Weymouth in November 1914, the 8th (Service) Battalion was part of Kitchener's Fourth New Army. Originally assigned to the 102nd Brigade , 34th Division , the War Office decided to convert the battalion into a reserve battalion. Eventually in September 1916, the battalion

4212-410: The Boer War was moving from its second phase and into the third, guerrilla, phase . The 12th Brigade was broken up and its units sent to other commands. The 2nd Wilts would join Major-General Paget and the West Riding Regiment in patrolling the areas northeast and northwest of Pretoria. After being moved to help block De Wet's attempt to raid the Cape Colony in February 1901, it was assigned to defend

4320-403: The Boers. Although they attempted to escape, the Boer commandos soon caught up with the two companies and, after a fight, forced them to surrender. Despite losing almost a third of its strength, once Lord Robert's operations began to succeed, the Boer reaction allowed the 12th Brigade, and the 2nd Wilts, to go back on the offensive against the Boer Republics. Although a part of the Sixth Division,

4428-400: The Channel Islands from 1886, then transferred to Ireland in 1887. Back home in England from 1893 to 1895, the battalion was sent to British India in 1895. It served in Peshawar until late 1902, when it transferred to Rawalpindi . The 2nd battalion was posted in India from 1881 to 1895, when the battalion returned. It was on Guernsey at the turn of the century. In late 1899 the 2nd Wilts

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4536-453: The German advance. In December 1915, the 21st Brigade transferred to the 30th Division . In three years of action on the Western Front, the 2nd Wilts took part in most of the major engagements, including the battles of Neuve Chapelle , Aubers , Loos , Albert , Arras and Third Ypres . In March 1918 the 2nd Wilts, like the 1st Wilts, was nearly destroyed during the German Army's Spring Offensive, losing 22 officers and 600 men. In May 1918,

4644-443: 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. 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

4752-400: The Militia which engaged a recruit for a term of service, a volunteer could quit his corps with fourteen days notice, except while embodied for war or training with the regular forces. Volunteer Corps required recruits to fund their own equipment, however, effectively barring those with low incomes. The militia was transformed into the Special Reserve by the military reforms of Haldane in

4860-441: The Peninsula where they won the battle honours "Nive" and "Peninsula". Following the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars, the 62nd rotated through the expanding British Empire. It would serve as parts of the garrisons in Canada and Ireland before being dispatched to India. While in India, the 62nd became part of General Sir Gough 's army during the First Sikh War . During the war, although it lost its colours twice to various mishaps,

4968-512: The Pretoria-Pietersburg rail line with the 2nd battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment . In addition to protecting the Pretoria-Pietersburg line, the 2nd Wilts also contributed four companies of infantry to Lieutenant-Colonel Grenfell's column. Along with the Kitchener Fighting Scouts, 12th Mounted Infantry, and some artillery, left Pietersburg in May 1901. Between May and July 1901, the Wiltshires participated in Grenfell's operations, capturing 229 Boer commandos and 18 wagons. The combination of

5076-428: The Prussian school of Frederick the Great . On 2 August 1870, Parliament voted for 20,000 additional men for the army and two million pounds on a vote of credit. This was followed by one of the most successful military pamphlets to appear in all Victorian England, titled The Battle of Dorking . Written by Colonel (later General) Sir George Tomkyns Chesney , head of the Indian Civil Engineering College , it raised

5184-440: The Wiltshires spent the end of 1942 until early part of 1943 operating in Iraq, Persia, Syria and Palestine, under Middle East Command . Later, the brigade participated in Operation Husky , the invasion of Sicily, and the follow-on invasion of the Italian mainland in September 1943. During the Italian Campaign , the 2nd Wiltshires would win battle honours for its actions, taking part in the Moro River Campaign and later crossing

5292-486: The act into law "most reluctantly", but the system worked, producing an immediate increase in the army's strength. While a number of long-service NCOs still chose to remain with the colours for the maximum service permitted of twenty-one years, the great majority of soldiers passed into the reserve at the end of their initial enlistments. By 1900 the reservists numbered about 80,000 trained men, still relatively young and available to be recalled to their units at short notice in

