Devonshire Regiment - Organisation and Order of Battle in the Great War

Service Battalions. By spring 1915 it had become clear that voluntary recruitment was not going to provide the numbers of men required. The Government passed the National Registration Act on 15th July 1915 as a step towards stimulating recruitment and to discover how many men between the ages of 15 and 65 were engaged in each trade. The results of this census became available by mid-September 1915 and on 11th October 1915, Lord Derby was appointed Director-General of Recruiting. He brought forward a scheme five days later, always called the Derby Scheme, for raising the numbers. It was half-way to conscription. Disappointed at the results of the Derby Scheme, the Government introduced the Military Service Act on 27 January 1916. All voluntary enlistment was stopped as all British males were now deemed to have enlisted - that is, they were conscripted - if they were aged between 18 and 41 and resided in Great Britain (excluding Ireland) and were unmarried or a widower on 2 November 1915. Conscripted men were no longer given a choice of which service, regiment or unit they joined, although if a man preferred the navy it got priority to take him. This act was extended to married men on 25 May 1916.

The Training Organisation, based on the Regimental Reserve Battalions could not cope with the sheer number of conscripted men now available and a new system was put in place on 1st September 1916 to deal with these numbers. All New Army Regimental Reserve Battalions would lose their Regimental identity and become a Battalion of the Training Reserve. The role of these Battalions was to train new recruits for active service and despatch drafts to Service Battalions overseas. The 11th (Reserve) Reserve Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment was reorganised and re-titled as follows:

11th (Reserve) Battalion. Based at Wareham, formed the 44th Training Reserve Battalion, part of 10th Reserve Brigade.

More Reorganisations.

Territorial Force (TF). On 1st January 1917 the non regimentally affiliated 86th Provisional Battalion TF, made up of some Home Service only men of 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiment TF, and others, and was based at Hearne Bay , part of the 227th Mixed Brigade of the UK Southern Army (Home Defence).

15th Battalion TF. The 86th Provisional Battalion was brought back into the Devonshire Regiment TF Order of Battle as the 15th Battalion TF. This unit continued with its Home and Coastal Defence duties in the UK.
16th (Royal 1st Devon and Royal North Devon Yeomanry) Battalion TF. Formed by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) at Moascar in Egypt on 4th January 1917 from two dismounted Yeomanry units: Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry and the Royal North Devon Yeomanry Hussars,with some officers and men of the Devonshire Regiment.

Training Reserve Battalions. In 1917 the Training Reserve was re-organised to provide better and more specialised training for recruits and a total of 14 TR Battalions were designated "Young Soldier" and "Graduated" Battalions. This system saw these new Young Soldier Battalions take in and trains 18 year olds recruits and train them step by step until the recruits could be posted , in Company strength, to Graduated Battalions for further training until ready to be sent to active service units. In October 1917, these Battalions were affiliated to Regiments of the Line and In the Devonshire Regiment the new units formed were:

51st (Graduated) Battalion. Formed on 27th October 1917 from 206th Graduated Battalion (formerly 33rd Training Reserve Battalion) at North Walsham, part of 192nd Bde, 64th Div.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion. Formed on 27th October 1917 from 210th Graduated Battalion (formerly 37th Training Reserve Battalion) at Taverham, part of 193rd Bde, 64th Div.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion. Formed on 27th October 1917 at Kinmel Park from 35th Young Soldier Battalion, part of 8th (Reserve) Bde.

Battalion	Formed	Brigade	Division	Other Assignments	Notes and Post War
1st Battalion	Regular battalion	8th Brigade	3rd Division	To 14th Bde/5th Div on 30th September 1914. To 95th Bde/5th Div on 12th January 1916	Based at Jersey at Declaration of War. To BEF 21st August 1914 as Lines of Communication Defence Troops. The Battalion served in France and Flanders and between November 1917 and April 1918 in Italy. Reconstituted and remained a regular battalion after the war.
2nd Battalion	Regular battalion	23rd Brigade	8th Division		Based at Cairo at Declaration of War. Returned to UK and under command 23rd Brigade/8th Division. To BEF on 6th November 1914. The Battalion served in France and Flanders throughout the war. Reconstituted and remained a regular battalion after the war.
