The 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) (5th King's) was a volunteer unit of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) of the British Army. It traced its heritage to the raising in 1859 of a number rifle volunteer corps in Liverpool, which were soon consolidated into the 1st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC). It was affiliated to the King's Regiment (Liverpool), and became its 1st Volunteer Battalion of the regiment. In 1908 the battalion was transferred to the new Territorial Force as the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool). It saw active service on the Western Front during World War I, as did its second line second-line battalion, and even a garrison battalion. Before World War II it again formed a second line battalion. Both served in home defence, but the 5th King's landed in Normandy on D Day as part of a specialist beach group 1939. When the Territorial Army was reduced in 1967, the 5th King's became a company of the Lancastrian Volunteers.
Volunteer Force The 1st Lancashire RVC of three companies was raised in Liverpool, Lancashire, by Nathaniel Bousfield, one of the originators of the Volunteer movement; his commission as Captain-Commandant dated 11 June 1859 was the first to be issued in the new Volunteer Force. A Liverpool cotton broker, he had made several attempts since 1852 to raise a volunteer unit in the city, and in 1855 had founded the Liverpool Drill Club from young men in the cotton trade who drilled twice weekly in his warehouse.Beckett, pp. 14–5, 19; Appendix VI.Spiers, pp. 163–6.Westlake, pp. 139–51. Other corps quickly followed and in May 1860 a number of these units in the Liverpool area were grouped together as the 1st Administrative Battalion, Lancashire RVCs:Beckett, Appendix VII.Frederick, p. 127. 1st (Liverpool) Lancashire RVC, three companies, formed 28 June 1859 22nd (Liverpool Exchange) Lancashire RVC, two companies, formed 30 January 1860; left 1st Admin Battalion December 1861 and disbanded 1863 38th (Liverpool) Lancashire RVC, formed in the Fairfield area on 20 January 1860 and known as the 1st Sub-division until March 45th Lancashire RVC, formed in Liverpool on 27 February 1860 66th (Liverpool Borough Guard) Lancashire RVC, formed on 25 April 1860 69th (Liverpool) Lancashire RVC, formed on 31 May 1860
These units (except the 22nd) were consolidated on 27 December 1861 to form the eight-company 1st Lancashire RVC. The 14th (Edge Hill) Lancashire RVC of two companies was formed in the Edge Hill area on 10 November 1859 and known as the 2nd Sub-Division until December. It initially joined the 2nd Admin Battalion, but transferred to the new 1st RVC in December 1861. The 74th (St Anne's) Lancashire RVC formed in the St Anne's area on 2 July 1860 was also absorbed into the 1st Lancashire RVC in 1862. A cadet corps of the RVC was formed in April 1865, but disbanded in 1884. The Rev John Howson was appointed Honorary Chaplain in 1865,London Gazette, 23 June 1865. but later transferred to the 80th (Liverpool Press Guard) Lancashire RVC.Army List, various dates.
Cardwell Reforms Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, volunteer battalions were brigaded with their local regular and Militia battalions. Sub-District No 13 (County of Lancashire) was formed in Northern District with headquarters at Liverpool and the following units assigned: 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles) (2 battalions) 1st Lancashire RVC (with 48th and 54th Lancashire RVCs attached) 5th (Liverpool Volunteer Rifle Brigade) Lancashire RVC 64th (Liverpool Irish) Lancashire RVC 80th (Liverpool Press Guard) Lancashire RVC
The 1st Lancashire RVC became a volunteer battalion of The King's (Liverpool Regiment) under the Childers Reforms on 1 July 1881 with 10 companies, and was redesignated as the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the regiment on 1 March 1888. Two more companies were sanctioned in 1883, followed by a 13th in 1900 when the Volunteers were expanded during the Second Boer War.
While the sub-districts were referred to as 'brigades', they were purely administrative organisations and the volunteers were excluded from the 'mobilisation' part of the Cardwell system. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 proposed a more comprehensive Mobilisation Scheme for volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training.Beckett, pp. 135, 185–6.Dunlop, pp. 60–1; Appendix A.Spiers, pp. 228–9. Under this scheme the Volunteer Battalions of the King's (Liverpool Regiment), together with VBs from other regiments based in Lancashire and Cheshire formed a large and unwieldy Mersey Brigade. By 1900 the brigade consisted only of the 1st–6th and 8th Volunteer Bns King's.
Territorial Force When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,Beckett, pp. 247–53.Dunlop, Chapter 14.Spiers, Chapter 10. the battalion became the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool), on 1 April 1908,London Gazette 20 March 1908. It remained in the Liverpool Brigade, assigned to the TF's West Lancashire Division. It was headquartered at 65 St Anne Street in Liverpool, which served as the drill hall for the eight-company battalion.Monthly Army List, August 1914.James, p. 52.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 133–9.King's at Long, Long Trail.Wyrall, King's, p. 72.
World War I Mobilisation At the outbreak of World War I the West Lancashire Division had just begun its annual training and when mobilisation was ordered on 4 August 1914 the units were sent back to their drill halls. The 5th King's mobilised at St Anne St under the command of Lieutenant Colonel J. M. McMaster and went to its war station guarding the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, then joined the rest of the Liverpool Brigade at Canterbury in Kent.55th Division at Long, Long Trail.
The TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on 10 August 1914 TF units were invited to volunteer for overseas service and the majority did so. On 15 August, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 1–7.
1/5th King's In October 1914 the West Lancashire Division concentrated in Kent. However, the division was progressively broken up to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force fighting on the Western Front. The 1/5th King's was one of the units that left, landing at Le Havre on 22 February 1915 and joining 6th Brigade in 2nd Division. It served with 2nd Division in the following actions:Becke, Pt 1, pp. 41–7.Wyrall, Second Division, p. 186. Battle of Festubert: in the successful night attack of 15 May 1/5th King's were in reserve, providing carrying parties for the assaulting troops; further attacks next day were stopped by enemy fire. On 17 May the battalion was in support. Nevertheless, it suffered a number of casualties in these actions.Wyrall, pp. 202–13; Appendix XII. In August 1/5th King's was attached temporarily to 2nd Divisional HQ to act as pioneers, probably because of the amount of Tunnel warfare and crater fighting on the division's front. It was not employed in 6th Bde's disastrous attack at the Battle of Loos on 25 September. The battalion was brought back into the divisional area that night to relieve troops for a renewed attack.Edmonds, 1915 Vol II, pp. 252–5.Wyrall, pp 202–13, 222–31. By 1 October 6 Bde was holding part of 'Gun Trench' near the Hohenzollern Redoubt, with 1/5th King's in support. They were relieved on 3/4 October, and although they went back into the line on 13 October they were not engaged in the Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt.Wyrall, pp. 239–43.
On 15 December 1/5th King's transferred to 99th Brigade, still in 2nd Division, but left on 7 January 1916 to rejoin its brigade in the West Lancashire Division, which were being reformed in France as 165th (Liverpool) Brigade and 55th (West Lancashire) Division respectively. It remained with this formation until the end of the war, taking part in the following engagements:Wyrall, p. 246. Battle of the Somme: Battle of Guillemont: in an attack here on 8 August 1/5th King's achieved the only small gain of the day. After the main attack on 3 September patrols of 1/5th King's penetrated deeply into High Wood and consolidated the captured ground.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 178, 268.
Battle of Ginchy (9 September): the battalion successfully 'bombed' their way into the trench known as Wood Lane.Miles, 1916, Vol II, p. 276. Battle of Flers–Courcelette (17–22 September)
Battle of Morval (25–28 September): 165th Bde seized its first and second objectives near Gueudecourt, then 1/5th King's went up from reserve to reinforce the position.Miles, 1916, Vol II, p. 379. Third Battle of Ypres: Battle of Pilckem Ridge (31 July –2 August 1917) Battle of the Menin Road Ridge (20–23 September) Battle of Cambrai (20–21 November): 55th (WL) Division had to go back into the line when the Germans counter-attacked on 30 November. 1/5th King's held Fleeceall Post, driving off a frontal attack, but the rest of the brigade suffered severely.Miles, 1917, Vol III, p. 177.
Battle of the Lys: Battle of Estaires: 1/5th King's was the left hand battalion of the division when the Germans broke through the neighbouring Portuguese troops on 9 April; although attacked in flank, the battalion's outposts fell back fighting according to plan, first to the 'Old British Line' and then to the 'Line of Resistance', where the battalion held its positions for the rest of the day. 55th (WL) Division then fought in the Defence of Givenchy. On 11 April Lt-Col A. Buckley, commanding 1/5th King's organised on his own initiative a successful local counter-attack by all available troops, including part of 13th King's. On 13 April, 'Route A Keep' captured by the Germans on 9 April, was recovered by a night attack by 165th (2/1st L) Bde employing an extemporised company composed of men from 1/5th, 1/6th, 10th and 13th Bns, King's, preceded by a 'crash' barrage lasting just 3 minutes.Edmonds, 1918, Vol II, pp. 170–5, 223, 285. Hundred Days Offensive: Capture of Givenchy Craters (24 August) Capture of Canteleux Trench (17 September) Pursuit to Mons (2 October–11 November)
The battalion was at Ath in Belgium when the Armistice with Germany came into force on 11 November. 1/5th King's was demobilised on 13 June 1919.Wyrall, King's, p. 687.
2/5th King's The 2/5th Bn King's was formed at Liverpool in September 1914. In November it was sent to Blackpool, and in February 1915 it went to Canterbury where the 1st and 2nd Line Liverpool Brigades had been temporarily combined under a single commander. The 2nd Line brigade and division were numbered as 171st (2/1st Liverpool) Brigade in 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division on 1 August 1915. Until November the infantry only had obsolete .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles with which to train; then they were given salvaged Lee–Enfield .303-inch rifles in poor condition. At this time 57th (2nd WL) Division formed part of Second Army of Central Force in Home Forces, but in July 1916 it moved into the Emergency Reserve around Aldershot, with 2/5th King's at Bourley. In September it moved to Woking.57th Division at Long, Long Trail.