The 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (4th Queen's) was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 to 1961. Beginning from small independent units recruited in the South London suburbs, it was attached to the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and served in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

Third Anglo-Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War; fa, جنگ سوم افغان-انگلیس), also known as the Third Afghan War, the British-Afghan War of 1919, or in Afghanistan as the War of Independence, began on 6 May 1919 when the Emirate of Afghanistan inv ...

. Before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

it was converted into a

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

searchlight regiment that served in the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

and

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

. Later it became a light anti-aircraft gun unit serving on blockships in the Mulberry harbour during the Normandy invasion, and then defended the port of Antwerp in the closing stages of the war. Postwar it continued in the air defence role before rejoining the Queen's Regiment as infantry.

Origins

An invasion scare in 1859 led to the emergence of the

Volunteer Movement The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...

, and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) began to be organised throughout Great Britain. The 2nd Surrey RVC was formed at

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

(then in Surrey) on 16 June 1859 under the command of James Hunter Campbell, formerly of the Bengal Artillery.Frederick, pp. 197–9.Westlake, p. 228.Volunteers at Queens Royal Surreys
/ref>Haswell, pp. 122–4. The headquarters (HQ) was in the

Old Barracks The Old Barracks Museum, also known just as the Old Barracks, is a historic building located at 101 Barracks Street in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. Built in 1758 to house soldiers of the British Army, it is the only remaining colonial bar ...

, Mitcham Road, Croydon. A second company was added in March 1860. The unit was included in the 1st Administrative Battalion of Surrey RVCs (later 5th Battalion East Surrey Regiment) from 8 September 1860, but by March 1867 it had recruited sufficient additional personnel from the

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

, Norwood and

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valley but rises to equal ...

areas to reach a strength of six companies and become an independent battalion in its own right. Its uniform was

Rifle green Shades of chartreuse are listed below. Historically, many of these colors have gone under the name of either yellow or green, as the specifics of their color composition was not known until later. Wrapping the spectrum into a color wheel In a ...

with red facings. An affiliated Cadet Corps was formed at

Whitgift School ("He who perseveres, conquers") , established = , closed = , type = Independent school , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head Master , head = Christopher Ramsey , c ...

in 1874.''Army List'', various dates. Under the scheme of 'localisation' introduced by the Cardwell Reforms in 1873, the Surrey RVCs, together with the Surrey Militia were grouped into two 'sub-districts' alongside the Regular regiments in the county. The 2nd Surrey RVC was assigned to Sub-District No. 48 with the 2nd Foot (The Queen's Royal Regiment). While the sub-districts were referred to as 'brigades', they were purely administrative organisations and the Volunteers were excluded from the 'mobilisation' part of the Cardwell system, though they carried out joint manoeuvres, and the Surrey RVCs were assigned a role in the garrison of

Sheerness Dockyard Sheerness Dockyard also known as the Sheerness Station was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the Sheerness peninsula, at the mouth of the River Medway in Kent. It was opened in the 1660s and closed in 1960. Location In the Age of Sail, the Roy ...

Under the Childers Reforms, the unit became a Volunteer Battalion (VB) of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) ('The Queen's') on 1 July 1881 and was redesignated as the regiment's 1st VB on 1 March 1883. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 proposed a more comprehensive mobilisation scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in time of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training. Under this scheme the Volunteer Battalions of the Surrey regiments formed the Surrey Brigade, the assembly point for which was at

Caterham Barracks Caterham Barracks was a military installation in Caterham, Surrey. History The barracks were built as a Regimental depot, depot for the Foot Guards regiments in 1877. The construction reflected a more humane style of barrack design in the afterma ...

, the

Brigade of Guards The Brigade of Guards was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1856 to 1968. It was commanded by the Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and was responsible for administering the guards regiments. After the Second Wor ...

' depot conveniently situated for the

London Defence Positions The London Defence Positions were a late 19th century scheme of earthwork fortifications in the south-east of England, designed to protect London from foreign invasion landing on the south coast. The positions were a carefully surveyed contingen ...

along the

North Downs The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills a ...

2nd Boer War

Members of the 1st VB served in the Volunteer Company sent to augment the Regulars of the Queen's in South Africa during the

. This was the first time the Volunteers had fought alongside the Regulars, gaining the battalion its first

Battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

: South Africa 1900–1902. The company was commanded by Captain De La Mare of 1st VB and joined the 2nd Battalion on 12 April 1900. During May and June the battalion fought in the Biggarsberg and

Drakensberg The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlambha, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – within t ...

mountains, including a brisk action to capture Alleman's Nek. By 1900 the 1st VB had 10 companies, reducing to nine in 1903 (seven at Croydon and one each at Crystal Palace and Caterham). In the reorganisation after the end of the war in 1902, separate East and West Surrey Brigades were formed, under command of the respective regimental districts.

Territorial Force

When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

(TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the battalion became the 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), forming part of the Surrey Brigade in the

Home Counties Division The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex. ...

.James, pp. 43–4.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 49–54.Queen's at Long, Long Trail
/ref>

World War I

Mobilisation

On the outbreak of war, TF units were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. On 15 August 1914, the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. On mobilisation, the majority of the men of the Home Counties Division accepted liability for overseas service and it was sent to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

to relieve Regular troops. The Home Service-only men, together with the recruits who were flooding in, remained at the depots to form 2nd-Line battalions. Thus when the 1/4th Queen's sailed for India on 30 October, the 2/4th Bn was forming at Croydon. Subsequently, 3/4th and 4/4th Battalions were formed in June and July 1915.

