The Liverpool Rifles
Encyclopedia
The Liverpool Rifles was a unit of the British
Territorial Army, formed as a 'volunteer rifle corps' in 1859 before becoming a battalion of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) in 1881.
during the French invasion scare were organised into the 2nd Administrative Battalion. The battalion consolidated as the 5th Lancashire (The Liverpool Rifle Volunteer Brigade) Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1862. When allocated to King's (Liverpool Regiment)
during the Cardwell
-Childers reforms
of the British Armed Forces
, the Liverpool Rifles became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion.
Further integration of the non-regular forces culminated in the establishment of the Territorial Force
in 1908, and the Liverpool Rifles' redesignation as the 6th (Rifle) Battalion. The 6th was assigned to the Liverpool Brigade, West Lancashire Division
, which was formed to administer territorial units in Lancashire
. The battalion was based at Princes Park
Barracks, Upper Warwick Street.
when the First World War
began in August 1914, as initially only a select number of territorial battalions were chosen to join the British Expeditionary Force. The battalion moved to Canterbury
, Kent
in the autumn. In September the Liverpool Rifles formed a second-line duplicate battalion for home service, entitled the 2/6th. A third-line battalion, the 3/6th, was formed in May 1915. The newly redesignated 1/6th left England in February 1915, and landed at Le Havre
on 25 February. The battalion moved to the Ypres
area, where it formed part of the 15th Brigade, 5th Division. The 2/6th followed in February 1917.
The 1/6th's first major engagement occurred on 5 May, in a German attack on Hill 60
during the Second Battle of Ypres
. Control of Hill 60 had briefly fluctuated after its capture in a British attack on 17 April, but fighting ended with the British in possession. Poison gas was used during the preliminary German attack, facilitating the assault against positions held by the 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment
. After Hill 60 was lost, companies from the Liverpool Rifles were used suuccessively in support of the 1st Cheshires; "C" Company, heavily engaged, suffered 60 casualties. The Liverpool Rifles collectively sustained nearly 100 casualties between the period of 5 May-6 May, 22 of whom were killed. German control of Hill 60 was consolidated by 7 May.
In November the Liverpool Rifles left the 5th Division to become Third Army
Troops, later transferring to the 166th Brigade, 55th Division
in January 1916. After the beginning of the Somme Offensive on 1 July, the 1/6th was one of many battalions utilised as reinforcements. The 55th Division fought at Guillemont on 8 August and moved to the Ypres salient. There, on 31 July 1917, another Allied offensive was launched. The battalion's brigade fared better than the rest of the 55h Division, which faced considerable opposition.
The final German offensive of the war (the Spring Offensive
) commenced on 21 March 1918. Substantial gains were made initially before the attack was halted on 25 March. The Liverpool Rifles was heavily engaged in the Allied defence. The eventual halting of the German offensives was followed by a period known as the Hundred Days Offensive
, from August to November. The battalion was positioned west of Ath
, Belgium
, when the Armistce
was signed on 11 November.
Reorganisation of the Territorial Army in the mid-1930s entailed numbered infantry battalions converting to other roles; the Liverpool Rifles transferred to the Royal Engineers
in 1936, becoming the 38th (The King's Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion. In 1940, the battalion transferred to the Royal Artillery
as a searchlight
regiment.
The LiverpooL Rifles served in Liverpool
and Derby
during the Blitz
in 1940. In 1945 the battalion returned to its infantry role while remaining part of the Royal Artillery, retitled as the 635th (The King's Regiment) Regiment. After Germany surrendered in May 1945, the 635th was moved to Norway
with the 303rd Infantry Brigade.
The regiment reconstituted into the Territorial Army in 1947, designated as the 573rd (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (The King's Regiment), based in Liverpool. Anti-Aircraft Command
was disbanded in 1955 and the Liverpool Rifles was reduced in size. By 1967, it was a troop
of P Battery, The West Lancashire Regiment. The regiment was reduced to cadre strength in 1969.
The regiment is currently B Troop, 208 (3rd West Lancs) Battery, 103 Regiment RA.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Territorial Army, formed as a 'volunteer rifle corps' in 1859 before becoming a battalion of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) in 1881.
History
The Liverpool Rifles was raised by Adam Steuart Gladstone in 1859, as the 5th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps. In 1860, a number of corps formed in LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
during the French invasion scare were organised into the 2nd Administrative Battalion. The battalion consolidated as the 5th Lancashire (The Liverpool Rifle Volunteer Brigade) Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1862. When allocated to King's (Liverpool Regiment)
The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
The King's Regiment was one of the oldest infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th Regiment of Foot in 1751...
during the Cardwell
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:...
-Childers reforms
Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
, the Liverpool Rifles became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion.
