The King's Regiment (Liverpool)

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The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
Cap badge of the regiment, featuring the White Horse of Hanover
Active	1 July 1881-1 September 1958
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Army
Type	Line Infantry
Size	1908: 10 battalions (Two regular, two militia, six territorial)
Regimental Depot	Warrington (1881), Seaforth (1910)
Nickname	The Leather Hats, The King's Hanoverian White Horse
Motto	Nec Aspera Terrent (Difficulties be Damned)
Colours	Blue
March	Quick March: Here's to the Maiden Slow March The English Rose [1]
Anniversaries	Somme (1 July) Blenheim (13 August) Delhi (14 September)
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	King George V (c. 1925-1936)
Colonel of the Regiment	Brigadier Richard Nicholas Murray Jones (1957-1958)

The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British regiments, which were associated with a county, the King's was the city regiment of Liverpool, one of only four regiments affiliated to a city in the British Army ^[2] After 273 years of continuous existence, the regiment was amalgamated with the Manchesters in 1958.

The King's notably saw active service in the Second Boer War, the two world wars, and the Korean War. Nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to the regiment, the first in 1900 and the last in 1918. An additional two were awarded to Royal Army Medical Corps officer Noel Godfrey Chavasse, who was attached to the Liverpool Scottish during the First World War.

In peacetime, the regiment's battalions were based in the United Kingdom and colonies in the British Empire. Duties varied: riots were suppressed in Belfast, England, and the Middle East; bases were garrisoned in places such as the North-West Frontier Province and West Germany; and reviews and parades conducted throughout the regiment's history.

The regiment has been referred to variously as L'POOL R, the Liverpools, KLR, and the King's. Usage of "L'POOL R" and "the Liverpools" was most prevalent from the 1880s to the 1920s.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Colonial wars (1881-1914) 1.2 World War I (1914-1918) 1.3 Inter-war (1918-1939) 1.3.1 1st King's 1.3.2 2nd King's 1.4 World War II (1939-1945) 1.4.1 Italy and Greece 1.4.2 Burma 1.4.3 Normandy and Germany 1.5 Post-World War II (1945-1958) 1.5.1 Korean War 1.5.2 Amalgamation 2 Battalions 3 Victoria Cross recipients 4 Battle honours 5 References 5.1 General 5.2 Notes 6 External links

[edit] History

The Cardwell reforms and Childers reforms from the 1860s to the 1880s substantially reorganised the British Army.^[3] The reforms entailed single-battalion regiments amalgamating to form multi-battalion regiments and the abolition of the numbering system in favour of city or county affiliation.^[4] Thus, on 1 July 1881, the two battalions of the unamalgamated 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot became the 1st and 2nd Battalions, The King's (Liverpool Regiment). The 8th Foot had been associated with Liverpool since 1873, when the regiment was allocated to the 13th Brigade Depot in Liverpool. Regular regiments gained auxiliary battalions through the integration of the militia and volunteers. Nine militia and volunteer battalions from Lancashire and the Isle of Man transferred to the King's, and ultimately became part of the Special Reserve and Territorial Force. Some of these battalions maintained individual distinctions, such as unique titles, cap badges, uniforms, and honorary colonels. By 1908, the King's possessed three overtly individual battalions – the Liverpool Rifles (6th Btn), Liverpool Irish (8th Btn), and Liverpool Scottish (10th Btn).

Under the new system, it was envisaged that one regular battalion would be based in the United Kingdom and one overseas.^[5] The 1st Battalion had been located in North West England since the late 1870s. While based in Salford Barracks, Manchester, the battalion was subject to a bomb attack by the Irish Republican Brotherhood ("Fenians"). The barracks sustained minor structural damage as a result of the explosion, which killed a child and badly wounded its mother.^[6] The battalion was also called upon to quell riots that broke out during a mineworkers' strike. In 1882, the battalion was posted to Ireland, based in the Curragh. Though the posting was overall uneventful, the battalion was employed after sectarian riots broke out in Belfast following the introduction of the 1886 Home Rule Bill in the British Parliament. The battalion returned to England three-years later.