1/4th Battalion

India

The Home Counties Division disembarked at

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

1–3 December 1914. It was then split up and the battalions were distributed to stations all over India. The 1/4th Queen's served briefly in 9th (Secunderabad) Division, then in January 1915 transferred to the 8th (Lucknow) Division, moving to Allahabad under that division in April. In January 1916 it transferred again to Nowshera, Srinagar, in the 1st (Peshawar) Division on the North West Frontier,. The division was frequently mobilised for active service (which was enough to gain the battalion the battle honour North West Frontier 1916–1917). In March 1917 it moved to

3rd (Lahore) Division The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops ...

al Area, which became 16th Indian Division in May that year. The battalion remained with that formation until the end of the war, but like all the Home Counties Division units it sent drafts of officers and men to reinforce other fronts, and men from 1/4th Bn saw action in

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

.IWM War Memorials Register ref 862.
/ref> 1/4th Battalion, Queen's Regiment, was disembodied on 20 December 1919.

2/4th Battalion

The 2/4th Battalion was attached to 200th (2/1st Surrey) Brigade in

67th (2nd Home Counties) Division The 2nd Home Counties Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Force division of the British Army in World War I. The division was formed as a duplicate of the 44th (Home Counties) Division in November 1914. As the name suggests, the division recrui ...

, but on 24 April 1915 it was brought up to a full strength composite battalion with men from 2/5th Queen's (as the 'Queen's Composite Battalion') and was transferred to 160th (Welsh Border) Brigade in 53rd (Welsh) Division at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 75–82.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 117–23. In May the division moved to

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

to continue its training, and on 2 July was ordered to refit for service in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

. The battalion (which had reverted to the title of 2/4th Queen's on 15 June) entrained for Devonport Dockyard on 17 July and embarked on the ''Ulysses'' the same night. It disembarked in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

on 28 July and moved to Port Said.Westlake, ''Gallipoli'', pp. 12–3.

Gallipoli

The 53rd Division was destined as reinforcements for the Gallipoli Campaign. After sailing for

Lemnos Lemnos or Limnos ( el, Λήμνος; grc, Λῆμνος) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The p ...

it landed on C Beach at Suvla Bay on the night of 8/9 August. The 2/4th Queen's went straight into action to assist 31st Brigade of

10th (Irish) Division The 10th (Irish) Division, was one of the first of Kitchener's New Army K1 Army Group divisions (formed from Kitchener's 'first hundred thousand' new volunteers), authorized on 21 August 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War. It included ...

on the north-west slope of Chocolate Hill. Having taken a few casualties crossing the open ground to the south of Salt Lake, the battalion arrived at 07.40. The Commanding Officer (CO), Lt-Col Watney, was then ordered round to the northern side to dig in and support 33rd Brigade of

11th (Northern) Division The 11th (Northern) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, raised from men who had volunteered for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Fron ...

, which was hard-pressed on Scimitar Hill. Lacking maps, Watney was pointed in the direction of Scimitar Hill and simply told not to 'go off into the blue'. The battalion moved off round the northern spur of the hill and the east to join up with 6th Bn

Royal Dublin Fusiliers The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an Irish infantry Regiment of the British Army created in 1881, one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland, with its home depot in Naas. The Regiment was created by the amalgamation of two Brit ...

. It reached the top of Scimitar Hill, but was driven off by shellfire, some of it from British artillery firing short. The battalion regained the crest and held it until driven off by the scrubland catching fire. It then concentrated in old Turkish trenches and consolidated a line facing Scimitar Hill. In its first action the 990-strong battalion had suffered casualties amounting to 8 officers and 250 other ranks killed, wounded and missing. 2/4th Queen's was relieved on the night of 12 August and rejoined the rest of its brigade at the beach. On 18 August two companies went forward to the front line to support with rifle fire an attack by 29th Division (the

Battle of Scimitar Hill The Battle of Scimitar Hill ( Turkish: Yusufçuk Tepe Muharebesi, literally: ''Battle of the Dragonfly Hill'') was the last offensive mounted by the British at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I. It was also the largest single-d ...

), the two other companies being employed on trench construction. From then on the battalion endured spells in the front line alternating with digging positions in the rear. The battalion drove off a small attack on its position on 18 September. By the end of September it was reduced by battle casualties and sickness to about half of its pre-landing strength. On 21 October it was so weakened that it formed a composite battalion with 1/4th Bn

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot a ...

. Severe weather brought further casualties in November, despite the arrival of a draft of 100 men from home. The battalion was evacuated to

Mudros Moudros ( el, Μούδρος) is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eas ...

aboard the ''El Kahirah'' on 13 December, with a strength of 14 officers and 224 other ranks, having suffered losses of 29 officers and 680 other ranks killed, wounded, missing, or sick.

Palestine

From Mudros the 53rd Division was shipped to Alexandria, and began a long period of rest and recuperation guarding the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ...

Valley in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. When the Turks attacked the Suez Canal defences in August 1916, leading to the

Battle of Romani The Battle of Romani was the last ground attack of the Central Powers on the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine campaign during the First World War. The battle was fought between 3 and 5 August 1916 near the Egyptian town ...

