The 20th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich), was a unit of Britain's Territorial Force formed in 1908 from Volunteer corps dating back to 1859. It saw considerable service on the Western Front, at Salonika and in Palestine during the First World War. It served as a searchlight regiment and later as an infantry regiment during the Second World War.

Background The London Regiment was created in 1908 as part of the Haldane Reforms, and consisted entirely of Territorial Force (TF) infantry battalions, with no Regular component. Its Blackheath and Woolwich Battalion was formed by merging two Volunteer battalions that had previously been affiliated to the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, but whose recruiting areas (the boroughs of Deptford, Greenwich, Lewisham and Woolwich) had been transferred from Kent on the formation of the County of London in 1889.20th London Regiment at Regiments.orgWestlake, p. 116.Maude, Appendix F.Elliot, p. 1.

Early history

3rd Kent (West Kent) Rifle Volunteers The invasion scare of 1859 led to the creation of the Volunteer Force and huge enthusiasm for joining local Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs).Beckett. The 1st Administrative Battalion, Kent RVC, was established on 12 June 1860 with headquarters at Blackheath, to bring together a number of small RVCs that had sprung up in the West Kent suburbs of London. By 1880 its composition was as follows:Frederick, pp. 207–48.Beckett, Appendix VIIBarnes, Appendix III.Martin, pp. 2–3. A and B Companies at Lee (3rd (Blackheath) Kent RVC) C and D Companies at Dartford (12th Kent RVC) (transferred from 3rd Admin Bn 1874) E Company at Greenwich (13th (Greenwich) Kent RVC) F Company at Bromley (18th (Bromley Rifle Club) Kent RVC) G and H Companies at Blackheath (25th (Blackheath Artisans) Kent RVC) I Company at Dartford (27th (Deptford Dockyard) Kent RVC) K Company at Charlton (28th (Charlton) Kent RVC) L Company at Deptford (34th (Deptford Town Artisans) Kent RVC)

Other units briefly associated with the 1st Admin Bn included: 4th (Woolwich Town) Kent RVC at Woolwich (transferred to 26th Kent RVC (see below) 1870) 7th Kent RVC at Kidbrooke (disbanded 1869) 8th Kent RVC at Sydenham (disbanded 1871) 21st Kent RVC at Lewisham (disbanded 1861) 32nd Kent RVC at Eltham (disbanded 1876) 1st Kent RVC at Mogwarts (still extant)

Lt-Col Edmund Henry Lenon, retired Brevet Major in the 67th Foot, who had won a Victoria Cross in China in 1860, was commanding officer of the 1st Admin Bn from 16 November 1871 to 15 December 1883.Army List. In 1876, the battalion's uniforms were Rifle green faced with black. In 1880 the 1st Admin Bn was consolidated as the 3rd Kent (West Kent) Rifle Volunteers, becoming a Volunteer Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment the following year. In 1883 the battalion was designated the 2nd Volunteer Bn of the Queen's Own RWK.Martin, p. 4.

In 1888, the battalion took over Holly Hedge House on Blackheath as its headquarters. By 1900 the battalion's strength stood at 13 companies, one of them composed of cyclists, and the cadet corps at Blackheath Proprietary School and Quernmore School were affiliated to it.

4th Kent (Royal Arsenal) Rifle Volunteers The 26th Kent (Royal Arsenal) RVC was raised from workmen at the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich in February 1860 (who also formed the 10th (Royal Arsenal) Artillery Volunteer Corps), and soon reached a strength of 16 companies in two battalions. In 1864 the 1st Battalion was numbered the 21st Kent RVC, replacing a disbanded unit, the 2nd Battalion retaining the number 26; both kept 'Royal Arsenal' in their titles. They merged again under the 26th (Royal Arsenal) title in 1870. In 1880 the unit absorbed the 4th (Woolwich Town) Kent RVC, also based at Woolwich and previously part of the 1st Administrative Battalion (see above); the combined unit became the 4th Kent (Royal Arsenal) RVC. It was designated as the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the Queen's Own RWK in 1883.4th Kent (Royal Arsenal) Rifle Volunteers at Regiments.org The uniform was Rifle green with red facings until 1893 when it adopted the red uniform and blue facings of the QORWK.

Territorial Force In 1908 the 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Bns of the QORWK Regiment were merged to form 20th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich), with HQ at Holly Hedge House.Frederick, pp. 149–50.Martin, pp. 2–7.London Gazette, 20 March 1908.

The regimental badge was the white horse of Kent, derived from the QORWKs, and the uniform was red, with the black facings of the old 50th Foot (West Kents) before they had altered to blue with the change of title to 'Queen's Own Royal'. The Regimental Colour bore the battle honour South Africa 1900–02 in recognition of the detachments of volunteers from the parent units who had served in the Second Boer War.

The new battalion formed part of 5th London Brigade in the TF's 2nd London Division.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 69–75.James, pp. 114–6.London Regiment at Long, Long Trail.Maude, p. 2.

First World War The outbreak of war on 4 August saw the men of the 20th Londons at Perham Down on Salisbury Plain, where they had just arrived for their annual training camp with the rest of 2nd London Division. They were immediately recalled to Blackheath to complete their mobilisation and by mid-August the battalion had reached its war station at Hatfield, Hertfordshire.Maude, pp. 2–3. Meanwhile, "On Wednesday, August 5, 1914, and the following days Holly Hedge House was besieged by men wishing to enlist. There was no delay in absorbing them". The County of London Territorial Force Association immediately began raising 'Second Line' battalions, which quickly led to the formation of a duplicate 2/20th London battalion; consequently the original battalion was prefixed 1/20th. Subsequently, a reserve or 'Third Line' battalion (3/20th) was organised to supply drafts to the other two.Elliot, pp. 2 & 8.London Regiment at Regimental Warpath Maude, p. 287.Becke, Part 2b, pp. 25–30.