[edit] Colonial wars (1881-1914)

The 2nd King's overseas service in the 1880s was punctuated by the Third Burmese War, which began in 1885. It had been based on the Indian subcontinent since 1877 and had fought in the Second Afghan War. Invasion of Upper Burma began in October in the form of the Burma Field Force. Making swift progress up the Irrawaddy River, the force captured frontier forts and the capital Myingyan. Following the capital's capture, the battalion provided an escort that oversaw the exile of King Thibaw. A seven-year guerilla campaign against the British followed the completion of Upper Burma's annexation on 1 January 1886. The 2nd King's operated in small groups against the guerillas in the Burmese jungle for over a year. Casualties numbered 12 officers and 256 men by the time the battalion returned to India. The battalion was subsequently posted to Aden for a year before returning to Britain in 1892. Overseas service for the 1st King's included a two-year stay in Nova Scotia, where they became the last battalion of the regiment to garrison Canada. The battalion was posted to the West Indies in 1895, then Natal Colony in 1897. The Second Boer War began two-years later.

Prior to the outbreak of the war, as relations between the British and Boer republics deteriorated, the 1st King's formed a company of mounted infantry and moved to Ladysmith, where it underwent intensive training. The war began on 11 October 1899. The Boers invaded Natal soon afterwards and besieged Ladysmith on 2 November.

The Boer War had provided the first opportunity for the regiment's volunteer battalions to serve overseas with the regular forces, supplying small detachments and service companies for the 1st King's and other units. In contrast, the regiment's militia battalions, numbered the 5th and 6th, were sent to South Africa as intact units late in the war.

A monument commemorating the regiment's service in the Boer War was erected in St John's Gardens and unveiled by Field Marshal Sir George White on 9 September 1905. The monument was sculpted by Sir William Goscombe John. A figure of Britannia features prominently atop a pedestal, which has four standing soldiers positioned on its four corners, each representing a period in the regiment's history.

[edit] World War I (1914-1918)

The regiment fielded 49 battalions during the war from a pre-war establishment of two regular, two militia, and six territorial. Of those 49 battalions, 22 served extensively, receiving 58 battle honours and six Victoria Crosses for service on the Western Front, the Balkans, India, and Russia. Some 13,795 Kingsmen died during the course of the war, the battalions suffering an average of 615 deaths.^[7] Thousands more were wounded, sick, or taken prisoner. Of higher formations, the Liverpool Pals sustained nearly 2,800 casualties and the 55th Division's 165th (Liverpool) Brigade, composed entirely of battalions from the King's, had losses of 1,672 dead, 6,056 wounded, and 953 missing during the period of 3 January 1916 and 11 November 1918.^[8]

A vigorous recruiting campaign involving pre-war personalities such as Lord Kitchner and Lord Derby faciliated the rapid expansion of the British Army. Territorial units formed duplicate battalions from August 1914 to May 1915. To distinguish them from the originals, they were designated as, for instance, the 2/5th and 3/5th Battalions respectively. Second-line territorial battalions had been raised for home service and recruit training duties, but were ultimately dispatched to the Western Front themselves and replaced by the third-line battalions.^[9] Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener sought an alternative to the Territorial Army, and made an appeal for an initial 100,000 volunteers (the "New Army") under the belief the war would not be brief.^[10] The 17th Earl of Derby proposed forming a battalion of "Pals" for the King's Regiment, to be recruited from men of the same workplace. His proposal proved successful. Within a week, thousands of Liverpudlians had volunteered and were eventually formed into the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Battalions. They were known as the City of Liverpool battalions or "Liverpool Pals". Lord Derby addressed recruits on 28 August:

This should be a battalion of Pals, a battalion in which friends from the same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honour of Britain and the credit of Liverpool.[11]

The 1st King's arrived in France as part of the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, one of the original components of the British Expeditionary Force that landed on 14 August 1914. The BEF's first encounter with the German Army at Mons, Belgium, was followed by a retreat that would last until 5 September and end at the Marne, a river east of Paris. Having acted as a rearguard to the 2nd Division, the 1st King's and its brigade were ordered to prevent a German force cutting off the 4th (Guards) Brigade, forming the rearguard at Villers-Cotteréts, and 70th Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. The guns were extricated through the actions of the brigade, earning them praise from the 2nd Division's commanding officer, General Monro. ^[12]