4th Battalion TF (formed 1/4th Battalion TF and 2/4th Battalion TF in September 1914)	Exeter - 1908	1st Devon & Cornwall Brigade TF	1st Wessex Division TF	To 3rd (Lahore) Bde/14th Indian Division in November 1914. To 42nd (Independent) Bde in February 1915. To 37th Bde/14th Indian Division in May 1916. To Tigris Lines of Communication in February 1917.	1/4th Battalion TF was formed on reorganisation of 4th Battalion TF. To India on 9th October 1914. To Basra in Mesopotamia with 42nd Brigade on 2nd March 1916 where it remained until the end of the war.
2/4th Battalion TF	Exeter - September 1914	2nd Devon & Cornwall Brigade TF	2nd Wessex Division TF	To Southern Brigade/9th (Secunderabad) Division 12th December 1914. To Suez as MEF Lines of Communication Troops. To 234th Bde/75th Division in December 1917.	Formed on reorganisation of 4th Battalion TF. To India on 12th December 1914 in Southern Bde/9th (Secunderabad) Div/ To Egypt on 15th October 1917 as EEF Lines of Communication Troops. To 234th Brigade/75th Division in Palestine. Left Division and returned to Egypt in July 1918 and disbanded 17th August 1918.
5th Battalion TF (formed 1/5th Battalion TF and 2/5th Battalion TF in September 1914)	Plymouth - September 1914	1st Devon & Cornwall Brigade TF	1st Wessex Division TF	To 3rd (Lahore) Division in October 1914. To 232nd Bde/75th Division June 1917. To 185th Bde/62nd Division June 1918.	1/5th Battalion TF was formed on reorganisation of 5th Battalion TF. To India 9th October 1914 with 3rd (Lahore) Division. To Egypt with 232nd Bde/75th Division 25th June 1917. To BEF to 185th Bde/62nd Division on 1st June 1918 where it remained until the end of the war.
2/5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion TF	Plymouth - September 1914	2nd Devon & Cornwall Brigade TF	2nd Wessex Division TF	To Egypt for EEF Lines of Communication and Garrison duties in September 1915.	Formed on reorganisation of 5th Battalion TF. To Egypt on 17th September 1915 for Lines of Communication and Garrison duties. Disbanded in June 1916.
6th Battalion TF (formed 1/6th Battalion TF and 2/6th Battalion TF in September 1914)	Barnstaple - September 1914	1st Devon & Cornwall Brigade TF	1st Wessex Division TF	To 3rd (Lahore) Division in October 1914. To 36th (Independent) Bde in January 1916. The Brigade to 14th (Indian) Division in May 1916.	1/6th Battalion TF was formed on reorganisation of 6th Battalion TF. To India on 9th October 1914 with 3rd (Lahore) Division. To Basra in Mesopotamia with 36th (Independent) Bde 5th January 1916. 36th Bde to 14th (Indian) Division 12th May 1916. Unit to Tigris Lines of Communication in September 1916 where it remained until the end of the war.
2/6th Battalion TF	Barnstaple - September 1914	2nd Devon & Cornwall Brigade TF	2nd Wessex Division TF	To 6th (Poona) Division in December 1914. To 7th (Meerut) Division in Mar 1916. To Peshawar Bde/1st (Peshawar) Division in August 1916. To MEF Lines of Communication Troops in September 1917.	Formed on reorganisation of 6th Battalion TF. To India on12th December 1914 with 3rd (Lahore) Division. To 7th (Meerut) Division in March 1916. To Peshawar Bde/1st (Peshawar) Division in August 1916. To Basra, Mesopotamia, on 14th September 1917 as MEF Lines of Communication Troops, where it remained until the end of the war.
8th (Service) Battalion	Exeter - 19th August 1914 (Part of K1)	Divisional Troops	14th (Light) Division	To 20th Brigade/7th Division in BEF Aug 1915	France and Flanders to November 1917, then to Italy with Division. Disbanded at Exeter on 23rd March 1919.
