The 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) (5th King's) was a volunteer unit of the

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 when a single battalion was raised as The Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Foot. ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. It traced its heritage to the raising in 1859 of a number rifle volunteer corps in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, which were soon consolidated into the 1st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC). It was affiliated to the King's Regiment (Liverpool), and became its 1st Volunteer Battalion of the regiment. In 1908 the battalion was transferred to 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 in ...

as the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool). It saw active service on the Western Front during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, as did its second line second-line battalion, and even a garrison battalion. Before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

it again formed a second line battalion. Both served in home defence, but the 5th King's landed in Normandy on

D Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

as part of a specialist beach group 1939. When the Territorial Army was reduced in 1967, the 5th King's became a company of the

Lancastrian Volunteers The Lancastrian Volunteers was a short lived Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, composed of companies from the North West affiliated regiments. History The regiment was formed in 1967, by the amalgamation of the 8 Territor ...

Volunteer Force

The 1st Lancashire RVC of three companies was raised in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, by Nathaniel Bousfield, one of the originators 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 integrate ...

; his commission as

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

-Commandant dated 11 June 1859 was the first to be issued in the new Volunteer Force. A Liverpool cotton broker, he had made several attempts since 1852 to raise a volunteer unit in the city, and in 1855 had founded the Liverpool Drill Club from young men in the cotton trade who drilled twice weekly in his warehouse.Westlake, pp. 139–51. Other corps quickly followed and in May 1860 a number of these units in the Liverpool area were grouped together as the 1st Administrative Battalion, Lancashire RVCs:Frederick, p. 127. * 1st (Liverpool) Lancashire RVC, three companies, formed 28 June 1859 * 22nd (Liverpool Exchange) Lancashire RVC, two companies, formed 30 January 1860; left 1st Admin Battalion December 1861 and disbanded 1863 * 38th (Liverpool) Lancashire RVC, formed in the Fairfield area on 20 January 1860 and known as the 1st Sub-division until March * 45th Lancashire RVC, formed in Liverpool on 27 February 1860 * 66th (Liverpool Borough Guard) Lancashire RVC, formed on 25 April 1860 * 69th (Liverpool) Lancashire RVC, formed on 31 May 1860 These units (except the 22nd) were consolidated on 27 December 1861 to form the eight-company 1st Lancashire RVC. The 14th (Edge Hill) Lancashire RVC of two companies was formed in the Edge Hill area on 10 November 1859 and known as the 2nd Sub-Division until December. It initially joined the 2nd Admin Battalion, but transferred to the new 1st RVC in December 1861. The 74th (St Anne's) Lancashire RVC formed in the St Anne's area on 2 July 1860 was also absorbed into the 1st Lancashire RVC in 1862. A cadet corps of the RVC was formed in April 1865, but disbanded in 1884. The Rev John Howson was appointed Honorary Chaplain in 1865, but later transferred to the 80th (Liverpool Press Guard) Lancashire RVC.''Army List'', various dates.

Cardwell Reforms

Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attentio ...

of 1872, volunteer battalions were brigaded with their local regular and

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

battalions. Sub-District No 13 (County of Lancashire) was formed in Northern District with headquarters at Liverpool and the following units assigned: * 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) * 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles) (2 battalions) * 1st Lancashire RVC (with 48th and 54th Lancashire RVCs attached) * 5th (Liverpool Volunteer Rifle Brigade) Lancashire RVC * 64th (Liverpool Irish) Lancashire RVC * 80th (Liverpool Press Guard) Lancashire RVC The 1st Lancashire RVC became a volunteer battalion of The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 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 w ...

on 1 July 1881 with 10 companies, and was redesignated as the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the regiment on 1 March 1888. Two more companies were sanctioned in 1883, followed by a 13th in 1900 when the Volunteers were expanded during the

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

. 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. The

Stanhope Memorandum The Stanhope Memorandum was a document written by Edward Stanhope, the Secretary of State for War of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on 8 December 1888. It set out the overall strategic aims of the British Empire, and the way the B ...

of December 1888 proposed a more comprehensive Mobilisation Scheme for volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training. Under this scheme the Volunteer Battalions of the King's (Liverpool Regiment), together with VBs from other regiments based in Lancashire and

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

formed a large and unwieldy Mersey Brigade. By 1900 the brigade consisted only of the 1st–6th and 8th Volunteer Bns King's.