5400-407: The aim of recruiting the numbers of reserves which were needed, so low a rate of pay having been offered for the First Class Army Reserve that very few joined it. To address this, their pay was doubled, subject to their accepting the new conditions of service contained in the Army Enlistment (Short Service) Act 1870 . Unlike its predecessor, recruiting under this new Act was very satisfactory and had

5508-409: The battalion became part of the 79th Brigade , assigned to the 26th Division . In September 1915, the division was transferred to France before being reassigned to the Mediterranean as part of the British forces fighting in Salonika . As part of the division, the battalion was engaged in the Battle of Horseshoe Hill in 1916, and First and Second Battles of Dorian in 1916 and 1917. In June 1918,

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5616-408: The battalion was involved in Operation Michael , the opening phase of the German Army 's Spring Offensive , and subsequently reduced to company strength. It was during this fighting that Acting Captain Reginald Frederick Johnson Hayward MC was awarded the Victoria Cross . The 1st Wilts served with the 25th Division until was transferred on 21 June 1918. On 21 June 1918, the 1st Wilts joined

5724-400: The blockhouses, sweeper operations and concentration camps proved to be too much for the Boers. In 1902, the war ended as the last of the Boer commandos surrendered and the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed. With the war over, the 2nd Wiltshires returned to the England in 1903. The 3rd (Royal Wiltshire Militia) Battalion was embodied in January 1900 for garrison duty at Saint Helena , where

5832-403: The brigade commander was forced to pull back the Wiltshires to prevent the Boer Commandos from breaking through and threatening other towns. However, in issuing the order to retreat from Rensburg, two companies of the 2nd Wiltshires, assigned to outpost duty, were never given the word of the retreat. When they tried to re-enter what had been the main camp for the battalion, they found it occupied by

5940-497: The brigade did not take part in the ill-fated attack on Bloody Sunday during the Battle of Paardeberg . Instead, the Wilts was tasked with guarding Bloemfontein and Kroonstad. Eventually, the 12th Brigade was ordered to move in conjunction with another independent brigade and capture the town of Bethlehem , where Christiaan de Wet 's commando was operating from. Although the town was taken, De Wet escaped. Pausing to resupply, Clemments' brigade attempted to destroy De Wet's commando at

6048-403: The brigade was used as an independent force. Dispatched to the Colesberg district, they were soon on the defensive against Boer raids once the cavalry under Major-General French were withdrawn to be used to use in the relief of Kimberly . Assigned to garrison an exposed position at the town of Rensburg, the 2nd Wilts lost 14 men killed, 57 wounded, and more than a 100 prisoners taken. Eventually,

6156-421: The colours versus the balance in the reserve, this was to be laid down from time to time by the Secretary of State for War. In 1881, short service for the infantry was increased to seven years with the colours, and five with the reserve, of the twelve-year enlistment period. There was opposition to short-term enlistment both in Parliament and among the Army's senior officers. The Queen is said to have signed

6264-489: The county affiliation from the 62nd Foot (which became the 1st Battalion) and the honorific from the 99th Foot (which became the 2nd Battalion). In 1921, the titles switched to become the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) . After service in both the First and Second World Wars, it was amalgamated with the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) into the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) in 1959, which was, in 1994, merged with

6372-563: The depot at Devizes to join the Portland Garrison in 1915. In 1917, the 3rd Wiltshires would be transferred to the Thames and Medway garrison. During the war, the Wiltshire's Territorial component would expand from one battalion to three. The 1/4th Wilts was called into service in 1914 as part of the South Western Brigade of the Wessex Division and dispatched to British India . For the next three years, it performed internal security duties in India until being transferred to Egypt in 1917. There it continued to perform security duties until joining

6480-440: The desired effect of filling up their numbers to the regulated strength. Historians of the British army have generally praised the Cardwell reforms as essential to full modernisation. They point out that the Duke of Cambridge blocked many other reforms, such as the adoption of a general staff system as pioneered by the successful Prussian army. However a minority of historians, chiefly political specialists, have criticised

