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The Border Regiment during WWI

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The Border Regiment formed a total of 16 battalions during WWI from the
pre-war establishment of two regular, one reserve and two territorial
battalions.  The regiment was awarded 64 battle honours and its officers
and men won five Victoria Crosses during the war.  The Border Regiment lost
a total of 7,450 casualties during the Great War.

The following battalions served in France and Flanders:

1st Battalion from Mar 1916 to 11 Nov 1918.

2nd Battalion from 6 Oct 1914 to Nov 1917.

1/5th Battalion (Territorial Force) from 26 Oct 1914 to 11 Nov 1918.

6th (Service) Battalion from 6 Jul 1916 to 9 Feb 1918 (disbanded).

7th (Service) Battalion from15 Jul 1915 to 11 Nov 1918.

8th (Service) Battalion from 27 Sep 1915 to 7 Jul 1918 (disbanded).

9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) from 4 Sep 1915 to 29 Oct 1915 (en route
to Salonika.

The 11th (Service) Battalion, The Border Regiment (Lonsdale) was raised on
17 Sep 1914 by the Earl of Lonsdale and an Executive Committee in Carlisle,
Kendal and Workington with an HQ at Penrith.  In Oct 1914 it was moved to
Blackhall Racecourse, Carlisle.  In May 1915 the battalion moved to Prees
Heath where it joined 97th Brigade in 32nd Division.  In Jun 1915 it moved
to Wensley and in Aug 1915 to Fovant on the Salisbury Plain for final
training.  On 27 Aug 1915 the battalion was taken over by the War
Office.  On 23 Nov 1915 the battalion landed in France at Boulogne.  On 10
May 1918 it was reduced to a training cadre and the surplus personnel
transferred to the 1/5th Battalion.  On 13 May 1918 it was transferred to
66th Division and on 31 Jul 1918 the cadre was absorbed into 1/5th
Battalion.

Current Status:

In 1961, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) [4th Regiment of Foot]
and The Border Regiment [34th and 55th Regiments of Foot] amalgamated to
form The King's Own Royal Border Regiment, which is still part of the
British Army's organisation.

Regimental Museum:

Border Regiment and The King's Own Border Regiment Museum, Queen Mary's
Tower, The Castle, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 8UR Phone: (01228) 32774.



© Iain Kerr 2000