Territorial Force

When the

Volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

were subsumed into the new

(TF) under the

Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the e ...

of 1908, the battalion became the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool), on 1 April 1908, It remained in the Liverpool Brigade, assigned to the TF's West Lancashire Division. It was headquartered at 65 St Anne Street in Liverpool, which served as the

drill hall A drill hall is a place such as a building or a hangar where soldiers practise and perform military drills. Description In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the term was used for the whole headquarters building of a military reserve unit, ...

for the eight-company battalion.''Monthly Army List'', August 1914.
/ref>James, p. 52.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 133–9.King's at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>Wyrall, ''King's'', p. 72.

World War I

Mobilisation

At the outbreak of

the West Lancashire Division had just begun its annual training and when mobilisation was ordered on 4 August 1914 the units were sent back to their drill halls. The 5th King's mobilised at St Anne St under the command of Lieutenant Colonel J. M. McMaster and went to its war station guarding 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 ...

, then joined the rest of the Liverpool Brigade at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

.55th Division at Long, Long Trail.
/ref> The TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on 10 August 1914 TF units were invited to volunteer for overseas service and the majority did so. On 15 August, the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

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.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 1–7.

1/5th King's

In October 1914 the West Lancashire Division concentrated in

. However, the division was progressively broken up to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force fighting on the Western Front. The 1/5th King's was one of the units that left, landing at

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

on 22 February 1915 and joining 6th Brigade in 2nd Division. It served with 2nd Division in the following actions:Becke, Pt 1, pp. 41–7. *

Battle of Festubert The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915) was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. The offensive formed part of a series of attacks by the French Tenth Army and the British ...

: in the successful night attack of 15 May 1/5th King's were in reserve, providing carrying parties for the assaulting troops; further attacks next day were stopped by enemy fire. On 17 May the battalion was in support. Nevertheless, it suffered a number of casualties in these actions. * In August 1/5th King's was attached temporarily to 2nd Divisional HQ to act as pioneers, probably because of the amount of

Tunnel warfare Tunnel warfare refers to aspects of warfare relating to tunnels and other underground cavities. It includes the construction of underground facilities in order to attack or defend, and the use of existing natural caves and artificial underg ...

and crater fighting on the division's front. It was not employed in 6th Bde's disastrous attack at the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used Chemical weapons in World War I, ...

on 25 September. The battalion was brought back into the divisional area that night to relieve troops for a renewed attack. By 1 October 6 Bde was holding part of 'Gun Trench' near the Hohenzollern Redoubt, with 1/5th King's in support. They were relieved on 3/4 October, and although they went back into the line on 13 October they were not engaged in the Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On 15 December 1/5th King's transferred to 99th Brigade, still in 2nd Division, but left on 7 January 1916 to rejoin its brigade in the West Lancashire Division, which were being reformed in France as 165th (Liverpool) Brigade and 55th (West Lancashire) Division respectively. It remained with this formation until the end of the war, taking part in the following engagements: *

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

: ** Battle of Guillemont: in an attack here on 8 August 1/5th King's achieved the only small gain of the day. After the main attack on 3 September patrols of 1/5th King's penetrated deeply into High Wood and consolidated the captured ground. British soldiers in wrecked German trench at Ginchy 1916 IWM Q 4338

British soldiers in wrecked German trench at Ginchy 1916 IWM Q 4338

** Battle of Ginchy (9 September): the battalion successfully ' bombed' their way into the trench known as Wood Lane. ** Battle of Flers–Courcelette (17–22 September) British infantry Morval 25 September 1916

British infantry Morval 25 September 1916

** Battle of Morval (25–28 September): 165th Bde seized its first and second objectives near Gueudecourt, then 1/5th King's went up from reserve to reinforce the position. *

Third Battle of Ypres The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, f ...