9th (Service) Battalion	Exeter - 15th September 1914 (Part of K2)	Divisional Troop	20th (Light) Division	To 20th Bde/7th Div in BEF Aug 1915 To 7th Bde/25th Div in BEF Sep 1918	France and Flanders to November 1917, then to Italy with Division. Returned to BEF with 7th Bde/25th Division on 16th September 1918. The Battalion was returned to France in September 1918 joining 7th Brigade, 25th Division. Disbanded at Exeter on 17th June 1919.
10th (Service) Battalion	Exeter - 25th September 1914 (Part of K3)	79th Brigade	26th Division	To BEF 79th Bde/26th Div Sep 1915	Moved to Salonika with Division in November 1915 where it remained until the end of the war. Disbanded in September 1919 at Constantinople with remaining personnel transferring to 10th Battalion Hampshire Regiment.
12th (Labour) Battalion	Devonport - May 1916	Army Troops	4th Army	To BEF in June 1916	Became 152nd and 153rd Companies of the Labour Corps.
14th (Labour) Battalion	Plymouth - August 1916	Army Troops	3rd Army	To BEF in Oct 1916	Became 154th and 155th Companies of the Labour Corps.
1st (Garrison) Battalion	Weymouth - August 1915	Army Troops	EEF	To EEF in Sep 17	To Egyptian Expeditionary Force on 27th September 1915 then to Palestine in 1917.
16th (Royal 1st Devon & Royal North Devon Yeomanry) Battalion TF	Moascar (Egypt) - 4th January 1917	229th Brigade	74th (Yeomanry) Division	To EEF 4th January 1917 To BEF 7th May 1918	Formed from personnel of the two county dismounted Yeomanry Regiments for combat duty in Palestine. Moved to BEF with 74th Division in May 1918 where it remained until the end of the war. Disbanded at Exeter in May 1919.
51st (Graduated) Battalion	Wool - 27th October 1917	Formed from 206th Graduated Battalion	Training Reserve	206th Graduated Battalion formed from 33rd Battalion Training Reserve which in turn had been formed from 13th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. To Rhineland in British Army of Occupation March - November 1919.	51st (Graduated) Battalion Devonshire Regiment was under command of 192nd Brigade/64th Division and was based at Norwich in late 1917 and later at Holt by May 1918. Moved to Rhineland in British Army of Occupation on 10th March 1919 part of Rhine Army Independent Division.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion	Taverham, Norfolk - 27th October 1917	Formed from 210th Graduated Battalion	Training Reserve	210th Graduated Battalion formed from 37th Battalion Training Reserve which in turn had been formed from 9th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment	52nd (Graduated) Battalion Devonshire Regiment was under command of 193rd Brigade/64th Division and was based at Taverham in late 1917 and later at Cromer in May 1918. It had been transferred to 192nd Brigade in 64th Division on 26 February 1918. Moved to Mulheim in Germany in March 1919 as part of Rhine Army (2nd (Southern) Infantry Brigade/Southern (formerly 29th) Division). Amalgamated with 53rd Battalion Devonshire Regiment on 17th April 1919.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion	Kinmel Park - October 1917	3rd Brigade	1st Division	To Rhineland in British Army of Occupation March - April 1919.	To Rhineland in British Army of Occupation March - April 1919.Disbanded on 17th April 1919, personnel being transferred to 51st Battalion.
Order of Battle in the Great War - UK Based Battalions
2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion	Exeter - July 1916	Plymouth Garrison	Home and Coastal Defence, garrison and administrative duties.		Formed to guard vital installations in the Plymouth and Falmouth areas. Re-titled in August to 5th Battalion Royal Defence Corps
3rd (Reserve) Battalion	Exeter - Special Regular Reserve	Devonport, Plymouth	Home and Coastal Defence, Regular and New Army training, depot and supply of reinforcements		Returned to Exeter in 1919 and remained a reserve battalion
4th (Reserve) Battalion TF	Winchester - April 1916	Winchester	Home Defence, TF Training, depot and supply of reinforcements		Formed from 3/4th Battalion TF
1/7th (Cyclist) Battalion TF	Exeter - September 1914	Seaton Carew	TF Depot and Training and Coastal Defence Duties in 1914		Moved to Bawdsey, Suffolk, in 1916. Moved to Canterbury in early 1918 under 11th Cyclist Bde/Cyclist Division.