Paris was saved with the halting of the German advance at the Marne; the ensuing retreat, which prompted an Allied counter-offensive, ended at the Aisne. After both battles were fought, the battalion moved north to Ypres during the so-called "Race to the Sea". In an action at Langemarck during the First Battle of Ypres, the battalion captured the small village of Molenaarelstoek, just north-east of Polygon Wood. As the battle progressed, the Germans sought a decisive victory against the outnumbered BEF and launched the last major assault of the battle on 11 November.^[13][14] Located to the south of Polygon Wood, the 1st King's was one of only a few units available to meet the attack. A composite division of the élite Prussian Guard, advancing in column formation, was initially successful before it was pushed back after momentum was lost. In the defence of Polygon Wood, artillery and the 1st King's concentrated fire effectively destroyed the 3rd Prussian Foot Guards.^[15] By the end of the battle, the 1st King's casualties numbered 33 officers and 814 other ranks (OR) from an original strength of 27 officers and 991 ORs. ^[16] Among the battalion's dead was the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel William Bannatyne, killed by a sniper on 24 October.

By the end of March 1915, eight battalions of the King's were serving on the Western Front. The 1st and 1/5th took part in an attack that coincided with the Allied offensive at Neuve Chapelle. The preliminary Allied bombardment failed to cut much of the barbed wire, impeding the battalion's advance. Heavy casualties were incurred as a result of the withering hail-of-fire directed at the battalion, one of whom was the commanding officer. One platoon that managed to reach the German lines blockaded itself in the communications trench and held on for an hour before ordered to withdraw. Over 200 casualties were sustained by the battalion. ^[17]

The King's next fought in the Second Battle of Ypres, a German offensive begun on 24 April. "Second Ypres" was the 4th and 1/6th King's first battle. In the St Julien area, the 4th suffered over 400 casualties in an intense three-day period. The 1/6th, meanwhile, supported the 1st Cheshires in a small defensive action at Hill 60. After 'Second Ypres' ended, four battalions were engaged in battle at Festubert, collectively sustaining over 1,400 casualties. Lance-Corporal Tombs became the regiment's first Victoria Cross recipient of the war for actions at Festubert on 16 May. The 1/10th Battalion fought its first battle on 16 June at Bellewaarde, suffering nearly 400 casualties.

A new British offensive was launched on 25 September at Loos, to coincide with a French offensive in the Champagne region. The King's were represented in the offensive by eight battalions, from standard infantry to pioneers. Chlorine gas was used on the first day of the battle. The gas, however, blew back in the wind, hindering the advance of the 1st King's and others who had to contend with uncut barbed wire. The 1/9th King's advance also stalled, though they took about 300 Germans prisoner. The battalion was later amongst those who successfully defended against a German counter-attack on 8 October.

The Liverpool Pals' baptism of fire came during "The Big Push" on 1 July 1916, on the first day of the Somme Offensive. The four Pals' battalions of the 30th Division were to attack towards Montauban, south of where most of the British Army's casualties (nearly 60,000) were sustained on the first day. During the offensive, the 17th, 19th, and 20th Pals formed part of the 89th Brigade, whilst the 18th Pals were with the 21st Brigade. At 07:30, the 30th Division began its advance on the left of the French Corps de Fer. Meeting limited opposition, the Pals completed their objectives with comparatively minimal losses, though the 18th suffered severely from machine gun fire while advancing on the Glatz Redoubt. The 18th's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel E. H. Trotter, killed by a shell on 8 July, detailed his battalion's first-day losses:

I estimate our casualties at about five hundred. I told both officers and men that there were to be no SOS messages and the [Glatz] redoubt was to be carried by themselves without causing the brigadier to use his reserves, so during the battle the estimates were put at a lower figure than the actual number.[18]

More battalions entered the fray as reinforcements following the first-day. Some 14 battalions took part in five attempts to capture the village of Guillemont between July and September. During the third attempt, three companies of the 1st and 1/8th King's were surrounded by German forces and decimated. The 1/8th had suffered 15 killed, 55 wounded, and 502 missing, while the 1st were later reinforced with drafts from the Manchester Regiment. The village was captured on 3 September, by which time the 12th King's was the regiment's only representative in the struggle for Guillemont.

