Hallamshire Battalion
Encyclopedia
The Hallamshire Battalion was part of the York and Lancaster Regiment
of the British Army
.
. The title Hallamshire
came from the ancient lordship of West Riding
comprising the parishes of Sheffield and Ecclesfield
. In 1862 the Hallamshire Rifles were presented with Colours.
In 1881 with the reorganisation of the British Army, during the Cardwell Reforms
, the Hallamshires became a volunteer battalion for the York and Lancaster Regiment and were renamed; 1st (Hallamshire) Volunteer Battalion.
In 1908 they were redesignated as the 4th (Territorial) Battalion. A year later it regained its title becoming 4th (Hallamshire) Battalion.
as part of the 49th (West Riding) Division and sent to the Ypres
salient by June. Over the next six months they lost 94 killed and 401 injured in the attrition warfare of the trenches
.
After a period of rest in Calais
they moved to the Somme . On 1 July
the battalion was part of the follow-up assault wave. During the next three months of the campaign the Hallamshires lost 27 officers and 750 soldiers killed and wounded.
During the rest of the war the Hallamshires suffered many more casualties including 288 in the first use of Mustard Gas at Nieuwpoort
in July 1917. In the final Allied Advance to Victory, the Hallamshires were ordered on 13 October to reach the line of the river Selle
which was supposedly undefended on the western bank. They advanced across open ground without artillery support to find strongly defended enemy positions. They achieved their objective but with only 4 officers and 240 men present of the 20 officers and 600 men who had started the advance.
In 1924 the number was dropped by order of King George V
in recognition of their war service and the battalion was known as simply The Hallamshire Battalion, Yorks and Lancs.
as part of the ill fated Norwegian campaign
in 1940. The battalion arrived with the 146th Infantry Brigade . They were ashore for twelve days seeing limited action and losing their only casualties on the journey home when one of their transports was sunk.
The battalion spent the next two years "defending" Iceland
before returning to Scotland
for garrison duties and to prepare for the invasion of North West Europe
. The Hallamshires landed in France
on 9 June 1944 with the 49th Infantry Division
and moved into the front line four days later. Twelve days after landing the Hallamshires were involved in the attack on Fontenay-le-Pesnel
(Operation Martlet
) against the 26th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The attack was successful but at the expense of 123 members of the battalion killed or wounded. To this day, former members of the battalion at that time still celebrate the victory as the Fontenay Club.
The battalion was involved in the capture of the docks at Le Havre
before the Germans could destroy the vital installations. Here they captured 1,005 prisoners, three Dornier
flying boats and a submarine! In September, the Hallamshires crossed the Antwerp-Turnhout canal and for his part in a subsequent action, Corporal JW Harper
was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
. During the winter months, the battalion served in the Nijmegen salient and participated in the liberation of Arnhem
in April 1945, their final action in World War II. Eleven months had seen the battalion suffer 158 killed and 689 wounded.
York and Lancaster Regiment
-History:It was formed in 1881 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:*65th Regiment*84th RegimentThe title of the regiment was derived not from the cities of York and Lancaster, or from the counties...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
History
Formed in 1859 as The Hallamshire Volunteer Rifle Corps with its H.Q. at SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. The title Hallamshire
Hallamshire
Hallamshire is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, in the current city of Sheffield.The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hallam" originating from a formation meaning "on the rocks"...
came from the ancient lordship of West Riding
West Riding
West Riding could refer to:Areas:*West Riding of Yorkshire, England*West Riding of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England*West Riding of County Cork, Ireland*West Riding of County Galway, IrelandTransport companies:*West Riding Automobile Company...
comprising the parishes of Sheffield and Ecclesfield
Ecclesfield
Ecclesfield is a suburb and civil parish in the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, about north of Sheffield City Centre. At the 2001 census the civil parish— which also includes the Sheffield suburbs of Chapeltown, Grenoside, High Green, and formerly Thorpe Hesley —had a population...
. In 1862 the Hallamshire Rifles were presented with Colours.
