1st Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps

On 26 July 1914, the 4th Northamptons went into camp at Ashridge Park for annual training. When the order to mobilise was received on 4 August, it returned to its Clare Street drill hall at Northampton and by 10 August the battalion was at its war station at Romford as the East Anglian Division concentrated in Essex. On 20 August it moved to Bury St Edmunds and formed part of the East Coast defences until the following May.[22][23][25][26][27] Meanwhile, the formation of duplicate or 2nd Line TF units from Home Service men and recruits had been authorised, and towards the end of 1914 the 2nd East Anglian Division came into existence at Peterborough. The original battalion became the 1/4th, and its 2nd Line became the 2/4th.[5][7][22][24][27][28] Later a 3/4th Battalion was formed.[24][29]

After the Home Service men and the unfit had been transferred to the 2/4th Bn, the 1/4th was brought up to strength with recruits and training continued at Bury St Edmunds. The battalion moved to Thetford in Norfolk in November 1914. At Easter 1915 the East Anglian Division moved into the coast defences, the 1/4th Bn being stationed in Norwich. In May the battalion moved back to Bury St Edmunds to fit out with tropical kit for overseas service. The 1st East Anglian Division was now numbered as the 54th (East Anglian) Division, with the East Midlands Brigade becoming 162nd (East Midland) Brigade. On 29 July the 1/4th Northamptons entrained, and sailed the following day from Devonport aboard the transport Royal George.[22][23][25][27]

In the early hours of 15 August the battalion transhipped to the destroyers Foxhound and Scourge and ran in to Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula, landing from small boats onto the beach. At the end of the day it was moved up to support the rest of 162nd Bde, which had been engaged throughout the day. On 17 August the battalion moved into the front line. In trench warfare it lost three officers and seven other ranks killed, and three officers and 53 other ranks wounded by the end of August.[22][30]

At the beginning of September the 1/4th Northamptons were transferred to 163rd (Norfolk & Suffolk) Bde in 54th Division, and remained with it until the end of the campaign. This brigade held the Hill 60 sector and the battalion spent its time between that place and 'South Wales Borderers Valley'. The trench lines were close together, within hand grenade range, and between 3 September and 30 November the battalion suffered battle casualties of 35 killed and 129 wounded, as well as a large number of sick. On 27 November the battalion was due to be withdrawn for a month's rest at Mudros, but torrential rain brought all movement to a halt, followed by freezing conditions, and the battalion was not relieved until 8 December, having suffered further casualties.[31]

After a week at Mudros, the battalion was transferred to Egypt, landing at Alexandria on 18 December. On 30 December it was moved by rail and foot to the Western Desert in support of the cavalry and armoured cars operating against the Senussi before returning to camp near Cairo in January 1916. Here the 54th Division was concentrated, and the battalion was brought up to strength with drafts, including men from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Leicestershire Regiment who had seen service on the Western Front.[22][32]

In April 1916, after rest, the division took up positions in No 1 (Southern) Section of the Suez Canal defences,[23][25] remaining in this area for the rest of the year. In the autumn the battalion embarked to join T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt, but the move was countermanded. On 9 January 1917, the 1/4th Northamptons went into camp for training, and at the end of the month entrained for Kantara to begin the march across the Sinai Peninsula preparatory to the advance into Palestine.[33]

On 26 March the 1/4th Northamptons were ordered to entrench a position on the Gaza road to cover the mounted troops during the First Battle of Gaza. However, at midnight they were informed that the action had been broken off and they were in danger of being cut off. After a tricky withdrawal, the battalion rejoined the rest of 162nd Bde. For the Second Battle of Gaza on 17 April, the battalion supported 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment and 1/11th London Regiment. Two days later the Northamptons took over the lead, advancing towards the Beersheba road against strongly entrenched Turkish troops. The battalion reached but could not enter the trenches, and by 16.30 about 80 per cent of the leading companies had become casualties and they were pinned down. The survivors withdrew after nightfall, having suffered 10 officers and 366 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.[34]