The war's end in Europe came with the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918. The initial reaction of soldiers was illustrated in the 9th King's battalion history:

While on parade on the morning of the 11th November it was announced to the men that the Armistice had been signed. The news of the cessation of hostilities was received by the soldiers without any manifestation of the joy or excitement that marked the occasion at home. The parade continued and the rest of the day was spent quite as usual. The news for which the men had waited so long seemed when it came to be almost too good to be true.

Most of the regiment's battalions were disbanded by the end of 1919, the men demobilised and returned to Britain. Many battalions had stayed on the continent or moved to overseas garrisons prior to disbandment. On 11 December 1918, the remnants of the 1st King's, some veterans of 1914, had marched across the German frontier "at ease", bayonets fixed and their colours uncased.^[19] The battalion was based at Düren and Berg Neukirchen for about five-months as part of the British Army of the Rhine. The 13th King's, too, served with the occupation army until disbanded in October 1919.

[edit] Inter-war (1918-1939)

Hostilities did not end for the the 17th King's on 11 November; the battalion had sailed for Murmansk, Russia, in October as part of an Allied intervention force sent to fight alongside the "White" forces in their war against the Bolsheviks. The battalion was moved to Archangel, where it was based fully intact for a short period. The battalion's companies served separately for the duration of their stay in Russia. The battalion was disbanded in September 1919.

Inter-war reductions and reorganisations reduced the regiment's territorial battalions from six to one by 1937. The 8th disbanded in the early 1920s, the 9th was absorbed by the Royal Engineers, and a reorganisation of the TA's infantry in the mid-1930s resulted in the 6th, 7th, and 10th converting to new roles.^[20][21] The 6th became Royal Engineers, the 7th joined the Royal Tank Regiment, and the 10th became a battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.

[edit] 1st King's

In 1920, the 1st King's was sent to Bantry, County Cork, in Ireland, where the battalion served during the Anglo-Irish War. They were noted for their chivalrous reputation in their treatment of prisoners, compared to other regiments, and this saved some of the lives of its soldiers. ^[22] After the establishment of the Irish Free State in the south, the battalion was moved to Northern Ireland, stationed in Derry and Omagh.

A brief deployment to Turkey as part of the army of occupation occurred in 1923. The battalion returned to England in 1924 and was posted from 1926 to the garrisons in Malta, Sudan, and Egypt. While much of the battalion's time in Egypt was peaceful and comfortable, they occasionally dealt with rioting, and on one occasion a company was deployed to Jerusalem.^[23] In 1931, Greek Cypriots in Cyprus uprised demanding union with Greece. Two companies were sent as reinforcements for the British garrison in October; C Company arrived via eight Vickers Victoria air transports, followed by the sea-transported D Company.

India was the battalion's next posting, based initially in Jubbulpore from 1932. The battalion was moved to Landi Kotal, Khyber Pass, in 1937. Service in the volatitle North-West Frontier Province continued into the Second World War.

[edit] 2nd King's

The 2nd Battalion continued to serve in India following the Armistice, and in 1919 was called upon for service in the Third Afghan War. Leading a "Special Column", the battalion reached the Toba Plataeu, some 8,000 feet high, but the war was concluded before the battalion could engage Afghan forces.^[24]

Demobilisation followed and the remnants joined the Sudan garrison in 1920, where the battalion was reformed. Postings to Hong Kong and Canton occurred in 1922, then a return to India in 1924. and finally Iraq the following year. Stationed near Baghdad, their stay lasted two-years, uneventful but with the distinction of being the last British battalion to serve there until the Second World War.^[25]

Immediately after their return to England, the 2nd King's became the first battalion of the regiment to undertake public duties at Buckingham Palace. The battalion was based in various parts of the country for nearly a decade before resuming overseas duties in 1938, when it was posted to Gibraltar.

[edit] World War II (1939-1945)

Expansion was on a more modest scale to that which occurred during the previous world war. Ten battalions were raised between 1939 and 1940, including the reformed 8th (Irish). Two of these war-raised battalions converted to armour and anti-air roles in 1941; the 11th becoming the 152nd Regiment, RAC, and the 12th transferring the Royal Artillery as the 101 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. Some 16 battalions and four batteries of the Home Guard were affiliated with the King's Regiment. The Lancashire Home Guard performed various duties in Britain supporting the Civil Defence Service and regular army, and served during the Liverpool Blitz.

