Worcestershire Regiment
| The Worcestershire Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1881–1970 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Line Infantry |
| Size |
1–4 Regular Battalions |
| Garrison/HQ | Worcester |
| Motto | Firm |
| March |
Quick: Royal Windsor, The Poacher Slow: Duchess of Kent |
| Anniversaries |
Glorious First of June, 1 June Battle of Gheluvelt, 31 Oct |
The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot.
Postings
During 1903 to 1905 the 4th Battalion were stationed in the West Indies, being responsible for guarding prisoners from the Boer War. In 1906–1907 they were stationed in Malta. From 1908–1913 they were stationed at Bareilly, India.
In August 1911 troops from the regiment shot dead 2 men during the Llanelli railway strike.[1]
In the First World War the Regiment saw action in the retreat from Mons, The Battle of the Marne and at Langemark, Aisne, Gheluvelt and Ypres in 1914. Nonne Bosschen, Festubert and Gallipoli in 1915, and Loos and the Somme in 1916. In 1917 it saw involvement in actions at Bagentin, Delville Wood, Le Transloy, Arras, Ypres Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and Passchendale. The regiment then fought at Cambrai, Lys, Bailleul, Kemmel, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal and Selle in 1918.
Members of the Regiment won nine Victoria Crosses, 70 Distinguished Service Orders (and 12 bars), 288 Military Crosses ( and 36 bars), 227 Distinguished Conduct Medals (and 8 bars).[2]
In December 1918 they were used to suppress the Taranto Revolt, executing one of the rebels by firing squad.[3]
On 18 November 1944 the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment moved across the Dutch-German border and commenced an attack on German soil to take the village of Tripsrath. With their parent unit 214 Brigade they were the first British troops to fight on German soil. Their job was to take the north-west side of Gelsenkirchen to cover the left flank and support the American forces.
The 2nd Battalion operated in the Burma Campaign 1944–45, and were involved in the recapture of Mandalay.
After service in the First and Second World Wars, it was amalgamated into The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) in 1970.
Worcestershire Regimental Museum
The collections of the Worcestershire Regimental Museum are on display in the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum in Worcester.
The museum was formerly operated as an independent museum that was located at Norton Barracks in Norton, Worcestershire, but became part of the Worcester City Museum in 1970.[4]
Battle honours
- From the 29th Regiment of Foot: Rolica, Vimiera, Talavera, Albuhera, Peninsula, Ferozeshah, Sobraon, Chillianwallah, Goojerat, Punjaub
- From the 36th Regiment of Foot: Hindoostan, Rolica, Vimiera, Corunna, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula
- Ramillies, Bellisle, Ushant, Mysore, South Africa 1900–02
- The Great War (22 battalions): Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914 ‘18, La Bassée 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914 '15 '17 '18, Langemarck 1914 '17, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 ‘18, Albert 1916, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Arleux, Messines 1917 '18, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 ‘18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosières, Villers Bretonneux, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Courtrai, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917–18, Doiran 1917 ‘18, Macedonia 1915–18, Helles, Landing at Helles, Krithia, Suvla, Sari Bair, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915–16, Egypt 1916, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916–18, Baku, Persia 1918
- The Second World War: Defence of Escaut, St. Omer-La Bassée, Wormhoudt, Odon, Bourguébus Ridge, Maltot, Mont Pincon, Jurques, La Varinière, Noireau Crossing, Seine 1944, Nederrijn, Geilenkirchen, Rhineland, Goch, Rhine, North-West Europe 1940 '44–45, Gogni, Barentu, Keren, Amba Alagi, Abyssinia 1940–41, Gazala, Via Balbia, North Africa 1941–42, Kohima, Relief of Kohima, Naga Village, Mao Songsang, Shwebo, Mandalay, Irrawaddy, Mt. Popa, Burma 1944–45
- 7th Battalion: South Africa 1900–01
Notes
- ↑ Prior, Neil (16 August 2011). "Llanelli's 'forgotten' riot – 100 years ago". BBC News Wales. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ↑ Stacke, Capt H FitzM (1927) The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War Kidderminster: G T Cheshire & Sons
- ↑ Holding Aloft the Banner of Ethiopia: Caribbean Radicalism in Early Twentieth-Century America by Winston James, Verso, 1998
- ↑ http://www.wfrmuseum.org.uk/worcs_museum.htm Worcestershire Regimental Collection
References
- Mills, T.F. "The Worcestershire Regiment". regiments.org. Retrieved 9 February 2007. Includes chronological index of titles.
External links
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