, only part of 53rd Division was actually engaged, but the 4th Queen's was later awarded the battle honours Rumani and Egypt 1915–1916. The British opened the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in March 1917 when the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning ...

(EEF) advanced towards Gaza, with 53rd Division in the

Desert Column The Desert Column was a First World War British Empire army corps which operated in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign from 22 December 1916.There is no war diary for Desert Column for December. See The Column was commanded by Lieutenant General ...

. The

1st Battle of Gaza The First Battle of Gaza was fought on 26 March 1917 during the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), which was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from th ...

began at 03.30 on 26 March, when 160th Brigade started to cross Wadi Ghuzzee. Shortly afterwards, fog began to roll in from the sea, slowing the advance, but the attack began shortly after 11.45. By 13.30 the brigade had captured 'The Labyrinth', a maze of entrenched gardens, and by 18.30 the whole position had been secured. But events had not gone so well elsewhere, and the 53rd Division was ordered to pull back. By 27 March it was back on its starting position behind Wadi Ghuzzee. A second attempt to take Gaza began on 17 April, and the 53rd Division attacked in the second phase on 19 April. The objective for 160th Brigade was Samson Ridge, which was achieved slowly, the top eventually being taken at the point of the bayonet. However, the attack elsewhere failed, and the troops dug in at the end of the day. There followed a pause of several months while the EEF was reorganised. The

3rd Battle of Gaza The Third Battle of Gaza was fought on the night of 1–2 November 1917 between British and Ottoman forces during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I and came after the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) victory at the Bat ...

involved outflanking the Gaza–

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

line, after which 53rd Division was sent on 3 November to take the heights of Tell Khuweilfe. 160th Brigade moved up a slight valley on the right, but found the enemy in strength, and holding the water supplies. The attack was renewed unsuccessfully the following day. The division kept up the pressure on 6 November, and eventually the Turks were forced to evacuate the position after being outflanked elsewhere. By early December the EEF was working round

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. 2/4th Queen's, ordered to capture the hills at Beit Jala on 8 December, advanced under accurate shellfire, but found the position unoccupied. The city fell the following day. On 21 December, 160th Brigade carried out a minor operation near Jericho. At 05.00 three companies of 2/4th Queens captured a Turkish post, and the Turks fell back to 'White Hill'. A company of 2/4th Queen's, together with one of 2/10th

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers R ...

, took this position after fierce close fighting with

bombs A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanic ...

, bayonets, and clubbed rifles. On 27 December the Turks made a strong counter-attack towards Jerusalem; although 2/4th Queen's withdrew from White Hill, its machine guns prevented the Turks from holding it in force, and it was reoccupied during the night. During the subsequent operations in the

Judean Hills The Judaean Mountains, or Judaean Hills ( he, הרי יהודה, translit=Harei Yehuda) or the Hebron Mountains ( ar, تلال الخليل, translit=Tilal al-Khalīl, links=, lit=Hebron Mountains), is a mountain range in Palestine and Israel wh ...

, 53rd Division was ordered to capture Tell 'Asur on 8 March 1918. This led to further heavy fighting, with 160th Brigade forcing its way steadily forward over broken ground on 11 March to reach the hills beyond.

French command

However, the success of the German spring offensive on the Western Front demanded urgent reinforcements from Palestine for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). 2/4th Queen's left 53rd Division on 31 May 1918, sailed from Alexandria on 15 June and after landing at

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

it proceeded by rail to

Proven Proven is a rural village in the Belgian province of West Flanders, and a "deelgemeente" of the municipality Poperinge. The village has about 1400 inhabitants. The church and parish of Proven are named after Saint Victor. The Saint Victor Churc ...

in Flanders, arriving on 30 June and joining 101st Brigade in 34th Division.Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 41–50. 34th Division had been virtually destroyed in the Spring battles, and was being reconstituted with battalions from Palestine. As soon as this was complete it was to be sent to reinforce the French sector of the front. When the Germans launched the last effort of their Spring Offensive on 15 July (the

Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, supported by s ...

), the division was diverted and by the evening of 18 July was concentrated round

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

. The infantry were then moved up by lorry and by 03.00 on 23 July had completed the relief of a French division in the front line. The 34th Division immediately joined in the French counter-attack (the

Battle of the Soissonnais and the Ourcq The Battle of Soissons (1918) (also known as the Battle of the Soissonnais and of the Ourcq (french: Bataille du Soissoinais et de L'Ourcq)) was a battle fought on the Western Front during World War I. Waged from 18 to 22 July 1918 between ...

) on 23 July. However, due to communication problems, 101st Brigade was late setting off (08.00) and lost its

creeping barrage In military usage, a barrage is massed sustained artillery fire ( shelling) aimed at a series of points along a line. In addition to attacking any enemy in the kill zone, a barrage intends to suppress enemy movements and deny access across th ...

. The leading battalion was stopped in its tracks, and 2/4th Queen's trying to come up alongside was forced back. The brigade was back on its start-line, having suffered heavy casualties, by 09.30. By 29 July the division had shifted position to attack again and capture Beugneux Ridge. 2/4th Queen's attacked on a two-company front in the first line of 101st Brigade. Starting at 04.10 the battalion pushed forward through a German defensive barrage that included

Tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...