2/7th (Cyclist) Battalion TF	Totnes - October 1914	Totnes	TF Training and Home Defence Duties at Totnes		Moved to Sevenoaks in 1916. Moved to Margate in 1917 and to Southminster, Essex in early 1918. Moved to Malden in late 1918 under 73rd Division.
3/4th Battalion TF	Exeter - 25th March1915	Reserve Bde	Home Defence, training, depot and supply of reinforcements		To Bournemouth in August 1915. Became 4th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 8th April 1916. Absorbed 5th (Reserve) and 6th (Reserve) Battalions TF at Hursley park, Winchester, on 1st September 1916. Returned to Bournemouth in October 1916, then moved to Sutton Veney in March 1917 and to Larkhill in early 1918. Moved to locations in Belfast, Londonderry and Clonmany in April 1918 where it remained until the end of the war.
3/5th Battalion TF	Plymouth - 25th March 1915	Reserve Bde	Home Defence, training, depot and supply of reinforcements		To Bournemouth in August 1915. Became 5th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 8th April 1916. Absorbed by 4th (Reserve) Battalion at Hursley park, Winchester, on 1st September 1916.
3/6th Battalion TF	Barnstaple - 25th March 1915	Reserve Bde	Home Defence, training, depot and supply of reinforcements		To Bournemouth in August 1915. Became 6th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 8th April 1916. Absorbed by 4th (Reserve) Battalion at Hursley park, Winchester, on 1st September 1916.
3/7th (Cyclist) Battalion	Exeter - late 1915	Reserve Bde	Cyclist Depot and Training Battalion		Disbanded March 1916.
11th (Service) Battalion	Exeter - November 1914 (Part of K4)	100th Bde/33rd Division	Rerolled as a Reserve Battalion on 10th April 1916		Became 44th Training Reserve Battalion (no regimental affiliation) in 10th (Reserve) Brigade
15th Battalion TF	Herne Bay - July 1916	10th Provisional Brigade later 227th (Mixed) Brigade	Home and Coastal Defence duties		Originally the 86th Provisional Battalion made up of Home Service men of 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions Devonshire Regiment TF. 227th Mixed Brigade was part of the UK Southern Army (Home Defence).
Organisation of the Infantry of the British Army and The South Wales Borderers 1914 - 1918
Pre-War Regular, Reserve and Territorial Force Infantry Battalions. Immediately prior to the outbreak of the Great War, the Regular Infantry of the British Army consisted of four Guards Regiments and sixty-nine Infantry Regiments. Infantry Regiments normally consisted of two active Battalions, with one Battalion serving overseas and one in the UK. Each Regiment would normally have one Reserve Battalion, based at the Regimental Depot, which trained new soldiers and supplied reinforcing drafts to the two active Battalions. In the case of the Devonshire Regiment, as with most Infantry Regiments, the active Battalions were numbered the 1st and 2nd, and the Reserve Battalion was numbered the 3rd (Reserve). Many of the Infantry Regiments, including the Devonshire Regiment, also had Territorial Force (TF) Battalions. These were made up of part-time officers and soldiers who had signed up for Imperial or Home Service, and each of these Battalion trained its own personnel so there was therefore no requirement for the TF to be established with Reserve Battalions. The TF Battalions were usually sequentially numbered after the Regular and Reserve Battalions of the Regiment and often had a second title linking them with their home city or town. In the Devonshire Regiment the four TF battalions were titled 4th Battalion TF, 5th Battalion TF, 6th battalion TF and 7th (Cyclist) Battalion TF. Each of the active Battalions, overseas and UK based, were grouped with a Brigade and/or Division and immediately prior to the outbreak of war, Battalions of the Devonshire Regiment were deployed as follows: 1st Battalion (Regular). Based at Jersey CI. 2nd Battalion (Regular). Based at Cairo, Egypt. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. Based at Exeter. 4th Battalion TF. Based at Exeter. 1st Devon and Cornwall Brigade, 1st Wessex Division. 5th Battalion TF. Based at Plymouth. 1st Devon and Cornwall Brigade, 1st Wessex Division. 6th Battalion TF. Based at Barnstaple. 1st Devon and Cornwall Brigade, 1st Wessex Division. 