List of battalions of the South Wales Borderers
Encyclopedia
Original Composition
When the Regiment was associated with a number of Welsh counties after it became the South Wales Borderers in 1881, it gained those counties' militiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and volunteer battalions. These were:
- 3rd Battalion - formerly the Royal South Wales Borderers Militia (Royal Radnor and Brecknock Rifles)
- 4th Battalion - formerly the (Royal Montgomery and Merioneth Rifles Militia)
- 1st (Brecknockshire) Volunteer Battalion
- 2nd Volunteer Battalion
- 3rd Volunteer Battalion
- 4th Volunteer Battalion
Territorial Force
In 1908 the Territorial ForceTerritorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
was established and the Volunteer battalions joined it. These became:
- The Brecknockshire Battalion - formerly the 1st Volunteers
- 1st (Rifle) Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formerly the 2nd Volunteers. It transferred to the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1940
- 2nd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formerly the 3rd Volunteers
- 3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formerly the 4th Voluteers
First World War
The Regiment, along with its Territorial units, raised nineteen battalions: all these battalions were either disbanded during the war or in the immediate aftermath of it.- 2/1st Brecknockshire Battalion - formed in September 1914 at Brecon. The Battalion joined the 68th (2nd Welsh) Division in 1915. It was absorbed by the 2/7th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in November 1916.
- 3/1st Brecknockshire Battalion - formed in April 1915 at Brecon. The Battalion became the 1st (Reserve) Battalion in April 1916. The following year, in August, it amalgamted with the 1st (Reserve) Battalion, Monmouthshires.
- 4th (Service) Battalion - formed in August 1914 at Brecon. The Battalion joined the 13th (Western) Division and saw service in Gallipoli and Mesopotamaia.
- 5th (Service, later Pioneer) Battalion - formed in September 1914 at Brecon. Part of the 19th (Western) Division and saw service on the Western Front.
- 6th (Service, later Pioneer) - formed in September 1914 at Brecon. Joined the 25th Division and transferred to the 30th DivisionBritish 30th DivisionThe British 30th Division was a New Army division that was originally made up of battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the British War Office in August 1915 and moved to France in December...
. It saw service on the Western Front. - 7th (Service) Battalion) - formed in September 1914 at Brecon. Joined the 22nd DivisionBritish 22nd DivisionThe British 22nd Division was a New Army division raised in September 1914. The division moved to France in September 1915, but it was transferred to Greece only one month later...
and saw service in the BalkansBalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. - 8th (Service) Battalion - formed in September 1914 at Brecon. The Battalion was part of the 22nd Division and saw service in the Balkans.
- 9th (Service, later Reserve) Battalion - formed in October 1914 at Pembroke DockPembroke DockPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
. Later became the 57th (Training Reserve) Battalion of the 13th Reserve Brigade. - 10th (Service) Battalion (1st Gwent) - formed in October 1914 at Brecon. It joined the 43rd Division (later the 38th (Welsh) Division) and saw service on the Western Front.
- 11th (Service) Battalion (2nd Gwent) - formed in December 1915 at Brecon. Joined the 43rd Division (later the 38th) and saw service on the Western Front. It was disbaded in February 1918 in France.
- 12th (Service) Battalion (3rd Gwent) - formed in March 1915 as a BantamBantam (military)A bantam, in British army usage, was a soldier of below the British Army's minimum regulation height of 5ft. 3ins.During the First World War, the British Army raised battalions in which the normal minimum height requirement for recruits was reduced from 5'3" to 5'...
battalion of the Welsh Bantam Brigade. The battalion joined the 40th Division in September and saw service on the Western Front, where it was disbanded in February 1918. - 13th (Reserve) Battalion - formed in July 1915 at St AsaphSt AsaphSt Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
as a local reserve battalion. It became the 59th (Training Reserve) Battalion, 13th Reserve Brigade in September 1916. - 14th (Reserve) Battalion - formed in September 1915 at Prees Heath as the local reserve battalion. In September 1916 it became the 65th (Training Reserve) Battalion, part of the 14th Reserve Brigade.
- 15th (Service) Battalion - formed in June 1918 at North WalshamNorth WalshamNorth Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England in the North Norfolk district.-Demographics:The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 11,998. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North...
. In July the Battalion absorbed the cadre of the 10th Cheshires. - 2/1st Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formed in September 1914 at Newport. Joined the 68th Division and remained in the UK for the duration of the war; it was disbanded in March 1918.
- 2/2nd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formed in September 1914 at PontypoolPontypoolPontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
. It joined the 68th Division and remained in the UK where it was disbanded in April 1919. - 2/3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formed in September 1914 at AbergavennyAbergavennyAbergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
. Joined the 68th Division and remained in the UK until it was disbanded in August 1917. - 3/1st Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formed in February 1915. In April 1916 it became a Reserve Battalion. In July 1917 it absorbed the 3/2nd and 3/3rd, Monmouthshires, all of which had identical historyes to the 3/1st. t remained in the UK for the duration of the war.
- 4th Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formed in 1916 as the 48th Provisional Battalion; transferred to the regiment in January 1917, becoming its 4th Battalion. It remained in the UK for the duration of the war.
Inter-War
- 3rd Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire Battalion - formed in 1922 when the Breckonshire Battalion was absorbed by the 3rd Battalion, Monmouthshires. The battalion transferred to the Royal Artillery in 1947.
Second World War
The Regiment, along with its Territorial units, raised 5 battalions during the war, all of which were either disbanded during the war or in its immediate aftermath.- 5th (Home Defence) Battalion - formed in 1939.
- 6th Battalion - formed in July 1940 at Brecon. The Battalion transferred to the Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
as the 158th Regiment in April 1942. It re-roled as an infantry regiment in March 1943. It saw service in the Far East. - 30th Battalion - formed in 1941.
- The Brecknockshire Battalion - reformed in 1939 and transferred to the Royal Artillery in 1947.
- 4th Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formed in June 1939. It was placed in "suspended animation" in 1942.
Post-War
- Welsh Volunteers - formed in 1967 from the Territorial battalions of the Welsh BrigadeWelsh BrigadeThe Welsh Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular Welsh infantry regiments.After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter...
. The 2nd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment lineage was maintained by B Company.