6588-418: The event of general mobilisation. Cardwell then passed the comprehensive Regulation of the Forces Act 1871. Previously, soldiers had enlisted for General Service, and were liable to be drafted into any regiment regardless of their own preferences, another factor that had made service harsh and unpopular. It had been recognised as early as 1829 by Lord Palmerston that: ... there is a great disinclination on

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6696-475: The fight, including making a speech at a banquet in Mansion House in which he commented: '...how an Army raised under the long service system totally disappeared in a few months under the walls of Sevastopol '. The unexpectedly large force required for the initial phase of the Second Boer War in 1899 was mainly furnished by means of the system of reserves Cardwell had designed and Wolseley had built. By drawing on regular reservists and volunteer reserves, Britain

6804-580: The idea that, despite the acts of Parliament during the previous year in regard to the military, Britain faced the possibility of a German invasion. Cardwell, protégé of Gladstone and Secretary of State for War since 1868, was determined not merely to increase the British military but to reform it as well. Both were to be an uphill battle, but the need was great. Even the hard lessons of the Crimea had been dismissed, ignored or forgotten by this time, leaving critical needs unmet. As R. C. K. Ensor wrote about that era: If ... [any] criticism had made headway, it

6912-513: 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 Volunteer Force , and the similar Yeomanry Cavalry, they were considered rather plebeian. Volunteer units appealed to better-off recruits as, unlike

7020-404: The loot carried off, the regiment took a Pekinese dog that belonged to the Chinese Empress. The dog, named Lootie, was taken back to England where it was presented to Queen Victoria . For its service in China, the regiment earned the battle honour: Pekin 1860. Rather than return the 99th to India, the regiment was ordered to join the Hong Kong garrison, securing the new Kowloon territory acquired by

7128-421: The militia were an entirely infantry force, but the 1852 Act 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. In 1877 the militia of Anglesey and Monmouthshire were converted to Royal Engineers . Up to 1855,

7236-433: The moment to enact them. The goal was to centralise the power of the War Office , abolish the purchase of officers' commissions , and create reserve forces stationed in Britain by establishing short terms of service for enlisted men. Ending the purchase system was controversial. The families of officers had invested millions of pounds in the commissions and when a man was promoted he sold his junior commission to help pay for

7344-465: The more expensive senior commission. Legislation in the Commons would reimburse the officers for their full purchase price but the measure was defeated, whereupon the government announced that all purchases were abolished, thereby destroying the value of those commissions. The House of Lords passed the remedial legislation and the final expenditure made by officers was reimbursed. Five royal commissions dealt with Army reforms before 1870. The one in 1857

7452-446: The new geographic regimental structure. Cardwell lobbied for him to command the Ashanti expedition in 1873. On his return he was appointed inspector-general of auxiliary forces in April 1874. In this role, he directed his efforts to building up adequate volunteer reserve forces. Finding himself opposed by the senior military, he wrote a strong memorandum and spoke of resigning when they tried to persuade him to withdraw it. He became

7560-488: The next few years to keep the peace. For its service in the First Maori War , the regiment earned its first battle honour: New Zealand. In 1856, the regiment rotated back to the British Isles. The 99th spent its next two years at various garrisons in Ireland, until in 1858, it was ordered to join the Aldershot garrison. While at Aldershot, the regiment earned its reputation as an extraordinarily well drilled and well turned out regiment. Following its tour of duty at Aldershot,

7668-487: The numbers needed. The senior twenty-five regiments of the line already consisted of two battalions, but almost all the higher-numbered regiments had only one battalion. Many regiments were linked to produce two-battalion regiments, a complicated internal process involving much debate over regimental traditions and seniority, which was not finally completed until the ensuing Childers Reforms of 1881. In addition to his two major pieces of legislation, Cardwell also introduced

7776-603: The official history reads, " So ended a journey of over 25,000 miles through nearly six years of war. " In addition to the two regular army battalions, the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) raised four other battalions before and during the war. Two of these would be used on foreign service (4th and 5th Territorial battalions), while the other two remained in the United Kingdom as home defence or as training units (6th and 50th Territorial battalions). Militia (United Kingdom) A separate voluntary Local Militia