, and had progressed over a mile by 06.00, when a halt was made. But when the follow-up battalions passed through to continue the attack, the morning fog had lifted and they were stopped. The attack was renewed on 1 August, 2/4th Queen's once again in the lead, though now weak in numbers and obliged to put in three companies to complete the first line. Nevertheless, the attack launched in fog and smoke at 04.49 had achieved its objectives by 06.00. After the battle, the division entrained to return to the British front.

Hundred Days Offensive

34th Division attacked on the first day of the

Fifth Battle of Ypres The Fifth Battle of Ypres, also called the Advance in Flanders and the Battle of the Peaks of Flanders (french: Bataille des Crêtes de Flandres) is an informal name used to identify a series of World War I battles in northern France and southe ...

on 28 September. The attack consisted of pushing forward strong patrols protected by barrages. In the evening, 101st Brigade pushed up the

Wytschaete Heuvelland () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Dranouter, Kemmel, De Klijte, Loker, Nieuwkerke, Westouter, Wijtschate and Wulvergem. Heuvelland is a thinly populated r ...

Ridge to within 10 yards of German positions. Next morning 101st Brigade advanced at 05.30, encountering little opposition, swept through Wytschaete, reached Oosttaverne by 08.40, and was at the

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...

– Comines Canal by 13.00. The division was then in reserve until the Battle of Courtrai. On 16 October, 101st Brigade entered the line alongside the rest of the division. It cleared

Wevelghem Wevelgem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Gullegem, Moorsele and Wevelgem proper. On January 1, 2006, Wevelgem had a total population of 31,020. The total area is 38.76 ...

, but was unable to cross the

River Lys The Lys () or Leie () is a river in France and Belgium, and a left-bank tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is . Historically a very pollute ...

until after dark, when it used small rafts. There was no sign of the enemy in front, and progress was easy on 18 and 19 October, until German defences were encountered at

Ruddervoorde Oostkamp (; vls, Ôostkamp) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Hertsberge, Oostkamp proper, Ruddervoorde and Waardamme. On January 1, 2019, Oostkamp had a total populat ...

. The brigade was relieved on 24 October, and was not in the front line during the division's actions at Ooteghem (25 October) and Tiegham (31 October). The division was withdrawn into reserve on 1 November, and was still refitting and training when the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

came into force on 11 November. 2/4th Battalion absorbed the 53rd (Service) Battalion of the Queen's (''see below'') in April 1919, but was disbanded on 26 October that year.

3/4th Battalion

The residue of the 2/4th Battalion continued in 200th (2/1st Surrey) Bde in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division until it was redesignated 3/4th Bn and reformed at

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

in June 1915. Training for 67th (HC) Division was hampered by the lack of modern arms and equipment: at first there were only .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles, until these were replaced with obsolete Mk I Lee-Enfield rifles in November 1915. By then the battalion had taken its place as part of Second Army,

Central Force In classical mechanics, a central force on an object is a force that is directed towards or away from a point called center of force. : \vec = \mathbf(\mathbf) = \left\vert F( \mathbf ) \right\vert \hat where \vec F is the force, F is a vecto ...

, in home defence, with 200th Bde quartered around

Reigate Reigate ( ) is a town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earliest archaeological evidence for huma ...

and Redhill, Surrey. A year later it was in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, with 200th Bde around

Westbere Westbere is a small village and civil parish in Kent, England, centred north-east of Canterbury city centre along the A28 road to the Isle of Thanet. Geography The relatively small area parish in this district is agricultural in most of its land ...

and Gore Street. Twice the division was ordered to prepare for service in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and in April 1917 to prepare to join the BEF in France. However, none of these moves came off, and in the end 3/4th Queen's left the division and went to France independently.

Western Front

The battalion disembarked at

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...

on 1 June 1917. It was first attached to the

1st South African Brigade The South African 1st Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the army of the Union of South Africa during World Wars I and II. During World War I, the Brigade served as a British formation in Egypt and on the Western Front, most famous ...

9th (Scottish) Division The 9th (Scottish) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener to serve on the Western Front during the First World War. A ...

until 23 July, then with

12th (Eastern) Division The 12th (Eastern) Division was an infantry division raised by the British Army during the First World War from men volunteering for Kitchener's New Armies. The division saw service in the trenches of the Western Front from June 1915 to the ...

, finally joining 62nd Brigade in 21st Division on 9 August.Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 103–9. 21st Division was engaged in the

Battle of Polygon Wood The Battle of Polygon Wood took place from 26 September to 3 October 1917, during the second phase of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The battle was fought near Ypres in Belgium, in the area from the Menin road to Polygon Woo ...

on 29 September, but the inexperienced 3/4th Queen's did not make its first attack until the

Battle of Broodseinde The Battle of Broodseinde was fought on 4 October 1917 near Ypres in Belgium, at the east end of the Gheluvelt plateau, by the British Second and Fifth armies against the German 4th Army. The battle was the most successful Allied attack of t ...

on 4 October. Despite the general success of the limited attack the battalion lost nearly half its strength. The division was then sent in as reinforcements to try to stem the devastating series of German counter-attacks that ended the Battle of Cambrai on 2–3 December 1917.

Disbandment

By now the BEF was suffering a critical manpower shortage, and on 11 February 1918 3/4th Queen's was disbanded. A large draft was sent to reinforce 7th Queen's serving in

18th (Eastern) Division The 18th (Eastern) Division was an infantry division of the British Army formed in September 1914 during the First World War as part of the K2 Army Group, part of Lord Kitchener's New Armies. From its creation the division trained in England ...

while the transport went to

8th Division 8th Division, 8th Infantry Division or 8th Armored Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 8th Division (Australia) * 8th Canadian Infantry Division * 8th Air Division (People's Republic of China) * 8th Division (1st Formation) (People's Repu ...

