Royal Defence Corps
Encyclopedia
The Royal Defence Corps was a corps
of the British Army
formed in August 1917 and disbanded in 1936.
It was initially formed by converting the (Home Service) Garrison battalions of line infantry
regiments. Garrison battalions were composed of soldiers either too old or medically unfit for active front-line service; the Home Service status indicated they were unable to be transferred overseas. Eighteen battalions were converted in this way.
The role of the regiment was to provide troops for security and guard duties inside the United Kingdom
; guarding important locations such as ports or bridges. It also provided independent companies for guarding prisoner-of-war camp
s. The regiment was never intended to be employed on overseas service.
In many respects, they fulfilled the same role as the Second World War's Local Defence Volunteers or the later Home Service Force
.
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formed in August 1917 and disbanded in 1936.
It was initially formed by converting the (Home Service) Garrison battalions of line infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiments. Garrison battalions were composed of soldiers either too old or medically unfit for active front-line service; the Home Service status indicated they were unable to be transferred overseas. Eighteen battalions were converted in this way.
The role of the regiment was to provide troops for security and guard duties inside the United Kingdom
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...
; guarding important locations such as ports or bridges. It also provided independent companies for guarding prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
s. The regiment was never intended to be employed on overseas service.
In many respects, they fulfilled the same role as the Second World War's Local Defence Volunteers or the later Home Service Force
Home Service Force
The Home Service Force was a Home Guard type force established in the United Kingdom in 1982. It was linked to the Territorial Army and recruited from volunteers aged 18–60 with previous British forces experience...
.