: **

Battle of Pilckem Ridge The Battle of Pilckem Ridge (31 July – 2 August 1917) was the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The British Fifth Army (United Kingdom), Fifth Army, supported by the Second Army (United Kingdom), Second Army o ...

(31 July –2 August 1917) ** Battle of the Menin Road Ridge (20–23 September) * Battle of Cambrai (20–21 November): 55th (WL) Division had to go back into the line when the Germans counter-attacked on 30 November. 1/5th King's held Fleeceall Post, driving off a frontal attack, but the rest of the brigade suffered severely. * Battle of the Lys: ** Battle of Estaires: 1/5th King's was the left hand battalion of the division when the Germans broke through the neighbouring Portuguese troops on 9 April; although attacked in flank, the battalion's outposts fell back fighting according to plan, first to the 'Old British Line' and then to the 'Line of Resistance', where the battalion held its positions for the rest of the day. 55th (WL) Division then fought in the Defence of

Givenchy Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert d ...

. On 11 April Lt-Col A. Buckley, commanding 1/5th King's organised on his own initiative a successful local counter-attack by all available troops, including part of 13th King's. On 13 April, 'Route A Keep' captured by the Germans on 9 April, was recovered by a night attack by 165th (2/1st L) Bde employing an extemporised company composed of men from 1/5th, 1/6th, 10th and 13th Bns, King's, preceded by a 'crash' barrage lasting just 3 minutes. *

Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...

: ** Capture of Givenchy Craters (24 August) ** Capture of Canteleux Trench (17 September) ** Pursuit to Mons (2 October–11 November) The battalion was at Ath in Belgium when the

Armistice with Germany {{Short description, none This is a list of armistices signed by the German Empire (1871–1918) or Nazi Germany (1933–1945). An armistice is a temporary agreement to cease hostilities. The period of an armistice may be used to negotiate a peace t ...

came into force on 11 November. 1/5th King's was

demobilised Demobilization or demobilisation (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or becaus ...

on 13 June 1919.

2/5th King's

The 2/5th Bn King's was formed at Liverpool in September 1914. In November it was sent to

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

, and in February 1915 it went to Canterbury where the 1st and 2nd Line Liverpool Brigades had been temporarily combined under a single commander. The 2nd Line brigade and division were numbered as 171st (2/1st Liverpool) Brigade in

57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division The 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division was an infantry formation of the Territorial Force created in 1914 as part of the massive expansion of the British Army during the First World War. It served on the Western Front during 1917 and 1918. The ...

on 1 August 1915. Until November the infantry only had obsolete .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles with which to train; then they were given salvaged

Lee–Enfield The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century, and was the standard service rifle of th ...

.303-inch rifles in poor condition. At this time 57th (2nd WL) Division formed part of Second Army of

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. \mathbf(\mathbf) = F( \mathbf ) where F is a force vector, ''F'' is a scalar valued force function (whose abso ...

in Home Forces, but in July 1916 it moved into the Emergency Reserve around

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

, with 2/5th King's at Bourley. In September it moved to

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...

.57th Division at Long, Long Trail.
/ref> In January 1917 57th (2nd WL) Division was released for service with the BEF, and the units crossed to France in February, taking their place in the line on 25 February. The division took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October–7 November) during the Third Ypres Offensive. By early 1918 the BEF was suffering a manpower crisis and 2/5th King's was broken up on 1 February 1918 to reinforce other battalions of the regiment: 2/6th (Rifles), 2/7th, 11th (Service) (Pioneers) and 12th (Service).

