Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (until 1921 known as The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army from 1881 to 1970. The regiment's lineage is continued by The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

The regiment was formed as part of the Childers reforms by the amalgamation of the 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot, 81st (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) Regiment of Foot, 3rd Duke of Lancaster's Own Royal Lancashire Militia and the 11th and 14th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps.

The Loyals were one of seven county regiments recruiting in Lancashire. The depot was at Preston, and the regimental district also included the towns of Bolton, Chorley, Farnworth, Hindley. The regiment also recruited in the Isle of Man.

[edit] First and Second World Wars

The Regiment raised a number of extra war service battalions during both World Wars.

The 7th Battalion of The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) was a wartime infantry unit raised at the regimental headquarters, Fulwood Barracks, Preston, on July 4, 1940. The bulk of the regiment's recruits were men from Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire, who had been called up for military service. The regiment was initially based in Caernarvon, North Wales. It was later on anti-invasion duties in Liverpool, the Scarborough coast, Darlington and Redcar. On November 13, 1941, the battalion was converted to the 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. 92 LAA Regt RA was disbanded in 1945 after notable service during Operation Tonga.

The Regiment was amalgamated with The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) to form The Queen's Lancashire Regiment in 1970.