. The residue of the battalion went to 20th Entrenching Bn, which carried out railway construction but was sucked into the fighting during the German Spring Offensive.

4/4th Battalion

Unusually, the 4th Queen's formed a 4th-Line battalion (4/4th). This was raised at Croydon in July 1915, and by September was at Windsor. In October it moved to

Purfleet Purfleet-on-Thames is a town in the Thurrock unitary authority, Essex, England. It is bordered by the A13 road to the north and the River Thames to the south and is within the easternmost part of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater Lon ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

and then in early 1916 to Crowborough in Sussex. On 8 April it became the 4th (Reserve) Bn and on 1 September 1916 it absorbed the 5th (Reserve) Bn in the Home Counties Reserve Brigade at

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. T ...

. It was disbanded at Cambridge on 29 May 1919.

19th Battalion

In 1915, when the 2nd Line of the TF was being readied for overseas service, the men who had signed up only for Home Service were separated and formed into provisional battalions. 69th Provisional Battalion (The Queen's) was formed on 19 June 1915 at Tunbridge Wells by amalgamating the Home Service men of the 3/4th and 2/5th Queen's. After working on coast defences the battalion moved to Lowestoft in July to join 5th Provisional Brigade. In April 1916 the 69th absorbed the 71st Provisional Bn (which had been formed from the Home Service TF details of the 4th and 5th Bns of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and the

Royal West Kent Regiment The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Quee ...

). The

Military Service Act 1916 The Military Service Act 1916 was an Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom during the First World War to impose conscription in Great Britain, but not in Ireland or any other country around the world. The Act The Bill which became ...

swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The provisional battalions thus became anomalous, and on 1 January 1917 they became numbered battalions of their parent units: the 69th became 19th Queen's. Their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas, while carrying out Home Defence duties. 5th Provisional Brigade became 225th Mixed Brigade, and remained on coast defence until the Armistice. 19th Battalion was disbanded on 14 August 1919 at Lowestoft.Army Council Instruction 221 of January 1916 (Appendix 18).Frederick, p. 184.

53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion

This battalion was raised on 22 September 1914 at Dover as the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment from the flood of volunteers coming forward to join ' Kitchener's Army'. It became a reserve battalion on 10 April 1915 to supply drafts to the 7th, 8th and 9th (Service) Bns of the Royal Sussex. In May 1915 it was at

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

, then in September 1915 it moved to

Shoreham-by-Sea Shoreham-by-Sea (often shortened to Shoreham) is a coastal town and port in West Sussex, England. The town is bordered to its north by the South Downs, to its west by the Adur Valley and to its south by the River Adur and Shoreham Beach on th ...

, where it was part of the 5th Reserve Brigade. On 1 September 1916 it was converted into the 23rd Bn, Training Reserve (TR), becoming 25th (Young Soldier) Bn, TR, in May 1917. Then on 27 October 1917 it became 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion of the Queen's at St Albans in 4th Reserve Brigade. The unit reverted to the status of a Service Battalion on 8 February 1919 and was absorbed by 2/4th Bn in April 1919.

1st Volunteer Battalion

Croydon also raised a 'town guard' battalion of part-time volunteers in August 1914, known as the Croydon Riflemen. It was affiliated to the

Volunteer Training Corps The Volunteer Training Corps was a voluntary home defence reserve force in the United Kingdom during World War I. Early development After war had been declared in August 1914, there was a popular demand for a means of service for those men who we ...

(VTC) on 20 February 1915 and became the 1/1st Battalion (Croydon) Surrey Volunteer Training Corps on 8 March. The Volunteers practised on miniature rifle ranges and drilled twice-weekly, some at the Mitcham Road Barracks of 4th Queen's. From 1915 to 1917 the unit constructed some of the trenches of the Outer London Defences at Caterham. In 1917 the battalion was given responsibility for guarding part of the

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its ...

and in 1918 it manned anti-aircraft searchlight stations in Croydon during air raids. In May 1916 the VTCs were brought under the County Territorial Associations, and the unit became the 1st Battalion, Surrey Volunteer Regiment, then on 1 March 1918 the 1st (Croydon) and 12th (

Norbury Norbury is an area of south London. It shares the postcode London SW16 with neighbouring Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross. Etymology The name Norbury derives from ''North Burh'', (North Borough). Some local histories note that ...

) Surrey Bns merged to become 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), virtually recreating the pre-1908 title and role of the 4th Queen's. The unit was stood down by 31 October 1919.

3rd Afghan War

Having served in India throughout World War I without seeing serious service, the 1/4th Queen's (now just 4th Queen's) was involved in the

, serving in the

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

area in May 1919 when the city was surrounded by a cordon of British and Indian troops to prevent a pro-Afghan rising. The battalion received the Afghanistan 1919 battle honour.

Interwar years

When the TF was reformed on 7 February 1920 the 4th Queen's was reconstituted at Mitcham Road Barracks, once more forming part of 131st (Surrey) Brigade in 44th (Home Counties) Division. The TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) the following year.4th Bn Queen's at Regiments.org
/ref> During the 1930s the increasing need for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, particularly for London, was addressed by converting a number of TA infantry battalions into AA units. In 1938 the 4th Queen's was converted to the searchlight (S/L) role, adopting the subsidiary title of 63rd Searchlight Regiment, and numbering its companies 438–440. It formed part of 47 AA Brigade in 5 AA Division.Frederick, pp. 860–2, 871.Litchfield, p. 226.