Stationary trench warfare having set in, the battalion was brought up to strength before a new attempt on the Turkish position (the Third Battle of Gaza) began on 2 November. After the 161st and 163rd Brigades had advanced up the coast to capture the Gaza defences, A Company 1/4th Northamptons was to pass through with tanks in support and capture the positions known as 'Lion', 'Tiger' and 'Dog', north west of Gaza, clear the beach of Wire entanglements to allow the cavalry through, and finally to occupy a defensive line to cover their withdrawal if required. By 06.30 the first part of the operation had succeeded, and A Company passed through, and captured 'Lion' about 1500 yards further on within an hour, despite the breakdown of the tanks and the ineffectiveness of the covering machine-gun barrage due to mist. The wire on the beach was cleared, but the remaining objectives could not be taken before the Turks counter-attacked. The company was so far ahead of support that it had to be withdrawn. Further attempts at the same operation also failed in face of counterattacks. The Northamptons suffered heavy casualties: five officers and 45 other ranks killed, three officers and 129 other ranks wounded, and 33 missing. However, the attack on the Beersheba position was successful and the Turks retreated, the 1/4th reaching the outskirts of Jaffa by 25 November.[35]

On 27 November the weak (400 strong) battalion distinguished itself at Wilhelma, decisively repulsing three attacks made by 3000 Turks with ample artillery support. When the battalion's flanks were threatened, the CO ordered counter-attacks by two platoons on each flank to restore the position. The action protected the vital Jaffa–Jerusalem road, the main supply route for the British force advancing to capture Jerusalem.[36][37]

The next forward movement was not until March 1918, after which trench warfare set in again. In June the 54th Division was ordered to reinforce the Western Front, the 4th Northamptons entraining for Kantara. But the order was rescinded and the 54th returned to Palestine.[38]

The final offensive of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), known as the Battle of Megiddo, opened on 19 September 1918 with the Battle of Sharon. 162nd Brigade formed the second wave, attacking at 09.40 into considerable machine-gun and shell fire. The battalion pressed on despite the heat and casualties (including the CO mortally wounded) and reached their objective by 06.45 the following morning after a running fight of 14 miles in which it had taken numerous German and Turkish prisoners for the loss of 75 killed and wounded. As a result of the EEF's attacks on 19/20 September, the Turks retreated and the cavalry took up pursuit.[39]

54th Division was then taken out of the line and concentrated at Haifa, where it was engaged in repairing communications for the rapidly advancing army.[23] Although the 4th Northamptons marched north, reaching Beirut on 31 October, they saw no more fighting; the Armistice of Mudros was signed on that day. On 4 December they embarked to return to Kantara by sea. In early 1919 the battalion took part in suppressing riots in Egypt, which delayed demobilisation. The cadre of the battalion reached Northampton on 4 November 1919.[22][40]

The 2/4th Battalion formed at Northampton on 27 November 1914. It constituted part of 2nd East Midland Brigade in 2nd East Anglian Division.[5][22][25][28] Early in 1915, the division (which was numbered 69th in August 1915, with the 2nd East Midland Brigade becoming 207th) concentrated round Thetford, where it formed part of First Army in Central Force.[22][28] The 2nd Line TF divisions were now being prepared to follow the 1st Line overseas, and in May 1915 the remaining Home Service men were removed from the battalion and posted to the 62nd Provisional Battalion (see below).[41] However, the constant drain of trained drafts sent overseas meant that the 69th Division was never ready for active service, and it remained on Home Defence for the whole war.[28] It moved to Harrogate in North Yorkshire in June 1916, then to Stockton-on-Tees in October. By May 1917 it was at Carburton Camp in Nottinghamshire, moving by October to Clipstone Camp. The weakened 2/4th Bn was disbanded on 14 March 1918 at Clipstone and its remaining personnel posted to the 4th Reserve Bn.[5][22][25][41]

The 3/4th Battalion was formed at Northampton on 12 May 1915. It moved to Windsor Great Park in August, and then to Halton Park in October. On 8 April 1916 it was renamed the 4th Reserve Bn, forming part of the East Anglian Reserve Brigade at Halton. In August 1917 the battalion moved again, to Crowborough, where it later absorbed the 2/4th Bn. In September 1918 it moved to St Leonards-on-Sea and remained there until disbanded on 28 July 1919 after the end of the war.[5][22][25][41]

In June 1915, the Home Service men of the 2/4th Northamptons were posted, together with those of the 2/1st Cambridgeshire Regiment, to form the 62nd Provisional Battalion.[5][22][41] This was a coast defence battalion forming part of 3rd Provisional Brigade, attached to 69th Division in Norfolk.[42]

The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Battalions thus became anomalous, and on 1 January 1917 the 62nd Bn became 9th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment in 223rd Mixed Brigade. Part of its role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. Based initially at Cley next the Sea, it moved to Sheringham in mid-1918 and remained on the Norfolk coast until disbandment on 24 March 1919.[5][22][25][41][42]