7884-512: The other was stationed at home for training. The militia of that area then (usually) became the third battalion. There were limitations to the extent that localisation could be implemented. Certain recruiting regions (for example London and much of Ireland) offered more recruits than could be absorbed by the linked regiment. Equally, thinly populated rural areas in some English counties or the Scottish Highlands could not always provide

7992-540: The part of the lower orders to enlist for general service; they like to know that they are to be in a certain regiment, connected, perhaps, with their own county, and their own friends, and with officers who have established a connection with that district. There is a preference frequently on the part of the people for one regiment as opposed to another, and I should think there would be found a great disinclination in men to enlist for general service, and to be liable to be drafted and sent to any corps or station. Nevertheless,

8100-593: The provision of an army of only 25,000 in the Crimea had stripped Britain of almost every trained soldier. The lesson was reinforced by the Indian Mutiny , which once again required almost the entire usable British Army to suppress. The Commission reported in 1862, but few of its lessons were immediately implemented. The main obstacle had been objections by the defunct East India Company and its directors, who wished to maintain their own military establishment, and by

8208-526: The reforming post 1906 Liberal government. In 1908 the militia infantry battalions were redesignated as "reserve" and a number were amalgamated or disbanded. Altogether, 101 infantry battalions, 33 artillery regiments and two engineer regiments of special reservists were formed. 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. The standards of medical fitness were lower than for recruits to

8316-599: The regiment rotated to India in 1859. After serving at various Indian stations, the 99th was called to active service to form part of General Sir Hope Grant's force during the Second Opium War. Assigned to the 2nd Division, commanded by Major-General Sir Robert Napier, the 99th took part in the Third Battle of Taku Forts and the Battle of Palikao . The regiment also participated in the Sack of Peking , where among

8424-706: The regiment served in the Crimea, mainly as part of the forces besieging the port of Sevastopol . The 62nd took part in the failed attack on the Great Redan Bastion, suffering heavy casualties. With the end of the Crimean War, the 62nd returned to its task of policing the British Empire. During its last quarter century as an independent regiment, the 62nd would serve in Canada, Ireland, India and as part of Aden garrison. In 1871, as part of Cardwell reforms ,

8532-458: The regiment would earn its proudest honour at the Battle of Ferozeshah . In tribute to the service of its sergeants, who commanded the regiment when virtually all the officers were killed or incapacitated, the regiment would celebrate every 21 December as Ferozeshah Day. Eventually, the regiment rotated back to the Home Islands in time to be available for the Crimean War . From 1854 to 1856,

8640-531: The regiment. In 1874, the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot became the 99th (Duke of Edinburgh's) Regiment. After returning to England in 1868, the regiment returned to South Africa in 1878 in time to take part in the Anglo-Zulu War . Assigned to Lord Chelmsford's column, they marched to the relief of British forces under Colonel Charles Pearson besieged by the Zulu impis. At the Battle of Gingindlovu ,

8748-464: The regular infantry. 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.' 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. Upon mobilisation,

8856-482: The reserves rather than the regulars and be paid fourpence a day, in return for a short period of training each year and an obligation to serve when called up. Men now enlisted for a maximum term of twelve years. The minimum length of actual service required varied according to branch: six years for infantry, eight years for line cavalry and artillery, twelve years for the Household Cavalry, three years for

8964-492: The rest of the army. Only single men aged 20–22 were to be conscripted (given a free suit of civilian clothes as well as a uniform), and after six months full-time training would be discharged into the reserve. The first intake was called up, but the Second World War was declared soon afterwards, and the militiamen lost their identity in the rapidly expanding army. Two units still maintain their militia designation in

9072-601: The rest of war, participating in the recapture of Kut . Once a further offensive was approved, 5th Wilts became one of the first two battalions to cross the Diyalah River, breaking the Turkish defences containing the initial crossing attempt by the 6th (Service) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment . Following the Diyala crossing, the battalion participated in the fall of Baghdad , and operations north of there. With