1/20th Londons In October 1914, 2nd London Division was selected for service on the Western Front and progressive training was carried out through the winter. Men who had only volunteered for Home Service were transferred to the 2/20th Battalion. 5th London Bde was the leading element of the division to land in France on 9/10 March 1915. In May the division (already known in France simply as 'The London Division' to distinguish it from the Regular Army 2nd Division) took its place in the line and was designated 47th (1/2nd London) Division, with the brigades numbered consecutively: 5th London became 141st (5th London) Brigade. The 1/20th served in this brigade throughout the war.47th Division at Long, Long Trail47 Division at Regimental Warpath Maude, pp. 11–19.

1915 During 1915 the battalion was engaged in the following operations:Maude, Appendix E.

Battle of Festubert 24–27 May

Battle of Loos 25 September – 1 October

Before Loos, the whole division was trained over a course with every enemy trench marked out with tape and flags, and the actual assault on 25 September was carried out at the cost of fewer casualties than the other divisions. 141 Bde's attack was led by the 1/18th Londons, then the 1/19th and 1/20th passed through, with 1/20th on the right heading for the enclosed 'garden city', a chalk pit and a small copse. The garden city was quickly taken, then A Company bombed their way into the chalk pit where they captured two German field guns which a few weeks later were exhibited on Horse Guards Parade in London. Apart from a small group of Germans who held out in a corner of the copse for 48 hours, the brigade had taken all its objectives and the 1/19th (who had lost their CO killed) and 1/20th began consolidating the line under the command of Lt-Col Hubback of the 1/20th. The 47th Division then formed a defensive flank for the whole attack, which continued for several days. On 27 September, 141 Bde seized the German strongpoint at the copse, 1/20th providing most of the men, backed by bombing parties from the other battalions. 141 Bde remained in the line, defending against counter-attacks, for four days before being relieved. 1/20th Bn's casualties were 9 officers and 162 other ranks, the lowest of any of 47th Division's assaulting battalions.Maude, pp. 26–35.Cherry, pp. 113, 120–2, 219.

Battle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt 13–19 October

This was a continuation of Loos. 47th Division returned to the same area to relieve other troops, with Battalion HQ and A Company of the 1/20th back in the Chalk Pit, which was heavily bombarded.Maude, pp. 38–9.

1916 During 1916 the battalion was engaged in the following operations:

Vimy Ridge – the units of 47th Division were involved in frequent crater-fighting in this sector from April to July 1916, including the major German attack on 21 May.Maude, pp. 50–60.

Battle of the Somme – in August the division marched south to take part in this offensive. Its first operation was the capture of High Wood on the opening day of the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15 September). 141 Brigade was given the task of seizing the wood itself, the 1/20th being in the second wave, joining a confused and desperate fight. Casualties were very heavy but, after a renewed bombardment, German troops began to surrender. By the afternoon, 141 Bde held the wood, but was so disorganised by casualties that it had been formed into a composite battalion. Work on establishing a new line beyond the wood was started by a mixed party under Capt H. S. Read of the 1/20th Bn.Maude, pp. 63–5.

Battle of the Transloy Ridges 1–9 October

Capture of Eaucourt l'Abbaye 1–3 October

Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt 7–8 October

1917 47th Division moved into the Hill 60 sector of the Ypres Salient in October 1916 and took part in regular raids and crater fighting for a number of months.Maude, pp. 80–96. It then participated in the following operations:

Battle of Messines – in the weeks leading up to the battle, 141 Bde held the divisional front and carried out preparations for the attacks, including digging new trenches and establishing ration and ammunition dumps. For the attack on 7 June it was in support, moving up to relieve 142 Bde two days later.Maude, pp. 97–103.

3rd Battle of Ypres – 47th Division was not directly involved in the offensive, being in reserve during the Battle of Pilckem Ridge (31 July–2 August) and spending two periods holding the line (18 August–2 September and 8–17 September), described as 'among the most unpleasant in its experience'.Maude, pp. 104–11, 240.

Battle of Cambrai – 141 Bde took over the recently captured Bourlon Wood on 29 November in time to be hit by the German counter-attack the following morning. The trenches were only half-dug and there was no wire, and the Germans treated the wood to an intense bombardment with gas shells. The defenders suffered heavy casualties, but the attacks on this sector were driven back, though the division was withdrawn to a more defensible line on the night of 4/5 December.Maude, pp. 123–6, 133.

1918 The early part of March 1918 was spent in rest and reorganisation. When the German spring offensive opened on 21 March, 47th Division had just relieved another formation in the line on Welsh Ridge and was holding the right flank of Third Army. The main blow fell on Fifth Army to the south, but the Londoners were heavily bombarded with high explosive and gas shells, and later in the day the Germans attacked behind a smoke screen. The Londoners held their line, but Fifth Army was collapsing and 47th Division, with its flank open, was obliged to fall back on successive lines of half-dug trenches. The retirement, with rearguards contesting the German advance throughout, went on for six days and casualties were heavy. By the end, the remnants of 1/19th and 1/20th Londons were formed into a composite battalion.Maude, pp. 149–67.