By late-1941, three battalions of the regiment (1st, 2nd, and 13th) were stationed abroad. The remainder were located throughout the United Kingdom, poised to defend against an invasion. The 1st and 13th would serve in Burma as Chindits, the 2nd in Italy and Greece, and the 5th and 8th in North-West Europe. Of battalions that had transferred and converted to other roles pre-war, only the 40th RTR (7th King's) saw active service. With the 23rd Armoured Brigade, the 40th RTR fought in North Africa, where they acquired the nickname "Monty's Foxhounds", Italy, and Greece.

[edit] Italy and Greece

Having spent five-years in Gibraltar, the 2nd King's departed for Egypt in December 1943 to reinforce the 4th Infantry Division. With the division, the battalion landed in Italy in March 1944. On 11 May, it took part in the oppossed crossing of the Rapido River during the final battle for Monte Cassino. They came under intense mortar and artillery fire during the crossing, while many assault boats capzised due to the strong current. The 4th Division struggled to consolidate its bridgehead, during which the 2nd King's lost its commanding officer, 72 men killed or missing, and many wounded.^[26][27] After a five-month struggle, Monte Cassino was captured on 18 May by the Polish II Corps and the Gustav Line broken.

The Allies captured Rome in June and the King's fought in the subsequent advance to the Trasimene Line. Intense battles were fought in the Gioella area and Tuori, the latter earning the regiment a unique battle honour in the British Army.^[28] In about nine-months of service, in difficult, mountainous terrain, with heavy casualties, the battalion was awarded four DSOs, nine MCs, three DCMs, four MMs, and six mentioned in despatches.^[29] Among those awarded were Sergeant Welsby, who single-handedly secured a fortified farmhouse, and Major J. A. de V. Reynolds, for his leadership and conduct around Casa Arlotti.^[29]

On 12 December, the 2nd King's were flown to Piraeus, Greece, two months after Allied troops had first landed in the country following the German withdrawal. By then, the Allies were in conflict with Communist partisans seeking to establish themselves as the new authority in Greece. Shortly after landing, the 2nd King's successfully seized a partisan-held barracks at the cost of 14 casualties. For the next several weeks, the battalion was employed on internal security duties, involving many instances of house-to-house and street fighting in Athens. The city was cleared of insurgents by early January 1945. A ceasefire was signed and the King's remained for a year to help maintain the tense peace before leaving for Cyprus.

[edit] Burma

The 13th King's sailed for India in December 1941, coinciding with Japan's entrance into the war. Intended for garrisson duties, the battalion's strength contained many men who were of an old or medically downgraded condition.^[30] After Burma was occupied by Japan in 1942, a unit was formed to penetrate deep behind Japanese lines from India. The 13th King's provided the majority of the British contingent for the unit, which was designated as the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade (the 'Chindits') and commanded by Orde Wingate.

Organised into two groups, the Chindits' first operation (codenamed Longcloth) began on 8 February 1943. No. 2 Group, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel S.A. Cooke, was formed from the 13th King's and divided into five independent columns, two of which (Nos 7 and 8) were commanded by majors from the battalion.^[31] No Japanese opposition was encountered initially, allowing the Chindits to cross the Chindwin River and advance into Burma unimpeded.^[32]

[edit] Normandy and Germany

In 1943, the 5th and 8th King's (Liverpool Irish) were provided with speciailst training at Ayrshire in preparation for a planned invasion of France. They were selected to form the nucleus of the 5th and 7th Beach Groups, whose objectives on an invasion beach were to maintain organisation, secure positions, and provide defence against counter-attack.

As invasion neared in mid-1944, the two battalions were moved from their camps to ports in southern England and embarked aboard troopships and landing ship tanks. Much of the Liverpool Irish embarked aboard the Ulster Monarch, a passenger ship that had served on the Belfast-Liverpool line before the war.^[33] After delays, the invasion fleet proceeded to Normandy on 5 June. Both King's battalions landed on D-Day, the 5th at Sword with the British 3rd Infantry Division and the Liverpool Irish at Juno with the Canadians.

