The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a

line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Art ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation wa ...

by the amalgamation of the

30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot 30 (thirty) is the natural number following 29 and preceding 31. In mathematics 30 is an even, composite, pronic number. With 2, 3, and 5 as its prime factors, it is a regular number and the first sphenic number, the smallest of the fo ...

and

59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot The 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1755 in response to the threat of renewed war with France. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment ...

with the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire. In 1958 the regiment was amalgamated with the South Lancashire Regiment to form the

Lancashire Regiment The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army that had a very short existence. History The regiment was formed, as a consequence of defence cuts instigated by the 1957 Defence White Paper, b ...

which was, in 1970, merged with the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) to form the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. In 2006, the Queen's Lancashire was further amalgamated with the

King's Own Royal Border Regiment The King's Own Royal Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1959 until 2006, and was part of the King's Division. It was formed at Barnard Castle on 1 October 1959 through the amalgamation of the King's Ow ...

and the King's Regiment (Liverpool and Manchester) to form the present Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border).

History

Formation and service to 1914

Regular battalions

The 1st Battalion was formed from the

(raised in 1702) and the 2nd Battalion from the

(raised 1755) and the regiment was renamed the East Lancashire Regiment in July 1881. Under the system introduced in 1881, one battalion of each infantry regiment was to serve at a home station while the other was in a foreign garrison or on active service. Due to the emergency caused by the outbreak of war in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

in 1899 most home service battalions were dispatched to the conflict. The 1st East Lancashire Regiment arrived at

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

in early February 1900, and remained posted in South Africa until after the war ended, leaving Cape Two again in November 1902.

Militia and volunteer/territorial battalions

The 1881 reforms also linked the

and rifle volunteer units of the area into the regimental structure: * The

5th Royal Lancashire Militia The 5th Royal Lancashire Militia (5th RLM) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England just before the Crimean War. It later became part of the East Lancashire Regiment. Although primarily intended for home d ...

was redesignated as the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment. * The 2nd Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps, based at

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

: renamed to 1st Volunteer Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment in 1889 * The 3rd Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps, based at

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Br ...

: renamed to 2nd Volunteer Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment in 1889 The militia was a reserve force that was only liable to service in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and in peace time assembled for period of annual training. In time of war it could be "embodied" or mobilised. When the war that broke out in South Africa in 1899 began to absorb a large amount of the regular army's resources, the terms of service of the militia were altered to allow them to serve in the war. The 3rd Battalion was embodied in January 1900 and served in South Africa until 1902. It was disembodied in March 1902. The battalion was awarded the battle honour "South Africa 1900–1902". The volunteer battalions were organised for home defence purposes, and their members were subject to regular drills and training. Like the militia battalion, elements of the volunteers fought in South Africa. While members of the Volunteer Force could not be required to serve overseas, members from the battalions were voluntarily formed into Active Service Companies, providing reinforcements for the regular battalion. Both volunteer battalions were awarded battle honours for the war.

=1908 reorganisation

= In 1908, under the

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (''7 Edw. 7, c.9'') was an Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer ...

the militia and volunteer force were reconstituted as the "Special Reserve" and "

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). Territorial battalions were renumbered in series after the special reserve battalions. The resulting titles were: * 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion * 4th Battalion (TF) ''(formerly 1st Volunteer Battalion)'' at Canterbury Street in Blackburn * 5th Battalion (TF) ''(formerly 2nd Volunteer Battalion)'' at Bank Parade in Burnley The Territorial Force was restructured into 14 infantry divisions, and the 4th and 5th battalions formed part of the East Lancashire Brigade of the East Lancashire Division. It was as part of that division that were to be mobilised in August 1914 after the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

First World War

The size of the regiment was increased during the conflict, reaching a total of 17 battalions. 4thEastLancsSapheadGivenchy28Jan1918

Victoria Crosses

Four members of the regiment were awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

for gallantry: *Drummer

Spencer John Bent Spencer John Bent, VC, MM (known as "Joe") (18 March 1891 – 3 May 1977) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwea ...

, 1st Battalion (Le Gheer, Belgium, 1 –2 November 1914) *Private William Young, 8th Battalion (Fonquevillers, France, 22 December 1915) *Second Lieutenant Alfred Victor Smith, 1/5th Battalion (Helles, Galliopoli, Turkey, 23 December 1915) *Second Lieutenant Basil Arthur Horsfall, attached to 11th Battalion (Between Moyenneville and Ablainzevelle, France, 21 March 1918)

Inter war

Between the Wars the East Lancs served in many conflicts including Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Ireland, Turkey, Palestine and the North West Frontier of India.

Second World War

The East Lancashire Regiment was again increased in size for the duration of the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

, although not to such an extent as in 1914–1918. Firstly, prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, the entire Territorial Army was doubled in size, with each unit forming a duplicate. Secondly, a number of wartime battalions were formed.

Victoria Cross

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews of the 1st Battalion was awarded the

for gallantry at Dunkirk on 31 May – 1 June 1940.

