Regimental Timeline

The East Surrey Regiment

The Great War: 1914

1914
  The East Surrey Regiment

 

1st Battalion

5th August

Mobilisation begins. Battalion moves to France with BEF; Joins 5th Division.

23rd August

Battle of Mons.

24th August
- 5th September

Retreat from Mons.

26th August

Battle of Le Cateau.

6th September

Battle of the Marne.

September

Pursuit to the Aisne.

October

Battle of La Bassée.

 

2nd Battalion

September

Jhansi, India.

November

Embarks for Europe.

Special Reserve

 

3rd Battalion (1st Royal Surrey Militia)

 

Home service.

 

4th Battalion (3rd Royal Surrey Militia)

 

Home service.

Territorial Force

 

5th Battalion

4th August

Battalion embodied.

October

Battalion split into 1st/5th and 2nd/5th.

 

2nd/5th Battalion

October

Battalion formed at Kingston.

 

6th Battalion

4th August

Battalion embodied.

October

Battalion split into 1st/6th and 2nd/6th.

 

2nd/6th Battalion

October

Battalion formed at Kingston.

 

21st (County of London) Battalion,
The London Regiment (1st Surrey Rifles)

4th August

Battalion formed.

 

23rd (County of London) Battalion,
The London Regiment

4th August

Battalion embodied.

 

2nd/23rd (County of London) Battalion,
The London Regiment

31st August

Battalion formed at Clapham.

Service Battalions

 

7th Battalion

22nd August

Battalion raised at Kingston.

 

8th Battalion

19th September

Battalion raised at Purfleet.

 

9th Battalion

22nd September

Battalion raised at Kingston.

 

10th Battalion

26th October

Battalion raised at Dover.

 

11th Battalion

24th October

Battalion raised at Devonport.

 

The following examples were wore by
The Queen's Royal (West Surrey) Regiment and The East Surrey Regiment:-

2nd Division

5th Division

7th Division

2nd Division 5th Division 7th Division

12th Eastern Division

18th Eastern Division

33rd Division

12th Eastern Division
(New Army)
18th Eastern Division
(New Army)
33rd Division

40th Division

41st Division

47th (2nd London)

40th Division
(New Army)
41st Division
(New Army)
47th (2nd London)
Division

Formation signs were first worn during the 1914 - 1918 war. Their introduction was brought about by the necessity for some form of distinguishing mark or sign to aid recognition of Corps and Divisional vehicles and personnel.

Prior to their appearance, the troops tended to think only of their own particular regiment or Corps and were not always aware of the part it was playing against the vast background of the operations on the Western and other Fronts. When signs were adopted, around the middle of 1916, the men began to take a certain pride in belonging to the formation to which their regiment were a part. Signs were thought to be a new kind of heraldry. The "Battle Patch", as they became known, taken into use for practical military reasons had, by the later stages of the war, engendered a strong Esprit de Corps. The signs took the form of "Heraldic", "Symbolic", "Animal", or "Geometric". The design was left to each formation and many reflected the choice of the Corps or Divisional Commander. During the Great War, the signs were worn, either on the sleeve, just below the shoulder, or on the back of the tunic, immediately below the collar. Home based units did not wear formation signs. The signs were also used on vehicles.

 

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