Two companies of the Liverpool Irish landed in the assault wave with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. Under intense machine gun and mortar fire, the landing of Major Max Morrison's "A" Company proceeded well, allowing some to establish a command-post upon reaching the sand dunes. In contrast, in "B" Company's sector, the late arrival of the reconnaissance party and DD tanks exposed the landing infantry to heavy machine gun fire. The company's officer commanding, Major O'Brien, and the second-in-comannd were among those wounded. Experiences at Sword Beach were similar. As the 3rd Division moved inland, the 5th King's attempted to neutralise hostile positions and snipers. Casualties included Lieutenant-Colonel D. H. V. Board, killed by a sniper, and the OC of 9 Platoon, Lieutenant Scarfe, mortally wounded in an attack on a German position.

Under fire, the beach groups collected the wounded and dead, located and marked minefields, attempted to maintain organisation, and directed vehicles and troops inland.^[34] The two battalions operated with the beach groups for a further six weeks. While the severely depleted Liverpool Irish was disbanded in August, much of its strength having been transferred to other units as reinforcements, the 5th King's was reduced to cadre strength. Disbandment was only avoided through the determination of Lieutenant-Colonel G.D. Wreford-Browne, who argued that the 5th Battalion was nearly the most senior unit still active in the Territorial Army. ^[35]

After the Allies began their advance into Nazi Germany in February 1945, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) formed dedicaed units to secure important objectives - equipment, installations, intelligence, and personnel.^[36][37] The 5th King's provided the nucleus for one such T (Target) Force. Elements of the 5th King's reached the naval port of Kiel in May 1945, securing the cruiser Admiral Hipper and taking 7,000 German sailors prisoner.^[38] The battalion continued to conduct intelligence operations until July 1946, when it was disbanded during the demoblisation process. Reconstitution into the Territorial Army followed in 1947 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward John Stanley (later the 18th Earl of Derby).

[edit] Post-World War II (1945-1958)

The 1st King's, still roled as parachute infantry, remained in India with responsibility for the area around Meerut, north-east of New Delhi. After reconverting to the infantry role, the battalion departed for Liverpool in late 1947.

Meanwhile, the 2nd King's were deployed to Palestine for two-weeks. First arriving on 29 April 1948, the battalion carried out security duties just prior to the establishment of Israel. After returning to Cyprus, the battalion proceeded to Liverpool.

On 6 September 1948, the two battalions amalgamated in a ceremonial parade attended by honorary Colonel of the Regiment, Major-General Dudley Ward. The battalion was posted to West Germany shortly afterwards and moved to Spandau, West Berlin, in 1950.

[edit] Korean War

The battalion was ordered to Korea in June 1952. By then, the Korean War had entered a period of stalemate, with trench warfare prevailing. At Liverpool, the battalion embarked aboard the troopship Devonshire for Hong Kong, where it underwent training before landing at Pusan, Korea, in September. Replacing the 1st Royal Norfolk Regiment in the 29th Infantry Brigade, 1st Commonwealth Division, the 1st King's took up defensive positions upone moving to the frontline.

Much of the battalion's time at the front was quiet, though their night patrols often resulted in clashes with Chinese troops. The battalion was withdrawn to reserve for three months in 1953. A tactically important feature known as "The Hook", a crescent shaped ridge, was the scene of intense heavy fighting between Commonwealth forces and the Chinese in May. On the night of 20 May, Chinese forces commenced a sustained bombardment of the Hook, defended by the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Two days later, on 23 May, a company of the King's carried out a nighttime diversionary attack on Chinese positions known as "Pheasant". One of the platoons inadvertently stumbled upon a minefield, suffering 10 wounded from a strength of 16. The attack was consequently stalled, forcing the company to withdraw with its wounded back to British lines.^[39]

The King's moved onto the right sector of the Hook on 27 May, while "D" Company's 10 Platoon and "B" Company (as reserve) were attached to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. The battle began on 28 May, when a heavy bombardment targeted positions held by the Dukes at 7:53 pm. The first wave of Chinese troops was launched against the Duke's positions minutes later, followed by three further waves. Two platoons of the King's were moved forward to reinforce the Point 121 position, which was then attacked by two companies of Chinese infantry. After the attack was repulsed with the assistance of Commonwealth artillery, the Chinese directed their attention to the King's on Point 146. Before the attack began, however, an artillery bombardment destroyed the Chinese formation while it assembled. Fighting continued until the remaining Chinese troops were cleared from positions at approximately 03:30 am.

