Lanterna Rally

Author: Maj C. a. Cuthbert Keeson VD

Publisher: Naval & Military Press

Published: 2016-10-20

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 9781843423256

Unusually, this history of the QVRs (as they became known), covers the period from the earliest days up to the Great War in an appendix (185 pages) at the end of the book. According to tradition they were the descendants of The Duke of Cumberland's Corps of Sharpshooters which was inaugurated in September 1803. In 1859 it became the 1st Middlesex Rifle Volunteers and in 1892 and after a couple of mergers with other Middlesex Rifle Corps it became in 1908, when the TF was created, the 9th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), allocated to the 3rd London Brigade, 1st London Division. Shortly after the outbreak of war in August 1914 a second line battalion was formed and in April 1915 a third line, thus we had 1/9th, 2/9th and 3/9th Battalions. The 1st London Division was broken up to provide reinforcements for the BEF and on 5th November 1914 the 1/4th landed at Havre and joined 13th Brigade, 5th Division. The battalion fought with 5th Division throughout 1915, at Hill 60, Second Ypres and St Julien. It was at Hill 60 that it gained the distinction of the first VC awarded to a Territorial - 2Lt G.H Woolley. There is today a memorial to the battalion on Hill 60. In Feb 1916 the 1st London Division was reformed in France as the 56th Division and the QVRs rejoined it in 169th Brigade. It fought with this division on the Somme, Arras, Third Ypres and Cambrai till transferring to the 58th Division in February 1918 where it joined with the 2/9th to become the 9th Battalion. The 2/9th came to France with 58th Division in Feb 1917 and fought at Bullecourt and Third Ypres before amalgamating with the 1/4th. The 9th Battalion remained with 58th Division and took part in the 1918 battles till the armistice. The 3/9th Battalion did not leave the UK but provided drafts for the other two battalions.This is a good history with plenty of detail and with many names, which is a very good thing for such histories. It covers each battalion in turn - 1/9th, 2/9th, the amalgamated 9th and finally 3/9th. There is the Roll of Honour and a list of Honours and Awards, including Mentions in Despatches