Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles
| Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles | |
| Active | 1798&nbash;1921 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | Rifle regiment |
| Part of | London Regiment |
| Garrison/HQ | Somerset House |
| Motto(s) | Ich Dien (I Serve) |
| Engagements |
Boer War World War I |
The Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles was an infantry regiment of the Volunteer Force and Territorial Force of the British Army from 1798 to 1921; it saw active service in the Boer War and World War I as part of the London Regiment.
History
Early history
The regiment was originally formed as the Bank of England Volunteers in 1798 but was disbanded in 1814 at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.[1] The regiment was re-raised by Viscount Bury on the formation of the Volunteer Force as the 21st Middlesex Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (Civil Service Rifles) in 1860.[2] On formation of the Territorial Force in 1908 the Civil Service Rifles became part of the newly formed London Regiment and was titled 15th Battalion London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles).[1]
First World War
During the First World War the regiment expanded to two battalions, with the 1st Battalion arriving in France in March 1915 forming part of the 4th London Brigade, part of the 2nd London Division.[3]
Inter-war
Following the war the Civil Service Rifles were amalgamated with the 16th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment in 1921.[1]
Battle honours
The regiment's battle honours were as follows:[1]
- South Africa 1900-02
- The Great War (3 battalions):
- Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Flers-Courcelette, Le Transloy, Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Cambrai 1917, St. Quentin, Ancre 1918, Albert 1918, Bapaume 1918, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1915-18, Doiran 1917, Macedonia 1916-17, Gaza, Nebi Samwil, Jerusalem, Palestine 1917-18
Regimental motto
Ich Dien – (German for "I serve", a contraction of ich diene), the motto of the Prince of Wales.
Regimental memorial
The memorial for the Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles is situated at Somerset House, London. It was designed in 1923 by Sir Edwin Lutyens OM, KCIE, PRA.
References
- 1 2 3 4 "The Prince of Wales's Own Civil Service Rifles". Regiments.org. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ↑ War Office Circular, 12 May 1859, published in The Times, 13 May.
- ↑ "The London Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
Bibliography
- Beckett, Ian F.W. (1982) Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, ISBN 0 85936 271 X.
- The History of the Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles. London : Wyman & Sons Ltd., 1921.
- Knight, Jill. (2004) The Civil Service Rifles in the Great War: all bloody gentlemen. Barnsley : Pen & Sword Military, ISBN 1-84415-057-7
- 2/15th Battalion. County of London Regiment Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles. London: printed by The Art Reproduction Co., 1920