9180-680: The signing of the Armistice, the battalion demobilized in 1919. Formed at Devizes in September 1914, the 6th (Service) Battalion was soon assigned to the 19th (Western) Division , eventually being assigned to the 58th Brigade. In July 1915, the battalion was sent to France with the rest of the division. It would see action at the Battle of the Loos , Battle of the Somme , and Third Ypres. Due to losses sustained in Passchendaele campaign in 1917,

9288-584: 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 First World War , but their rank and file did not, since the object of the special reserve was to supply drafts of replacements for the overseas units of the regiment. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to Supplementary Reserve in 1924, though

9396-540: The start of the First World War , the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), like most of the rest of the British Army, consisted of two regular battalions (the 1st and 2nd); there was also a Special Reserve battalion (3rd) and a Territorial Force battalion. Eventually, the Wiltshire Regiment expanded to ten battalions, seven of which served overseas. These included three additional Territorial Force battalions (1/4th, 2/4th, and 3/4th Battalions) as well as four service battalions (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th battalions) formed for

9504-532: The units were effectively placed in "suspended animation" until disbanded in 1953. The term militiaman was briefly revived in 1939. In the aftermath of the Munich Crisis Leslie Hore-Belisha , Secretary of State for War , wished to introduce a limited form of conscription , an unheard of concept in peacetime. It was thought that calling the conscripts 'militiamen' would make this more acceptable, as it would render them distinct from

9612-551: The war as part of the 13th Infantry Brigade , which also included 2nd Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (later 5th Essex Regiment ), part of the 5th Infantry Division of the British Expeditionary Force in France. The battalion fought in a series of engagements during the Battle of France in May 1940, most notably at the Battle of Arras . After being evacuated at Dunkirk ,

9720-571: The war, finishing the war as part of the Dublin garrison. The 5th (Service) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment was formed at Devizes in August 1914. Soon thereafter, the battalion was assigned to the 40th Brigade of the 13th (Western) Division , taking the place of the 8th Welsh Regiment . With the rest of the division, it transferred in June 1915 from England to the Mediterranean theatre, joining

9828-644: The war. The 1st Battalion remained in British India, performing internal security duties at the outset of the war. During the reorganization of the Burma front in 1943, the battalion became responsible for guarding the lines of communications and support for the Arakan offensive as part of the Eastern Army. The 1st Battalion, Wiltshires were transferred to the 4th Indian Infantry Brigade , which also included

9936-533: The wars did). Together with the continued existence of flogging, it had given the army its character of a near prison. A shortfall in Army numbers had resulted in the Time of Service in the Army Act 1847 , under which enlistment was for ten years, later increased to twelve; but this was still too long. On completion of their enlistment, soldiers had the choice between accepting discharge without pension or signing on for

10044-468: Was able to assemble the largest army it had ever deployed abroad. These reforms started to turn British forces into an effective Imperial force. A change of government put Cardwell out of office in 1874, but his reforms remained despite attempts from the Regular Army to abolish them and return to the comfortable and familiar old post-1815 situation. The Reserve Force Act 1867 had failed to meet

10152-647: Was absorbed into the 8th Reserve Brigade at Wareham. The battalion never deployed overseas. In 1921, the regiment was retitled as the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) . The regiment's two regular battalions returned to policing the British Empire . The 1st Battalion would serve as part of the Dublin garrison during the Irish War of Independence . After the treaty , the 1st Battalion would see service in Egypt in 1930 and Shanghai in 1931. The battalion

10260-425: Was also a significant source of recruits for the Regular Army, where men had received a taste of army life. An officer's commission in the militia was often a 'back door' route to a Regular Army commission for young men who could not obtain one through purchase or gain entry to Sandhurst . Under the act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances: Until 1852

10368-553: Was appointed assistant adjutant-general at the War Office in 1871, and was regarded by Cardwell as his principal military adviser and protégé. He played a critical role in the Cardwell schemes of army reform. As he rose rapidly through the ranks, Wolseley continued to battle for what he saw as the main pillar of the reforms: providing a double framework for large scale expansion in war, namely regular reserves, generated by short service, together with revitalised militia integrated into