3/5th King's

The 3/5th King's was formed at Liverpool in May 1915 and moved to Blackpool in the Autumn. Its role was to train reinforcement drafts for the 1st and 2nd Line battalions. By early 1916 it was at the training camp at

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...

. It was redesignated 5th (Reserve) Bn, King's, on 8 April 1916, and on 1 September it absorbed 6th (Reserve) (Rifle) Bn. It formed part of the West Lancashire Reserve Brigade at Oswestry for the rest of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 12 June 1919.

25th King's

The remaining Home Service men of the TF were separated when the 3rd Line battalions were raised in May 1915, and were formed into Provisional Battalions for home defence. The men of 5th King's joined with those from the 6th (Rifle) Bn to form 43rd Provisional Battalion at

Sheringham Sheringham (; population 7,367) is a seaside town and civil parish in the county of Norfolk, England.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. . The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. It joined 3rd Provisional Brigade in the defences of

East Anglia East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...

.Army Council Instructions, January 1916, Appendix 18. The

Military Service Act 1916 The Military Service Act 1916 (5 & 6 Geo. 5. c. 104) was an Act of Parliament, 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 British jurisdi ...

swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. On 1 January 1917 43rd Provisional Battalion became 25th Battalion, King's in 223rd Bde. Part of the role of the former provisional units was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas, and 25th Kings landed at

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...

as a 'Garrison Guard' battalion on 7 May 1918. In France it was attached to 59th (2nd North Midland) Division at Estrée-Cauchy, and on 16 June it joined 176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade in that formation. By mid-July the 'Garrison Guard' title had been dropped and it became a fighting battalion, serving with 176th Bde at the Battle of Albert (21–23 August) and the final advance in Artois and Flanders.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 17–23. On 21–22 October Fifth Army was closing up to the Schelde and 59th (2nd NM) Division tried to establish bridgeheads across the river. A chain stretching across the river was found at Esquelmes and a ferry extemporised; 25th King's went across, but the men found themselves waist deep in marshy ground on the far bank. Nevertheless, they made contact as ordered with Second Army at Pecq. By the Armistice the battalion had reached Velaines, north-east of

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

. 25th King's continued serving after the war, and was finally disbanded in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

on 28 March 1920.

Interwar

When the TF was reconstituted on 7 February 1920, 5th King's was reformed. It was planned to have been amalgamated with 6th (Rifle) Bn, King's, by 1922, but the order was rescinded. 5th King's did however carry the '(Rifle)' subtitle until 1937. The parent regiment altered its title to King's Regiment (Liverpool) from 1 January 1921, and the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) later that year/ The battalion continued in 165th (Liverpool) Infantry Brigade in 55th (West Lancashire Division. After the

Munich Crisis The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the German annexation of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudete ...

of 1938, the TA was doubled in size and most units formed duplicates. The 5th King's was ordered to raise a duplicate battalion on 31 March 1939, and this was formed in May. It was designated 9th Battalion, taking the number of a TF battalion that had fought in World War I and had afterwards been converted into the divisional engineers.

World War II

German Experimental Pile - Haigerloch - April 1945

5th King's

The TA was mobilised on 1 September 1939, and war was declared on 3 September. 5th King's remained in 165th (Merseyside) Bde of 55th (WL) Division, which was organised as a motor division. However, it did not go to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and remained in the UK. After the BEF was evacuated from Dunkirk, 55th (WL) Division was converted into a conventional infantry division in June 1940, serving in II Corps in

. It remained in home defence, and in January 1942 it was placed on a lower establishment, indicating that it would not be deployed overseaJoslen, pp. 89–91, 351–3. 5th King's left 55th (WL) Division on 16 April 1943, and on 18 July it joined 163rd Infantry Brigade of the 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division. This division eased to exist on 14 December 1943, when divisional HQ became HQ Lines of Communications for

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

, and many of it units were assigned roles in the forthcoming Allied invasion of Normandy (

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

). 5th King's was assigned to No 5 Beach Group as its infantry component, and landed with it on

Sword Beach Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord. The Allied invasion of German-occupied Fra ...