World War II

63rd (Queen's) Searchlight Regiment

Mobilisation

90cm Projector Anti-Aircraft Flickr 8616022073

The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the

Munich Crisis The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...

, with units manning their emergency positions within 24 hours, even though many did not yet have their full complement of men or equipment. The emergency lasted three weeks, and they were stood down on 13 October. In February 1939 the existing AA defences came under the control of a new

Anti-Aircraft Command Anti-Aircraft Command (AA Command, or "Ack-Ack Command") was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the Territorial Army anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight formations and units defending the United Kingdom. Origin ...

. In June a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. 47 AA Brigade's role was to provide S/L coverage of

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, supporting the AA guns of the

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

Gun Defence Area. However, on 5 November 439 S/L Bty was detached to come under the command of

98th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 98th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed in Gloucestershire during the period of international tension leading up to the outbreak of World War II. It defended aircraft ...

, at

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, deploying 24 teams armed with Lewis guns to defend

Avonmouth Docks The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avo ...

. These detachments were withdrawn 22–24 February 1940 and went to Plymouth. By the Spring of 1940, 63 S/L Rgt HQ was at Bentley, Hampshire. In April 1940 the newly formed 474 S/L Bty arrived from the

West of England West of England is a combined authority area in South West England. It is made up of the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset unitary authorities. The combined authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England Dan ...

and was attached to 63rd S/L Rgt. This battery took over the S/L layout in the

Kings Worthy Kings Worthy is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, approximately two miles north-east of Winchester. Kings Worthy was a tithing of Barton Stacey when the Domesday Book was written. St Mary's church The parish church, built in 186 ...

area controlled by

RAF Tangmere RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, and one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The famous Second World War aces Wing Commander Douglas Bader, a ...

, with Battery HQ at Winton Lodge, later at Worthy Park. Some of the new 150 cm S/Ls were delivered in April 1940 to supplement the older 90 cm lights.474 S/L Bty War Diary 1940–41, TNA file WO166/3322.

Battle of Britain

From the beginning of June there were almost nightly alerts as the

got under way, and on the night of 18/19 June several ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' bombers were picked up by searchlights of 63rd Rgt and destroyed by AA guns and night fighters. On 3 July 1940, 3rd (Ulster) S/L Rgt, just returned from the Dunkirk evacuation, took over control of 474 S/L Bty and the Kings Worthy layout. Later, another newly formed battery, 524 S/L Bty, was assigned to 63rd S/L Rgt.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/79. On 1 August 1940 all the converted searchlight units were transferred to the

(RA) and their companies were redesignated 'batteries'. The 4th Queen's became 63rd (Queen's) Searchlight Regiment, but was awarded the privilege of retaining its Queen's regimental cap badge and buttons.63 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45
/ref>Farndale, Annex M. Southampton was attacked by daylight on 13 August and several times in September. However, the night bombing Bitz, starting in September, saw the S/L units fully engaged, with three big raids on Southampton in November and more in December and January 1941. The S/L layouts had initially been based on a spacing of 3500 yards (3200 m), but due to equipment shortages this had been extended to 6000 yards (5500 m) by September 1940. In November this was changed to clusters of three lights to improve illumination, but this meant that the clusters had to be spaced 10,400 yards (9500 m) apart. The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with Searchlight Control (SLC) radar and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply.Pile's despatch.
/ref> A new 524 Bty joined the regiment on 14 November 1940. This had been formed at 232 S/L Training Rgt at

Devizes Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century civil war between ...

from a

cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...

of experienced officers and men provided by 66th S/L Rgt. 63rd (4th Queen's) S/L Rgt, in turn, supplied a cadre to 230th S/L Training Rgt at Blandford Camp where it provided the basis for a new 561 S/L Bty formed on 17 April 1941. This battery later joined 69th (3rd City of London) S/L Rgt.

Mid-War

The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H35912

The Blitz is considered to have ended in mid-May 1941, though periodic raids continued, such that against Southampton in July. By October 1941 the availability of SLC radar was sufficient to allow AA Command's S/L sites to be 'declustered' into single-light sites spaced at 10,400-yard intervals in 'Indicator Belts' in the approaches to the GDAs, and 'Killer Belts' at 6000-yard spacing to cooperate with the RAF's night-fighters.Routledge, pp. 399–401. In the autumn of 1941 the regiment transferred to 38 Light AA Bde, which provided the S/Ls for 1 AA Division in the London Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ).Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80. 438 Searchlight Bty transferred to 28th (Essex) S/L Rgt on 23 January 1942 and was replaced by 397 S/L Bty from 49th (West Yorkshire) S/L Rgt.

127th (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

However, AA Command had a critical shortage of Light AA gun (LAA) units, and had begun a process of converting some S/L units to the role. 63rd (Queen's) was one of the regiments chosen for conversion, becoming 127th (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in February, with 397, 439, 440 and 524 S/L Btys becoming 416, 439, 440 and 420 LAA Btys respectively.Frederick, pp. 806, 840. Initially, the new regiment returned to 38 LAA Bde after training, though 440 LAA Bty was attached to 49 AA Bde in 1 AA Division. However, in July 127th LAA Rgt transferred to 64 AA Bde in 8 AA Division, which was having to deal with a wave of 'hit-and-run' attacks by ''

Fighter-bombers A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, ...

on coastal targets in

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...

