Othe Kensingtons O 13th London Regiment

Othe Kensingtons O 13th London Regiment
Author: O. F. Bailey
Publisher:
Total Pages: 488
Release: 2002-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781843423645

A brief account of the history of the Kensingtons before the Great War is given in the opening chapter of this book. In 1908 the TF came into existence and with it the unwieldy London Regiment with its 26 battalions, among which was the 13th (County of London) Battalion (Kensington). When war broke out the battalion was already allocated to the 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division, but in November 1914 it left the division and went to France, arriving on 4th; it was allocated to 25th Brigade, 8th Division, a newly formed regular division, with which it fought its first major action, at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. After a spell on the Lines of Communication the battalion joined the re-formed 1st London Division (now numbered 56th) in 168th Brigade, and it fought in that brigade on the Western Front for the rest of the war. In September 1914 a second line battalion was formed (2/13th) and assigned to179th Brigade 60th Division. An unexpected diversion occurred at the end of April 1916 when the brigade was sent to Ireland on internal security duties following the Easter rebellion. A fortnight later it returned to England and on 21 June 60th Division began its move to France. After about four months in the Vimy sector the division was transferred to Macedonia where the battalion arrived at the end of November 1916. Its spell in that theatre was comparatively short for in May 1917 the division moved again - to Palestine where it served with the EEF till the end of the war. This history is arranged in two parts, the first deals with the first line battalion, 1/4th, and is written by Sgt Bailey; the second part is the history of the 2/4th, written by Sgt Hollier. There is a final chapter covering the post-war period up to 1935, written by one of the commanding officers. The Roll of Honour lists the dead (60 officers 1003 men), alphabetically by ranks, without identifying battalion, nor does the list of Honours and Awards identfy the battalion. The two sergeants have a produced a very workmanlike record of the battalions even though, according to their introduction, relevant material had not been easy to come by and official records were scarce. Nevertheless, aided by the loan of diaries and the assistance of fellow members, I am sure the result was very much appreciated by the Kensingtons Old Comrades Association.

The Kensington Battalion

The Kensington Battalion
Author: G. I. S. Inglis
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 591
Release: 2011-02-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 178346108X

Raised by the Mayor of Kensington, the 22nd Royal Fusiliers (the Kensington Battalion) were a strange mixture of social classes (bankers and stevedores, writers and laborers) with a strong sprinkling of irreverent colonials thrown in. Such a disparate group needed a strong leader and, luckily, in Randle Barratt Barker, they found one, first as their trainer and then as the Commanding Officer.As this superb book reveals The Kensington Battalion had a unique spirit and given their ordeals they needed this. They suffered severely in the battles of 1917 and, starved of reinforcements, were disbanded in 1918. Yet thanks to a strong Old Comrades Association, a special magazine Mufti, welfare work and reunions the Battalions close spirit lived on.The author has successfully drawn on a wealth of first hand material (diaries, letters and official documents) as well as interviews from the 1980s to produce a fitting and atmospheric record of service and sacrifice.

The Royal Corps of Signals

The Royal Corps of Signals
Author: Cliff Lord
Publisher: Helion & Company Limited
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2014-02-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781874622925

The ability to communicate is a prerequisite for success both in military and civil life. Surprisingly, everyone expects access to communications, but rarely wonders how it is achieved. The purpose of this book is to bring into focus one of the cornerstones of the success of the British Army, and to provide an insight into the complexity and diversity of the Royal Corps of Signals. This is done, not by narrative, but by delving into unit history rather than campaign history, thus offering a different perspective for the historian. Royal Signals is one of the largest Corps in the British Army, and consists of a body of very highly trained and dedicated personnel to manage, operate, and repair the advanced technology that is theirs to administer. Signals are the Invisible Elite, without them there is no victory. Before the independent Corps of Signals was formed in 1920, Royal Engineers provided communications for much of the Army. Details of their signal units are included. Reflecting the new technologies as they occur, the reader will see the new signal units being raised to facilitate the exigencies of the time. For example, during the Second World War the Golden Arrow Detachments were created as independent, mobile, high-speed transmitting and receiving stations to provide links to Britain, and thus provide High Command with the information from Commanders in the Field that was desperately needed. These units also passed intercepted enemy signals back to England for the code breakers at Bletchley Park. Other specialist Signal units were created for Air Support, Para Signals, Commandos, Interception, Fixed Communications, Peacekeeping and a multitude of other reasons. In today's changing world signals continue to get their message through - Swift and Sure. This book is a must for historians, genealogists, and those that served. It contains: - Overviews of the Signals Order of Battle at specific times in history- Detailed précis of specialist signal units including Commando, and Para units.- History of 35 Commonwealth and related Signal Corps- Photographs of many rare signal badges- Scores and scores of unit histories both Regular and Territorial from the past to the present