The 1st King's left Korea for Hong Kong in October, by which time its casualties numbered 28 dead and 200 wounded. Of some 1,500 men that served with the battalion in Korea, 350 were regular soldiers, the rest were national servicemen.^[39] The King's moved to Britain in 1955, were posted to West Germany the following year, and made its final return home in 1958.

[edit] Amalgamation

The 1957 Defence White Paper by Secretary of State for War Duncan Sandys announced, among others, a reducation in the British Army's overseas responsibilities and the abolition of national service.^[40] This was to be achieved by the amalgamation of numerous regiments, including the King's with the Manchesters. Both regiments shared an historical connection through the 63rd Regiment of Foot, a regiment which formed the Manchesters in 1881 having once been a battalion of the 8th Foot.

In June, at Brentwood, the colours of the two regiments were paraded for the last time in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The King's Regiment (Manchester and Liverpool) formally came into being on 1 September 1958. On 1 July 2006, the successor regiment was also amalgamated, joining with two others to form the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border).

The surviving territorial battalion of the King's (Liverpool), the 5th, retained its identity until 1967, when it was reduced to a company of the newly-formed Lancastrian Volunteers. As of 2006, it forms "A" Company, in the 4th Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. Contained within the company is the Liverpool Scottish Platoon.

[edit] Battalions

See: List of battalions of the King's Regiment (Liverpool)

[edit] Victoria Cross recipients

Name	Battalion	Date	Location of deed
Harry Hampton	2nd	21 August 1900	Van Wyk's Vlei, South Africa
Henry James Knight	1st	21 August, 1900	Van Wyk's Vlei, South Africa
William Edward Heaton	1st	23 August, 1900	Geluk, South Africa
Joseph Harcourt Tombs	1st	16 May 1915	Rue du Bois, France
Edward Felix Baxter	1/8th (Irish)	17/18 April 1916	Blairville, France
Arthur Herbert Procter	1/5th	4 June 1916	Ficheux, France
David Jones	12th (Service)	3 September, 1916	Guillemont, France
Oswald Austin Reid	2nd	8/10 March 1917	Dialah River, Mesopotamia
Jack Thomas Counter	1st	16 April 1918	Boisieux St. Marc, France

[edit] Battle honours

• Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Dettingen, Martinique 1809, Niagara, Delhi 1857, Lucknow, Peiwar Kotal, Afghanistan 1878-80, Burma 1885-87, Defence of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899-1902

• The Great War: Mons, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Ypres 1914 '15 '17, Langemarck 1914 '17, Gheluvelt, Nonne Boschen, Neuve Chapelle, Gravenstafel, St Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Deville Wood, Guillemont, Ginchy, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy, Ancre 1916, Bapaume 1917 '18, Arras 1917 '18, Scarpe 1917 '18, Arleux, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Rosieres, Avre, Lys, Estaires, Messines 1918, Bailleul, Kemmel, Bethune, Scherpenberg, Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Epehy, Canal du Nord, St Quentin Canal, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Doiran 1917, Macedonia 1915-18, NW Frontier, India 1915, Archangel 1918-19, Afghanistan 1919

• The Second World War: Normandy Landing. North-West Europe 1944, Cassino II, Trasimene Line, Tuori, Capture of Forli, Rimini Line, Italy 1944-45, Athens, Greece 1944-45, Chindits 1943, Chindits 1944, Burma 1943-44

• The Hook 1953, Korea 1952-53

[edit] References

[edit] General

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• City Soldiers - The Museum of Liverpool Life, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
• Liverpool Scottish Regimental Museum Trust, liverpoolscottish.org.uk
• Korean War Roll of Honour: The King's Regiment (Liverpool), britains-smaillwars.com
• Enos Herbert Glynne Roberts (1922), The Story of the 9th King's in France, The Northern Publishing Co. Ltd, Project Gutenberg
• 1st Battalion, the King's (Liverpool Regiment) War diary 1st January to 3rd June 1916, 1914-1918.net

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