.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/81.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/82. In early December 1942, the regiment transferred from 64 AA Bde to 67 AA Bde in 3 AA Group, which had taken over 8 AA Division's responsibilities.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/83. It moved again to 51 LAA Bde in 6 AA Group in Scotland in April 1943, with 420 LAA Bty remaining directly attached to 3 AA Group for a few weeks before rejoining. However, soon afterwards the regiment mobilised on a three-battery establishment for overseas service (420 Bty remaining with 51 AA Bde, transferring to 85 LAA Rgt on 11 June 1943) and joined 21st Army Group preparing for the planned Allied invasion of Europe ( Operation Overlord). The regiment was designated as a Base & Port Defences unit.

Normandy

127th LAA Regiment's role in the Normandy landings was to defend the artificial Mulberry harbour under 76 AA Bde. The regiment manned a 40 mm

Bofors gun AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years. History Located i ...

on each of 34 'Phoenix' caissons, four more on three 'Corncob' blockships, and 16 on the Mulberry HQ ship, HMS ''Despatch'', which had been converted into an AA cruiser. The regiment also had 62 LAA Bty of 20th LAA Rgt under command for the operation. The first caissons and blockships sailed on D-Day itself, and 76 AA Bde reported that seven Phoenixes and three Corncobs manned by 127 LAA Rgt had been successfully sunk in place on 11 June. By 16 June, 17 LAA guns on Phoenixes and four on Corncobs were ready for action. In the early stages, the only casualty was one Phoenix that overturned, tipping its crew into the water. ''Luftwaffe'' day and night attacks over the beachhead were common, but not particularly effective. Assembly of the artificial harbour at

Arromanches Arromanches-les-Bains (; or simply Arromanches) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arromanchais'' or ''Arromanchaises''. Geography Arromanches-le ...

progressed over the succeeding days, but a severe storm on the night of 20/21 June caused serious damage: most of the gun crews were taken off by boat, but one Phoenix under tow capsized with 12 men of 127th LAA Rgt (four of whom were rescued), several other guns were damaged and half the ammunition was washed overboard. Afterwards, 76 AA Bde reduced the manning to 10 guns on Phoenixes, together with the four on the Corncobs and 16 on ''Despatch''. Regimental HQ was established ashore at Manvieux, coming under the operational control of 125th LAA Rgt.76 AA Bde War Diary, 1944, TNA file WO 171/1084. As the land campaign progressed, 127th LAA Rgt continued to protect the vital Mulberry, latterly with HMS ''Adventure'' replacing ''Despatch''. By the end of August, once 21st Army Group had broken out of the Normandy bridgehead, 105 AA Bde arrived to take over command of some of the AA units in the bridgehead, including 127th LAA Rgt.

Antwerp

105 AA Brigade and 127th LAA Rgt were withdrawn from the Normandy Base Area between 5 and 14 October, and moved up to reinforce the AA defences of Antwerp. This port was vital for 21st Army Group's supplies, and the defences had to cover both the harbour and its approaches up the

Scheldt Estuary The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

. 127th LAA Regiment was assigned to the 'Scheldt South' AA layout under 105 AA Bde. One of the principal LAA roles, in conjunction with searchlights, was to deal with mine-laying aircraft. Antwerp itself was heavily bombarded by

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...

s but there was little air activity over the estuary. The regiment remained in the North West Europe theatre until

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, still in the 'South Scheldt' layout, under the command of 75 AA Bde. 127th (Queen's) LAA Rgt remained in

British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located ...

until 1 March 1946 when it was ordered into suspended animation, completing the process on 28 March.

Postwar

When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the regiment was reformed at Croydon as 598 (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. The full subsidiary title (4th Bn The Queen's Regiment) was added in about 1950–51, when the regiment adopted a supplementary shoulder title of 'QUEEN'S' in white on a red backing worn below the RA shoulder title. 598 LAA Regiment formed part of 106 AA Brigade (TA), based at

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable ...

. When AA Command was disbanded in 1955, 598 LAA Regiment merged with two other Surrey units, 565 (Surrey) LAA/SL Regiment at Kingston, and 566 (City of London Rifles) LAA Regiment, at

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * ...

, to form a new 565th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment at Sutton in 30 AA Bde with the following organisation:Frederick, p. 1025.Frederick, p. 1022.564–591 Regiments at British Army 1945 on
/ref> * P (City of London Rifles) Bty * Q (4th Queen's) Bty * R (Surrey) Bty * S (City of London Rifles) Bty In 1961 a further reorganisation saw 565 Regiment converted back to infantry and merged with 5th and 6th Queen's to form 3rd (V) Battalion in the new

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army which existed from 1959 to 1966. In 1966, it was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment, the Royal Sussex Regiment and the Middlesex Regime ...

with C Company based at Croydon.

Honorary Colonels

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit: *

William Monson, 1st Viscount Oxenbridge William John Monson, 1st Viscount Oxenbridge PC (18 February 1829 – 16 April 1898), known as The Lord Monson between 1862 and 1886, was a British Liberal politician. He served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard between 1880 and 1885 and ...