Post war

In 1948 the regiment was reduced to a single regular battalion. They served in the Middle East, Malaya, the Suez Canal Zone, India and Aden. In 1957 defence cuts were announced that significantly reduced the size of the army. As a result, the East Lancashire Regiment was amalgamated with The South Lancashire Regiment on 1 July 1958 to form The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers). In 1970 the Lancashire Regiment was in turn amalgamated with the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) to form the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. In 2006 the Queen's Lancashire Regiment was merged with the

and King's Regiment (Liverpool and Manchester) to form a new

large regiment A large regiment is a multi-battalion infantry formation of the British Army. First formed in the 1960s, large regiments are the result of the amalgamation of a number of existing single-battalion regiments, and perpetuate the traditions of each of ...

, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border).

Regimental museum

The Lancashire Infantry Museum is based at

Fulwood Barracks Fulwood Barracks is a military installation at Fulwood in Preston, Lancashire, England. History The barracks were built between 1842 and 1848 as a base, initially at least, for the 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles following the chartist riots. In 18 ...

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

Badges

When the two regiments of foot merged in 1881, new badges were designed that would endure for the rest of the regiment's existence, subject to changes in the style of crown, and which would be worn on the later service dress and battle dress uniforms. The headdress badge selected for the centre of the full dress helmet was a sphinx upon a plinth inscribed "EGYPT". The sphinx had been awarded to the 30th Foot in 1802 to mark its participation in repelling the French invasion of Egypt. The collar badge selected was the

Red Rose of Lancaster The Red Rose of Lancaster (blazoned: ''a rose gules'') was the heraldic badge adopted by the royal House of Lancaster in the 14th century. In modern times it symbolises the county of Lancashire. The exact species or cultivar which it represents i ...

to mark the regiment's county affiliation. In 1897 a

khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...

uniform featuring a

slouch hat A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat most commonly worn as part of a military uniform, often, although not always, with a chinstrap. It has been worn by military personnel from many different nations including Australia, Ireland, the ...

was introduced, and a metal

cap badge A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...

was devised for each regiment or corps. The badge of the East Lancs was the sphinx and "Egypt" above the rose, the whole enclosed within a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom ('' Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel ('' Prunus laurocerasus''). It is ...

topped by a crown. The laurel wreath had formed part of the insignia of the 59th Foot. A scroll inscribed "EAST LANCASHIRE" at the base of the badge completed the design.

Battle honours

The regiment was awarded the following battle honours (those selected for display on the colour are indicated in bold): *''Earlier wars'': **Gibraltar 1704-05, Belle isle, Chitral, South Africa 1900-02 *''First World War'': **Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, '18, Armentières 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres 1915, '17, '18, St Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Somme 1916, '18, Albert 1916, '18, Bazentin, Pozières, Le Transloy, Ancre 1916, '18, Arras 1917, '18, Scarpe 1917, '18, Arleux, Oppy, Messines 1917, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcapelle, Passchendaele, St Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosières, Villers Bretonneux, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Cambrai 1918, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Kosturino, Doiran 1917, '18, Macedonia 1915–18, Helles, Krithia, Suvla, Sari Bair, Gallipoli 1915, Rumani, Egypt 1915–17, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916–17 *''Second World War'': **Defence of Escaut, Dunkirk 1940, Caen, Falaise, Nederrijn, Lower Maas, Ourthe, Rhineland, Reichswald, Weeze, Rhine, Ibbenburen, Aller, North-West Europe 1940 '44-45, Madagascar, North Arakan, Pinwe, Burma 1944-45

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the regiment were: *1881–1889?: (1st Battalion): Gen. Sir George Vaughan Maxwell, KCB ''(ex 30th Foot)'' *1881–1889: (2nd Battalion): Gen. Henry Eyre ''(ex 59th Foot)'' *1889–1890: Gen. Sir Edmund Augustus Whitmore, KCB *1890–1913: Lt-Gen.

Thomas Henry Pakenham Lieutenant-General Thomas Henry Pakenham (26 June 1826 – 20 February 1913) was an Irish Conservative politician and British Army officer. Military career A member of the Pakenham family headed by the Earl of Longford, he was the son of the Ho ...

, CB *1913–1920: Lt-Gen. Sir Percy Henry Noel Lake, KCB, KCMG *1920–1932: Maj-Gen. Sir Cecil Lothian Nicholson, KCB, CMG *1932–1944: F.M. Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO *1944–1946: Maj-Gen. Hugh Tennent MacMullen, CB, CBE, MC *1946–1956: Brig. James Willie Pendlebury, DSO, MC *1956–1958: Maj-Gen. William Harold Lambert, CB, CBE ''(to

)'' *''1958: Regiment amalgamated with The South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) to form The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers)

References

External links

{{British Infantry Regiments World War I Military units and formations established in 1881 Military units and formations in Lancashire Military units and formations in Preston, Lancashire Infantry regiments of the British Army Regiments of the British Army in World War I Regiments of the British Army in World War II 1881 establishments in the United Kingdom Military units and formations disestablished in 1958 R