A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army

A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army
Author: Arthur S. White
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2013-02-04
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 178150539X

This is one of the most valuable books in the armoury of the serious student of British Military history. It is a new and revised edition of Arthur White's much sought-after bibliography of regimental, battalion and other histories of all regiments and Corps that have ever existed in the British Army. This new edition includes an enlarged addendum to that given in the 1988 reprint. It is, quite simply, indispensible.

Civil Service Rifles in the Great War

Civil Service Rifles in the Great War
Author: Jill Knight
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2005-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1844152537

Civil servants are not generally known for their soldierly qualities. Yet in the Great War a volunteer regiment of 'civil servants and their friends' served with distinction in the front line, fighting in many of the major battles. This new study, the first since the 1920s, draws on previously unpublished material personal memoirs, diaries and interviews to tell their extraordinary story, and is supported by a wealth of marvellous photographs."

Somme 1916

Somme 1916
Author: Paul Kendall
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 720
Release: 2016-06-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 151070874X

What really happened on the first day of the Somme? Much controversy has surrounded the Somme offensive relating to its justification and its impact upon the course of the war. General Sir Douglas Haig's policies have been the subject of considerable debate about whether the heavy losses sustained were worth the small gains that were achieved which appeared to have little strategic value. That was certainly the case on many sectors on 1 July 1916, where British soldiers were unable to cross No Man's Land and failed to reach, or penetrate into, the German trenches. In other sectors, however, breaches were made in the German lines culminating in the capture that day of Leipzig Redoubt, Mametz and Montauban. This book aims to highlight the failures and successes on that day and for the first time evaluate those factors that caused some divisions to succeed in capturing their objectives whilst others failed. An important new study, this book is certain to answer these questions as well as challenging the many myths and misconceptions surrounding the battle that have been propagated for the last 100 years. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The War History of the 4th Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1914-1919

The War History of the 4th Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1914-1919
Author: F. Clive Grimwade
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2019-12-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

"The War History of the 4th Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1914-1919" by F. Clive Grimwade The 4th Battalion, London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers, was a Volunteer unit of Britain's Territorial Army recruited from East London. Though they fought in multiple battles, this book describes the efforts the men of this battalion made in the First World War from its first mobilization to the last advance.

Toronto’s Fighting 75th in the Great War 1915–1919

Toronto’s Fighting 75th in the Great War 1915–1919
Author: Timothy J. Stewart
Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press
Total Pages: 722
Release: 2017-09-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 177112184X

Foreword by His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales Hospital ships filled the harbour of Le Havre as the 75th Mississauga Battalion arrived on 13 August 1916. Those soldiers who survived would spend almost three years in a tiny corner of northeastern France and northwestern Belgium (Flanders), where many of their comrades still lie. And they would serve in many of the most horrific battles of that long, bloody conflict—Saint Eloi, the Somme, Arras, Vimy, Hill 70, Lens, Passchendaele, Amiens, Drocourt-Quéant, Canal du Nord, Cambrai, and Valenciennes. This book tells the story of the 75th Battalion (later the Toronto Scottish Regiment) and the five thousand men who formed it—most from Toronto—from all walks of life. They included professionals, university graduates, white- and blue-collar workers, labourers, and the unemployed, some illiterate. They left a comfortable existence in the prosperous, strongly pro-British provincial capital for life in the trenches of France and Flanders. Tommy Church, mayor of Toronto from 1915 to 1921, sought to include his city’s name in the unit’s name because of the many city officials and local residents who served in it. Three years later Church accepted the 75th’s now heavily emblazoned colours for safekeeping at City Hall from Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Harbottle, who returned with his bloodied but successful survivors. The author pulls no punches in recounting their labours, triumphs, and travails. Timothy J. Stewart undertook exhaustive research for this first-ever history of the 75th, drawing from archival sources (focusing on critical decisions by Brigadier Victor Oldum, General Officer Commanding 11th Brigade), diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, and interviews.