, appointed 18 March 1882 * Sir Frederick Edridge, appointed 7 April 1906 * Colonel

Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe Henry Edward Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe (14 March 1867 – 27 October 1947), was a British politician and peer, the son of George Cubitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe, and his wife Laura Joyce. He is also the great-grandfather of Queen Camilla. Educatio ...

, CB, TD, appointed 12 July 1922 * J.M. Newnham, OBE, appointed 19 October 1927 (former CO of the 1st Surrey VB of the VTC).

Battle Honours

The 4th Queen's was awarded the following

s: * Second Boer War: South Africa 1900–1902 * World War I: North West Frontier 1916–1917, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Rumani, Egypt 1915–1916, Marne 1918, Soissonais, Ourgq, Gaza, El Musha, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell Asur, Palestine 1917–1918, Ypres 1917, Broodseinde, Passchendaele 1917, Cambrai, France and Flanders 1914–1918. The Royal Artillery does not carry battle honours, so none were awarded to the battalion for service during World War II

Memorials

A pair of brass plaques in the entrance to

Croydon Town Hall Croydon Town Hall is a council building in Katharine Street, Croydon which serves as headquarters for Croydon London Borough Council. It is a Grade II listed building. History Croydon's first town hall, which was located on the west side of th ...

list the names of 103 residents of the town who served in the Second Boer War with 1st VB The Queen's. A wooden panel was set up in the foyer of the town hall in 1953, which gives a potted history of the battalion including its changes of title, battle honours, and service during World War II. A war memorial to 4th Queens in the form of a carved oak screen was erected in 1922 in Croydon Parish Church (

Croydon Minster Croydon Minster is the parish and civic church of the London Borough of Croydon. There are currently more than 35 churches in the borough, with Croydon Minster being the most prominent. It is Grade I listed. Six Archbishops of Canterbury are b ...

since 2011), and the

King's Colours The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as King's Colours, the first Union Flag, the Union Jack, or the British flag, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801. It was the first flag of Great Britain. It is the precursor ...

of the 2/4th and 3/4th Bns were laid up there during the dedication on 22 November 1922. The old

Regimental colours In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

of the 4th Queen's were also laid up in the church on 5 April 1964.Croydon Minster

Notes

References

* ''Army Council Instructions Issued During January 1916'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1916. * ''Army Council Instructions Issued During December 1916'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1916. * Brig C.F. Aspinall-Oglander, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations Gallipoli'', Vol II, ''May 1915 to the Evacuation'', London: Heinemann, 1932/Imperial War Museum & Battery Press, 1992, . * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3a: New Army Divisions (9–26)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1938/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Ian F.W. Beckett, ''Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908'', Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, . * David L. Bullock, ''Allenby's War: The Palestine-Arabian Campaigns 1916–1918'', London: Blandford Press, 1988, .

* Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938. * Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol III, ''May–July: The German Diversion Offensives and the First Allied Counter-Offensive'', London: Macmillan, 1939/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1994, . * Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds & Lt-Col R. Maxwell-Hyslop, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol V, ''26th September–11th November, The Advance to Victory'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1947/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1993, . * Maj L.F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol I: ''The Battle of Normandy'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . * Maj L.F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol II: ''The Defeat of Germany'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . * Capt Cyril Falls, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine'', Vol II, ''From June 1917 to the End of the War'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1930/Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military Press, 2013, . * Gen Sir

Martin Farndale General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s. Military career Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farnd ...

, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * Jock Haswell, ''Famous Regiments Series: The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (The 2nd Regiment of Foot)'', London: Hamish Hamilton, 1967. * T.A. Heathcote, ''The Afghan Wars 1839–1919'', London: Osprey, 1980, . * Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, . * * N.B. Leslie, ''Battle Honours of the British and Indian Armies 1695–1914'', London: Leo Cooper, 1970, . * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, . * Lt-Gen Sir George MacMunn & Capt Cyril Falls, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine'', Vol I, ''From the Outbreak of War with Germany to June 1917'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1928/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1992, . * H. Keatley Moore & W.C. Berwick Sayers, ''Croydon and the Great War: The Official History of the War Work of the Borough and its Citizens from 1914 to 1919'', Croydon: Central Public Library, 1920/Fb&c Limited, 2015, . * John North, ''Gallipoli: The Fading Vision'', London: Faber & Faber, 1936. * F.W. Perry, ''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 5b: Indian Army Divisions'', Newport: Ray Westlake, 1993, . * Brian Robson, ''Crisis on the Frontier: The Third Afghan War and the Campaign in Waziristan 1919–20'', Staplehurst: Spellmount, 2004, . * Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, . * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, . * ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927. * Ray Westlake, ''British Regiments at Gallipoli'', Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 1996, . * Ray Westlake, ''Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'', Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, . * Leon Wolff, ''In Flanders Fields: The 1917 Campaign'', London: Longmans, 1959/Corgi, 1966.

Online sources

British Army units from 1945 on

British Military History

Great War Forum
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023003523/http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php , date=23 October 2015
Imperial War Museum, War Memorials Register

The Long, Long Trail

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files

Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment website

* ttps://ra39-45.co.uk Royal Artillery 1939–1945
Stepping Forward: A Tribute to the Volunteer Military Reservists and Supporting Auxiliaries of Greater London

Military units and formations established in 1908 Military units and formations disestablished in 1961 Military units and formations in London Military units and formations in Surrey Military units and formations in Croydon Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)