In 1881 with the reorganisation of the British Army, during the Cardwell Reforms
Cardwell Reforms
The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874.-Background:...
, the Hallamshires became a volunteer battalion for the York and Lancaster Regiment and were renamed; 1st (Hallamshire) Volunteer Battalion.
Boer War
The Hallamshires (in common with other Volunteer units) raised a second "active service" battalion. They were awarded the Battle Honour]] South Africa 1900-1902.In 1908 they were redesignated as the 4th (Territorial) Battalion. A year later it regained its title becoming 4th (Hallamshire) Battalion.
World War I
In April 1915 the battalion was moved to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as part of the 49th (West Riding) Division and sent to the Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
salient by June. Over the next six months they lost 94 killed and 401 injured in the attrition warfare of the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
.
After a period of rest in Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
they moved to the Somme . On 1 July
First day on the Somme
The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...
the battalion was part of the follow-up assault wave. During the next three months of the campaign the Hallamshires lost 27 officers and 750 soldiers killed and wounded.
During the rest of the war the Hallamshires suffered many more casualties including 288 in the first use of Mustard Gas at Nieuwpoort
Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2008 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062....
in July 1917. In the final Allied Advance to Victory, the Hallamshires were ordered on 13 October to reach the line of the river Selle
Selle
For the composer, see Thomas SelleThe Selle is a river of Picardie, France. Rising at Catheux, just north of Crèvecœur-le-Grand, Oise, it flows past Conty, Saleux, Salouël and Pont-de-Metz before joining the Somme River at Amiens.In many places along its course, the river widens to form or fill...
which was supposedly undefended on the western bank. They advanced across open ground without artillery support to find strongly defended enemy positions. They achieved their objective but with only 4 officers and 240 men present of the 20 officers and 600 men who had started the advance.
In 1924 the number was dropped by order of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in recognition of their war service and the battalion was known as simply The Hallamshire Battalion, Yorks and Lancs.
World War II
The Hallamshires first saw action in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as part of the ill fated Norwegian campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
in 1940. The battalion arrived with the 146th Infantry Brigade . They were ashore for twelve days seeing limited action and losing their only casualties on the journey home when one of their transports was sunk.
The battalion spent the next two years "defending" Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
before returning to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for garrison duties and to prepare for the invasion of North West Europe
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. The Hallamshires landed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 9 June 1944 with the 49th Infantry Division
British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
This military division was formed on 1 April 1908 as the West Riding Division in the Territorial Force of the British Army.- First World War :...
and moved into the front line four days later. Twelve days after landing the Hallamshires were involved in the attack on Fontenay-le-Pesnel
Fontenay-le-Pesnel
-References:*...
(Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet was the name given to the diversionary operation undertaken on 25 June 1944 by the 49th Infantry Division, of XXX Corps, to support Operation Epsom; the assault by the VIII Corps into the Odon Valley...
) against the 26th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The attack was successful but at the expense of 123 members of the battalion killed or wounded. To this day, former members of the battalion at that time still celebrate the victory as the Fontenay Club.
The battalion was involved in the capture of the docks at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
before the Germans could destroy the vital installations. Here they captured 1,005 prisoners, three Dornier
Dornier
Dornier may refer to:* Claudius Dornier , German aircraft designer and builder** Dornier Flugzeugwerke, German aircraft manufacturer founded in 1914 by Claudius Dornier* Dornier Consulting, international consulting and project management company...
flying boats and a submarine! In September, the Hallamshires crossed the Antwerp-Turnhout canal and for his part in a subsequent action, Corporal JW Harper
John William Harper
John William Harper VC 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 Commonwealth forces.-Birth:...
was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. During the winter months, the battalion served in the Nijmegen salient and participated in the liberation of Arnhem
Liberation of Arnhem
Operation Anger , was a military operation to seize the city of Arnhem in April 1945, during the closing stages of the Second World War. It is occasionally referred to as the Second Battle of Arnhem or the Liberation of Arnhem...
in April 1945, their final action in World War II. Eleven months had seen the battalion suffer 158 killed and 689 wounded.