7th (Cyclist) Battalion TF. Based at Exeter. Unallocated to a Higher Formation. The Re-Organisation at the Outbreak of War. The Regular and Reserve Battalions saw little change at the outbreak of war, only their reinforcement to War Establishment by Regular and Special Reservists and the deployment to mobilisation locations. In the TF Battalions, those personnel who had signed up for Imperial Service were formed into the First Line of the Battalions, designated the1/4th Battalion TF, 1/5th Battalion TF and 1/6th Battalion TF, for service overseas. The 1/7th (Cyclist) Battalion was mobilised for UK Home Defence duties. Those who had signed for Home Service (and could not or would not sign up for Imperial Service) were formed up into the Second Line of each Battalion designated the 2/4th Battalion TF, 2/5th Battalion TF, 2/6th Battalion TF and 2/7th (Cyclist) Battalion. These Battalions continued to recruit and train their own personnel. Service Battalions. On the outbreak of war, The Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, saw that the UK must be prepared for a war lasting three to four years, requiring an Army of at least 70 Divisions. On 7th August 1914, he started a campaign to recruit an initial 100,000 men, but the response was overwhelming and 500,000 were signed up. He decided not to use the framework of the TF to expand the Army, but to create a "New Army", separate from the current Regulars and Territorials. More than 500 New Army Battalions were raised forming the basis of three New Armies, known as K1 (9th - 14th Division), K2 15th - 20th Division) and K3 (21st- 26th Division). The New Army Battalions were numbered consecutively after the existing Regular and Territorial Battalions and they were distinguished by the word "Service", in brackets, after their number. In the Devonshire Regiment, the Service Battalions raised were: 8th (Service) Battalion. Raised at Exeter, in August 1914. K1. Allocated to 14th (Light) Division. 9th (Service) Battalion. Raised at Exeter, in September 1914. K2. Allocated to 20th (Light) Division. 10th (Service) Battalion. Raised at Exeter in September 1914. K3. Allocated to 79th Brigade, 26th Division. 11th (Service) Battalion. Raised at Exeter in September 1914. K4. Allocated to 100th Brigade, 33rd Division. Became a Second Reserve Battalion, on the break-up of 4th Army in late 1914/early 1915, to train and supply reinforcements to Devonshire Regiment Service Battalions of K1, K2 and K3. Locally Raised Service Battalions. Apart from the formal Service Battalions being raised as described above, local Citizen's Recruiting Committees were raising their own Battalions independent of the War Office. The expense of raising, clothing, feeding, housing and training of these Battalions were met by the Recruiting Committees until they were formally taken over by the War Office in 1915 and added to the Army Establishment. At this time all previous expenses were refunded to Committees and further costs borne by the War Office. These Battalions were to become known as Locally Raised Battalions and provided the majority of the infantry for the 4th New Army (K4). The Battalions were numbered consecutively after the Service Battalions in a Regiment and had an additional title showing the connection with the city, area or organisation which raised them. The Devonshire Regiment raised no locally raised Battalions. Further Re-Organisations. Territorial Force (TF). By June 1915 most of the First Line Battalions of the TF had been deployed to active service locations overseas and the Second Line Battalions were preparing for future overseas service and so a Third Line Battalion was formed to train and supply reinforcements to the First Line and later to the Second Line Battalions. Home Service personnel and those not fit for overseas service were transferred from the Second and Third Line Battalions to the non-Regimentally affiliated Provisional Battalions TF. In the Devonshire Regiment, the Third Line Battalion TF raised was: 3/4th Battalion (TF). Formed at Exeter in April 1915 and moved to Bournemouth, part of the South Coast defences, to guard local installations and to train recruits and provide drafts for 1/4th and 2/4th Battalions TF. Became 4th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 8th April 1916 3/5th Battalion (TF). Formed at Plymouth in April 1915 and moved to Bournemouth, part of the South Coast defences, to guard local installations and to train recruits and provide drafts for 1/5th and 2/5th Battalions TF. Became 5th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 8th April 1916. Absorbed by 4th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 1st September 1916 at Winchester. 