| Herefordshire Regiment Herefordshire Light Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1861–1967 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Engagements | World War I World War II |
TheHerefordshire Light Infantry was aninfantryregiment of theBritish Army in existence from 1861 to 1967. The regiment had no lineal connection with the36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot.
The1st Administrative Battalion, Herefordshire and Radnorshire Rifle Volunteers was formed in 1861. It comprised the 1st to 8th Herefordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps and the 1st to 3rd Radnorshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, units of theVolunteer Force formed in the wake of theCrimean War. (In this instanceCorps refers to aCompany-sized unit of around 100 men, not the more modern use ofthe word.)[1]
In 1880, it was re-designated1st Herefordshire (Hereford and Radnor) Rifle Volunteers, the Corps were renamed Companies, and in 1881 it became the volunteer battalion ofThe King's (Shropshire Light Infantry). In 1908, it was transferred to theTerritorial Force as theHerefordshire Battalion, The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) (without the Radnorshire companies) with its headquarters atHarold Street inHereford and in 1909 was renamed as the1st Battalion, The Herefordshire Regiment.[1]
In theFirst World War the regiment was expanded to three battalions. The 1st Battalion landed atSuvla Bay inGallipoli in August 1915, and then having been evacuated in December 1915, transferred to Egypt.The battalion was redeployed to theWestern Front in June 1918.[2]
In theSecond World War, the 1st Battalion was divided to form the 1st and 2nd battalions.[3] The 2nd Battalion was involved in home defence and training throughout the war, serving mainly with the114th Infantry Brigade of the38th (Welsh) Infantry Division.[4]
The 1st Battalion formed part of159th Brigade in the53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division[5] until 159th Brigade joined11th Armoured Division in May 1942 and participated in theinvasion of Normandy andNorthwestern Europe. Some 223 men from the 1st Battalion were killed during operations in North-West Europe.[6]
In 1947, it was re-designated1st Battalion, The Herefordshire Light Infantry. In 1967, as part of the re-organization of theTerritorial Army, it was disbanded as a regiment.[1]
The Herefordshire Regimental Museum focuses on the history of the regiment and is located in Suvla Barracks, Harold Street,Hereford. Collections include uniforms, photographs, medals and other memorabilia. Visitation is by appointment only.[7]
The regiment was awarded the followingbattle honours:[8]