The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the Munich Crisis, with units manning their emergency positions within 24 hours, even though many did not yet have their full complement of men or equipment. The emergency lasted three weeks, and they were stood down on 13 October.[50] In February 1939 the existing AA defences came under the control of a new Anti-Aircraft Command. In June a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations.[51] By now 50th (Northamptonshire) AA Bn was part of 32nd (Midland) AA Brigade in 2nd AA Division.[46][48][52][53]

On 1 August 1940, in common with the other RE AA battalions, the unit was transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA), becoming 50th (The Northamptonshire Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, RA., with the AA Companies redesignated Searchlight Batteries.[5][7][45][46][47][48][54][55]

2nd AA Division's formation sign.

By the Blitz of late 1940, 50 Searchlight Rgt had been transferred within 2 AA Division to 50th Light AA Bde, responsible for the air defence of Derby and Nottingham.[56][57][58][59]

The regiment supplied a cadre of experienced officers and men to 233rd S/L Training Rgt at Saighton Camp where it provided the basis for a new 556 S/L Bty formed on 13 February 1941. This battery later joined a newly forming 92nd S/L Rgt.[60]

In 1941 the searchlight layout over the Midlands was reorganised, so that any hostile raid approaching the Gun Defended Areas (GDA) around the towns must cross more than one searchlight belt, and then within the GDAs the concentration of lights was increased.[61]

By the end of the Blitz in May 1941, 50th S/L Rgt was in 50th Light AA Bde in 2nd AA Division, and remained with it until June 1942 when it joined a newly formed 72nd AA Bde in 2nd AA Division, though 402 and 403 Btys remained attached to 50th AA Bde.[62][63][64]

On 10 September 1942, 400 (Northampton) Battery was transferred to 30th (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery, which was preparing for service overseas.[45][65] The regiment landed at Algiers in January 1943 and was the only British searchlight unit serving with Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) in North Africa. 400 Battery later moved into Tunisia as part of '30/62 S/L Regiment'. During the Italian Campaign, 30 S/L Regiment was once again the only British searchlight unit operating under AFHQ, but late in 1943 it was placed in suspended animation and its personnel dispersed to other units.[66][67][68][69]

50th (Northampton) S/L Rgt remained with 72nd AA Bde until December 1942, when it left to join 47th AA Bde in 2 AA Group (which had replaced 2nd AA Division). It remained with this brigade throughout 1943.[70][71][72][73]

V-1 flying bomb being prepared for launch.

2 AA Group was responsible for defending the assembly camps, depots and embarkation ports for Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy) and was planning for the expected onslaught of V-1 flying bombs (codenamed 'Divers') against London. Meanwhile, the group had to deal with a sharp increase in Luftwaffe air raids trying to reach London (the so-called 'Baby Blitz'), which continued until May.[74][75][76] In June 1944 47 AA Bde was disbanded[77] but 50th S/L Rgt simply transferred within 2 AA Gp to the command of 38th Light AA Bde.[73]

On 13 June, a week after the Overlord fleets had left to launch D Day, the first V-1s appeared over southern England. 2 AA Group deployed its Light AA guns alongside S/L positions, hoping that the Searchlight Control radar (SLC) could guide the LAA guns at night. By day, the S/L positions used their AA Light machine guns in an effort to bring down the fast-moving missiles. The early success rate was low, but later fighter aircraft and radar-directed Heavy AA guns achieved high rates of success against V-1s.[74][75]

By the end of 1944, the German Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the UK could be discounted. At the same time 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry.[78] On 23 January 1945 the War Office began to reorganise surplus AA regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service.[79][80] On 23 January 1945 the regiment became 637 (The Northamptonshire Regiment) Infantry Regiment, RA.[5][7][45][47][55][48][54][81][82] It formed part of 304 Infantry Bde (itself formed by conversion of 38th Light AA Bde).[82][83][84][85]

In February the surplus (older or unfit) men were sent to Bursledon, near Southampton, where 82nd S/L Rgt was acting as a holding unit. The men remained with that regiment while they were awaiting posting or demobilisation. The regiment's Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) women were posted to AA brigade HQs.[86]

After infantry training, including a short period attached to 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, 304 Bde was sent to Norway in June 1945 following the liberation of that country (Operation Doomsday).[47][48][82][85] Afterwards it was placed in suspended animation at Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, on 10 February 1946.[5][81]