3/6th Battalion (TF). Formed at Barnstaple in April 1915 and moved to Bournemouth, part of the South Coast defences, to guard local installations and to train recruits and provide drafts for 1/6th and 2/6th Battalions TF. Became 6th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 8th April 1916. Absorbed by 4th (Reserve) Battalion TF on 1st September 1916 at Winchester. 3/7th (Cyclist) Battalion TF. Formed at Exeter in April 1915 as Third Line Depot to train recruits and provide drafts for 1/7th and 2/7th Battalions TF. Disbanded in March 1916. Service Battalions. By spring 1915 it had become clear that voluntary recruitment was not going to provide the numbers of men required. The Government passed the National Registration Act on 15th July 1915 as a step towards stimulating recruitment and to discover how many men between the ages of 15 and 65 were engaged in each trade. The results of this census became available by mid-September 1915 and on 11th October 1915, Lord Derby was appointed Director-General of Recruiting. He brought forward a scheme five days later, always called the Derby Scheme, for raising the numbers. It was half-way to conscription. Disappointed at the results of the Derby Scheme, the Government introduced the Military Service Act on 27 January 1916. All voluntary enlistment was stopped as all British males were now deemed to have enlisted - that is, they were conscripted - if they were aged between 18 and 41 and resided in Great Britain (excluding Ireland) and were unmarried or a widower on 2 November 1915. Conscripted men were no longer given a choice of which service, regiment or unit they joined, although if a man preferred the navy it got priority to take him. This act was extended to married men on 25 May 1916. The Training Organisation, based on the Regimental Reserve Battalions could not cope with the sheer number of conscripted men now available and a new system was put in place on 1st September 1916 to deal with these numbers. All New Army Regimental Reserve Battalions would lose their Regimental identity and become a Battalion of the Training Reserve. The role of these Battalions was to train new recruits for active service and despatch drafts to Service Battalions overseas. The 11th (Reserve) Reserve Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment was reorganised and re-titled as follows: 11th (Reserve) Battalion. Based at Wareham, formed the 44th Training Reserve Battalion, part of 10th Reserve Brigade. More Reorganisations. Territorial Force (TF). On 1st January 1917 the non regimentally affiliated 86th Provisional Battalion TF, made up of some Home Service only men of 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiment TF, and others, and was based at Hearne Bay , part of the 227th Mixed Brigade of the UK Southern Army (Home Defence). 15th Battalion TF. The 86th Provisional Battalion was brought back into the Devonshire Regiment TF Order of Battle as the 15th Battalion TF. This unit continued with its Home and Coastal Defence duties in the UK. 16th (Royal 1st Devon and Royal North Devon Yeomanry) Battalion TF. Formed by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) at Moascar in Egypt on 4th January 1917 from two dismounted Yeomanry units: Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry and the Royal North Devon Yeomanry Hussars,with some officers and men of the Devonshire Regiment. Training Reserve Battalions. In 1917 the Training Reserve was re-organised to provide better and more specialised training for recruits and a total of 14 TR Battalions were designated "Young Soldier" and "Graduated" Battalions. This system saw these new Young Soldier Battalions take in and trains 18 year olds recruits and train them step by step until the recruits could be posted , in Company strength, to Graduated Battalions for further training until ready to be sent to active service units. In October 1917, these Battalions were affiliated to Regiments of the Line and In the Devonshire Regiment the new units formed were: 51st (Graduated) Battalion. Formed on 27th October 1917 from 206th Graduated Battalion (formerly 33rd Training Reserve Battalion) at North Walsham, part of 192nd Bde, 64th Div. 52nd (Graduated) Battalion. Formed on 27th October 1917 from 210th Graduated Battalion (formerly 37th Training Reserve Battalion) at Taverham, part of 193rd Bde, 64th Div. 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion. Formed on 27th October 1917 at Kinmel Park from 35th Young Soldier Battalion, part of 8th (Reserve) Bde.