Worcestershire Regiment
Encyclopedia
The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry
regiment
of the line in the British Army
, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot
and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot
.
During 1903 to 1905 the 4th Battalion were stationed in the West Indies, being responsible for guarding prisoners from the Boer War
. In 1906-1907 they were stationed in Malta
. From 1908-1913 they were stationed at Bareilly
, India.
In August 1911 troops from the regiment shot dead 2 men during the Llanelli railway strike
.
In the First World War the Regiment saw action in the retreat from Mons, The Battle of the Marne and at Langemark, Aisne and Ypres in 1914. Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Festubert in 1915, and Loos the Somme in 1916. 1917 saw involvement in actions at Bagentin, Delville Wood, Le Transloy, Arras, Ypres Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and Passchendale. The regiment then fought at Cambrai, Lys, Bailleul, Kemmel, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal and Selle in 1918.
Members of the Regiment won two Victoria Cross
es, six Distinguished Service Orders, 35 Military Crosses ( and 4 bars), 45 Distinguished Conduct Medals (and 2 bars).
In December 1918 they were used to suppress the Taranto Revolt, executing one of the rebels by firing squad.
On 18 November 1944 the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment moved across the Dutch-German border and commenced an attack on German soil to take the village of Tripsrath. With their parent unit 214 Brigade they were the first British troops to fight on German soil. Their job was to take the north-west side of Gelsenkirchen to cover the left flank and support the American forces.
After service in the First and Second World Wars, it was amalgamated into The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) in 1970.
in Worcester
.
The museum was formerly operated as an independent museum that was located at Norton Barracks in Norton, Worcestershire, but became part of the Worcester City Museum in 1970.
Battle honours
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...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the line in 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 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot
29th Regiment of Foot
The 29th Regiment of Foot was, from 1694 to 1881, an infantry regiment of the British Army. It now forms part of the Mercian Regiment.-Formation:...
and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot
36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 36th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1701 and amalgamated into The Worcestershire Regiment in 1881...
.
During 1903 to 1905 the 4th Battalion were stationed in the West Indies, being responsible for guarding prisoners from the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
. In 1906-1907 they were stationed in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. From 1908-1913 they were stationed at Bareilly
Bareilly
Bareilly is a prominent city in Bareilly district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Standing on the Ramganga river, it is the capital of the Bareilly division and the geographical region Rohilkhand...
, India.
In August 1911 troops from the regiment shot dead 2 men during the Llanelli railway strike
Llanelli railway strike
In August 1911, the railway strike in Llanelli was brutally suppressed by the police, and 2 men - John 'Jac' John and Leonard Worsell - were shot dead by troops of the Worcester Regiment...
.
In the First World War the Regiment saw action in the retreat from Mons, The Battle of the Marne and at Langemark, Aisne and Ypres in 1914. Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Festubert in 1915, and Loos the Somme in 1916. 1917 saw involvement in actions at Bagentin, Delville Wood, Le Transloy, Arras, Ypres Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and Passchendale. The regiment then fought at Cambrai, Lys, Bailleul, Kemmel, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal and Selle in 1918.
Members of the Regiment won two Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es, six Distinguished Service Orders, 35 Military Crosses ( and 4 bars), 45 Distinguished Conduct Medals (and 2 bars).
In December 1918 they were used to suppress the Taranto Revolt, executing one of the rebels by firing squad.
On 18 November 1944 the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment moved across the Dutch-German border and commenced an attack on German soil to take the village of Tripsrath. With their parent unit 214 Brigade they were the first British troops to fight on German soil. Their job was to take the north-west side of Gelsenkirchen to cover the left flank and support the American forces.
After service in the First and Second World Wars, it was amalgamated into The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) in 1970.
Worcestershire Regimental Museum
The collections of the Worcestershire Regimental Museum are on display in the Worcester City Art Gallery & MuseumWorcester City Art Gallery & Museum
The Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum is an art gallery and local museum in Worcester, the county town of Worcestershire, England.The museum was originally founded in 1833 by members of the Worcestershire Natural History Society. It is located in a Victorian building in central Worcester, which...
in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
.
The museum was formerly operated as an independent museum that was located at Norton Barracks in Norton, Worcestershire, but became part of the Worcester City Museum in 1970.
Battle honoursBattle honours of the British and Imperial ArmiesThe following battle honours were awarded to units of the British Army and the armies of British India and the Dominions of the British Empire. From their institution until the end of the Second World War, awards were made by, or in consultation with, the British government, but, since 1945, the...
- From the 29th Regiment of Foot: Rolica, Vimiera, Talavera, Albuhera, Peninsula, Ferozeshah, Sobraon, Chillianwallah, Goojerat, Punjaub
- From the 36th Regiment of Foot: Hindoostan, Rolica, Vimiera, Corunna, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula
- Ramillies, Bellisle, Ushant, Mysore, South Africa 1900-02
- The Great War (22 battalions): Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914 ‘18, La Bassée 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914 '15 '17 '18, Langemarck 1914 '17, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 ‘18, Albert 1916, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Arleux, Messines 1917 '18, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 ‘18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosières, Villers Bretonneux, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Courtrai, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917-18, Doiran 1917 ‘18, Macedonia 1915-18, Helles, Landing at Helles, Krithia, Suvla, Sari Bair, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915-16, Egypt 1916, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18, Baku, Persia 1918
- The Second World War: Defence of Escaut, St. Omer-La Bassée, Wormhoudt, Odon, Bourguébus Ridge, Maltot, Mont Pincon, Jurques, La Varinière, Noireau Crossing, Seine 1944, Nederrijn, Geilenkirchen, Rhineland, Goch, Rhine, North-West Europe 1940 '44-45, Gogni, Barentu, Keren, Amba Alagi, Abyssinia 1940-41, Gazala, Via Balbia, North Africa 1941-42, Kohima, Relief of Kohima, Naga Village, Mao Songsang, Shwebo, Mandalay, Irrawaddy, Mt. Popa, Burma 1944-45
- 7th Battalion: South Africa 1900-01