Further integration of the non-regular forces culminated in the establishment of the Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
in 1908, and the Liverpool Rifles' redesignation as the 6th (Rifle) Battalion. The 6th was assigned to the Liverpool Brigade, West Lancashire Division
British 55th (West Lancashire) Division
The 55th Infantry Division was a British Territorial Force division which served on the Western Front during the First World War.- First World War:...
, which was formed to administer territorial units in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. The battalion was based at Princes Park
Princes Park, Liverpool
Princes Park in Toxteth, Liverpool, England, is a 45 hectare municipal park, 2 miles south east of Liverpool city centre. In 2009 it had it status upgraded to a Grade II* Historic Park by English Heritage....
Barracks, Upper Warwick Street.
World War I
The battalion was not dispatched to the Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
when the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began in August 1914, as initially only a select number of territorial battalions were chosen to join the British Expeditionary Force. The battalion moved to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in the autumn. In September the Liverpool Rifles formed a second-line duplicate battalion for home service, entitled the 2/6th. A third-line battalion, the 3/6th, was formed in May 1915. The newly redesignated 1/6th left England in February 1915, and landed 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...
on 25 February. The battalion moved 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...
area, where it formed part of the 15th Brigade, 5th Division. The 2/6th followed in February 1917.
The 1/6th's first major engagement occurred on 5 May, in a German attack on Hill 60
Battle of Hill 60 (Western Front)
The Battle of Hill 60 was an Australian assault that was subsidiary to the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.-1914-15:Hill 60 was a low rise on the southern flank of the Ypres Salient and was named for the 60 metre contour which marked its bounds. Hill 60 was not a natural highpoint, but was created as a...
during the Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
. Control of Hill 60 had briefly fluctuated after its capture in a British attack on 17 April, but fighting ended with the British in possession. Poison gas was used during the preliminary German attack, facilitating the assault against positions held by the 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment
Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
. After Hill 60 was lost, companies from the Liverpool Rifles were used suuccessively in support of the 1st Cheshires; "C" Company, heavily engaged, suffered 60 casualties. The Liverpool Rifles collectively sustained nearly 100 casualties between the period of 5 May-6 May, 22 of whom were killed. German control of Hill 60 was consolidated by 7 May.
In November the Liverpool Rifles left the 5th Division to become Third Army
British Third Army
-First World War :The Third Army was part of the British Army during World War I and was formed in France on 13 July 1915. The battles it took part in on the Western Front included:*Battle of the Somme*Battle of Cambrai*Second Battle of Arras...
Troops, later transferring to the 166th Brigade, 55th Division
British 55th (West Lancashire) Division
The 55th Infantry Division was a British Territorial Force division which served on the Western Front during the First World War.- First World War:...
in January 1916. After the beginning of the Somme Offensive on 1 July, the 1/6th was one of many battalions utilised as reinforcements. The 55th Division fought at Guillemont on 8 August and moved to the Ypres salient. There, on 31 July 1917, another Allied offensive was launched. The battalion's brigade fared better than the rest of the 55h Division, which faced considerable opposition.
The final German offensive of the war (the Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
) commenced on 21 March 1918. Substantial gains were made initially before the attack was halted on 25 March. The Liverpool Rifles was heavily engaged in the Allied defence. The eventual halting of the German offensives was followed by a period known as the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
, from August to November. The battalion was positioned west of Ath
Ath
Ath is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Hainaut. The Ath municipality includes the old communes of Lanquesaint, Irchonwelz, Ormeignies, Bouvignies, Ostiches, Rebaix, Maffle, Arbre, Houtaing, Ligne, Mainvault, Moulbaix, Villers-Notre-Dame, Villers-Saint-Amand, Ghislenghien...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, when the Armistce
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
was signed on 11 November.
Post-WWI
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in 1936, becoming the 38th (The King's Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion. In 1940, the battalion transferred to the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
as a searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
regiment.
The LiverpooL Rifles served in Liverpool
Liverpool Blitz
The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the British city of Liverpool and its surrounding area, at the time mostly within the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire but commonly known as Merseyside, during the Second World War by the German Luftwaffe.Liverpool, Bootle, and the...
and Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in 1940. In 1945 the battalion returned to its infantry role while remaining part of the Royal Artillery, retitled as the 635th (The King's Regiment) Regiment. After Germany surrendered in May 1945, the 635th was moved to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
with the 303rd Infantry Brigade.
The regiment reconstituted into the Territorial Army in 1947, designated as the 573rd (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (The King's Regiment), based in Liverpool. Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the anti-aircraft artillery units of the British Isles.-History:...
was disbanded in 1955 and the Liverpool Rifles was reduced in size. By 1967, it was a troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
of P Battery, The West Lancashire Regiment. The regiment was reduced to cadre strength in 1969.
The regiment is currently B Troop, 208 (3rd West Lancs) Battery, 103 Regiment RA.