10476-619: Was created in 1808 before being disbanded in 1816. 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

10584-604: Was dispatched to South Africa to take part in the Second Boer War . Arriving in time to take part in Lord Roberts ' campaign against the Boers. Upon arrival, the 2nd Wilts was brigaded with the 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment , 1st Royal Irish Regiment , and 2nd Worcestershire Regiment to form the 12th Brigade under Major General Clements . Although initially assigned to Lieutenant General Kelly-Kenny 's Sixth Division,

10692-899: Was dispatched to join the British Forces policing the Mandatory Palestine . The battalion served there during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine . In the Second World War , the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) lost 1,045 officers and other ranks killed in action or from wounds sustained and were awarded 34 Battle honours . At the start of the Second World War, the Wiltshire Regiment found its two Regular Army battalions stationed in British India (1st Battalion) and Palestine (2nd Battalion). Eventually two more battalions would be raised for

10800-491: Was for 56 days on enlistment, then the recruits would return to civilian life but report for 21–28 days training per year. The full army pay during training and a financial retainer thereafter made a useful addition to the men's civilian wage. Of course, many saw the annual camp as the equivalent of a paid holiday. The militia thus appealed to agricultural labourers, colliers and the like, men in casual occupations , who could leave their civilian job and pick it up again. The militia

10908-576: Was keen on efficiency. In 1870, he pushed through Parliament major changes in Army organisation. The German Empire 's stunning triumph over the Second French Empire in the Franco-Prussian War proved that the Prussian system of professional soldiers with up-to-date weapons was far superior to the traditional system of gentlemen-soldiers that Britain used. The Reforms were not radical; they had been brewing for years and Gladstone seized

11016-402: Was most controversial, with Sir Charles Trevelyan campaigning for the abolition of purchase of commissions. The going rate was £2,400 for a captaincy and £7,000 for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. The middle class ideal of selection by merit and education was found only in the artillery and engineers, with the other branches in the hands of the rich landed gentry. The pool was limited so that

11124-560: Was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross , the first and only to be awarded to the regiment during the Second World War. Eventually the battalion, as well as the rest of the brigade and the 5th Division would be withdrawn from the Italian Campaign and sent to Palestine, where they would remain for the rest of the year, training and absorbing replacements, mainly from anti-aircraft gunners retrained as infantrymen. However,

11232-458: Was revived by the Militia Act 1852 ( 15 & 16 Vict. c. 50), enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). It was intended to be seen as an alternative to the army. Training

11340-574: Was that England had no notion of the art of war. British officers were expected to be gentlemen and sportsmen; but outside the barrack-yard they were ... 'entirely wanting in military knowledge'. The lack of it was deemed no drawback, since Marlborough 's and Wellington 's officers got along without it. Only the rise of the Prussian military ... availed to shake this complacency." Cardwell set about with three initial reforms: As his first major legislative step towards military reform, Cardwell introduced

11448-568: Was the 62nd Regiment of Foot. The 62nd was formed in 1756, originally as the second battalion of the 4th Regiment of Foot . In 1758, the battalion was redesignated as the 62nd Regiment of Foot. Although a regiment of the line, many of its companies were initially deployed as marines, serving with Admiral Boscawen's fleet during the Siege of Louisbourg in 1758. The balance of the regiment remained in Ireland where they defended Castle Carrickfergus from

11556-519: Was then made part of the Singapore garrison in 1932, where it would remain for four years. In 1936, the battalion would be assigned to India. Following the Great War, the 2nd Battalion was sent to Hong Kong. In 1921, the battalion began nine years as part of Indian Army. The battalion became part of the Shanghai garrison in 1929 before being rotated back to the Home Islands in 1933. The 2nd Battalion

11664-506: Was to consist of army pensioners and of discharged soldiers having at least five years regular service. The First Class Army Reserve was liable for overseas service in the event of war, whereas the Second Class Army Reserve was for home service to defend against invasion. Cardwell therefore brought before Parliament the idea of "short service". The Army Enlistment Act 1870 allowed a soldier to choose to spend time in

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