The Surrey Rifle Volunteers

1859-1908

Vol Bn who served with the 2nd Bn The Queen’s Royal (West Surrey)
(Click to enlarge)
Sandfield Terrace 1900. Local Volunteers from A & B Corps 2nd Vol Bn who served with the 2nd Bn The Queen’s Royal (West Surrey) Regiment in South Africa, 1900 - 1901.

Recruited by voluntary service, the Volunteers were exempted from liability to serve in the Militia or other forces. Volunteer units which had been raised for home defence in the Napoleonic Wars were disbanded after 1815. However, in view of our uneasy relations with France and the defenceless state of the country, they were revived in 1859 when the Volunteer Force was established. They consisted chiefly of rifle volunteers and 26 of these Corps were in Surrey. By 1880, as the result of amalgamations, this number was reduced to eight Corps. Two years later four were allocated to The Queen’s and four to The East Surrey Regiment.

With the exception of the 1st Corps, all became Volunteer battalions of their parent Regiments - namely the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Volunteer Battalions of The Queen’s in 1883, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Volunteer Battalions of The East Surrey Regiment four years later.

During the South African War, companies from the Volunteer battalions saw active service with the Regular battalions of The Queen’s and the East Surreys fighting there.

 

 

Volunteer Corps linked to The Queen's ( Royal West Surrey) Regiment in 1882

Surrey Rifle Corps number
in 1859

Amalgamation of
Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1880

Reoganisation
of 1883

Formation of the Territorial Force
in 1908

2nd SRV

 

5th, 13th, 17th, 18th and 24th SRV

 

10th and 23rd SRV

 

19th SRV

2nd Corps

 

4th Corps

 

6th Corps

 

8th Corps

1st Volunteer Bn The Queen's

 

2nd Volunteer Bn The Queen's

 

3rd Volunteer Bn The Queen's

 

4th Volunteer Bn

4th Bn The Queen's

 

5th Bn The Queen's

 

22nd (County of London) Bn The London Regiment (The Queen's)

 

24th (County of London) Bn The London Regiment (The Queen's)

Volunteer Corps linked to The East Surrey Regiment in 1882

Surrey Rifle Corps number in 1859

Amalgamation of Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1880

Reoganisation of 1883

Formation of the Territorial Force in 1908

1st and 3rd SRV

 

4th, 8th, 11th and 25th SRV

 

6th, 9th, 12th and 15th SRV

 

7th and 26th SRV

1st (South London) Corps

 

3rd Corps

 

5th Corps

 

7th Corps

1st Surrey (South London) Corps East Surrey Regiment

 

2nd Volunteer Bn East Surrey

 

3rd Volunteer Bn East Surrey

 

4th Volunteer Bn East Surrey

21st (County of London Bn The London Regiment First Surrey Rifles

 

5th Bn The East Surrey Regiment

 

6th Bn The East Surrey Regiment

 

21th (County of London) Bn The London Regiment

 

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