D day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

(6 June 1944). After the successful completion of the assault landing phase of Overlord, 5th King's continued to serve with 21st Army Group on line of communication duties for the remainder of the campaign in North West Europe. The battalion was placed in suspended animation in 1945.

9th King's

9th King's mobilised in 164th Brigade of 55th (WL) Division. After the division was reduced to lower establishment, the battalion left on 17 September 1942 to join 206th Independent Infantry Bde. This was initially attached to 46th Division, but that formation was preparing to embark for the Allied invasion of North Africa (

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...

), so from 1 December 1942 206th Bde was attached to 43rd (Wessex) Division, which was training for Overlord in Kent. 9th King's returned to 55th (WL) Division on 12 April 1943 joining 165th Bde. The division served in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

from 21 December 1943 until July 1944. When it returned to the UK, 9th King's left the division. Most formations in Home Forces were by now committed to supplying reinforcements to the units fighting overseas. 9th King's passed into suspended animation on 21 March 1946.

Postwar

When the TA was formally reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the 5th and 9th battalions were amalgamated and reformed as 5th King's. Its successor in the

Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army. It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. Descended from the Territorial Force ( ...

from 1967 was B (King's) Company,

.Frederick, pp. 338–9.

Honorary Colonels

Successive

Earls of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

served as honorary colonel of the battalion during its existence: *

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869), known as Lord Stanley from 1834 to 1851, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served three times as Prime ...

, appointed 10 September 1862, died 23 October 1869 *

Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby (21 July 182621 April 1893; known as Lord Stanley from 1851 to 1869) was a British statesman. He served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs twice, from 1866 to 1868 and from 1874 to 1878, and also ...

, appointed 21 September 1870, died 23 April 1893 *

Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby (15 January 1841 – 14 June 1908), known as Hon. Frederick Stanley until 1886 and Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886–1893, was a Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician in the Un ...

, appointed 15 January 1894, died 14 June 1908 *

Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby (4 April 1865 – 4 February 1948), styled The Hon. Edward Stanley from 1886–93 and Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British peer, soldier, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politic ...

, TD, appointed 15 June 1908, died 4 February 1948 *

John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby Edward John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby (21 April 1918 – 28 November 1994), styled Lord Stanley from 1938 to 1948, was a British hereditary peer, landowner and businessman. Background and education The eldest son of Edward Stanley, Lord Stan ...

, MC, TD, Lt-Col King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1947, and Hon Col of the TA battalion and its successors until 1967

Notes

References

* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 1: The Regular British Divisions'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1934/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * 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, . * Ian F.W. Beckett, ''Riflemen Form: A Study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908'', Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, . * * Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol II, ''March–April: Continuation of the German Offensives'', London: Macmillan, 1937/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1995, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2009, . * 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, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2021, . * 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, . * Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, . * Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, ''Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, . * Capt Wilfred Miles, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1916'', Vol II, ''2nd July 1916 to the End of the Battles of the Somme'', London: Macmillan, 1938/Imperial War Museum & Battery Press, 1992, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2005, . * Capt Wilfred Miles, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1917'', Vol III, ''The Battle of Cambrai'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1948/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2009, . * War Office, ''Army Council Instructions Issued During January 1916'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1916. * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, . * War Office, ''Army Council Instructions Issued During January 1916'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1916. * War Office, ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927. * Ray Westlake, ''Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'', Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, .
Everard Wyrall, ''The History of the Second Division, 1914–1918'', Vol 1, London: Nelson, 1921/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2002
. * Everard Wyrall, ''History of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1914–1919'', London: Arnold, 3 Vols, 1928–35/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2002, .

External sources

Chris Baker, ''The Long, Long Trail''