Digital copies of group photographs, scrapbooks, autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to ww2. During the great war the queens raised 31 battalions and the east. This tiny, yet fascinating, war diary was written in july, 1917, by a private of d company, 12th battalion, east surrey regiment. Beginning from small independent units recruited in the south london suburbs, it was attached to the queens royal regiment west surrey and served in the second boer war, world war i and third angloafghan war. When i went to kingston it was the first time id ever been to surrey. War diary of 5th battalion seaforth highlanders 51st highland division, ref. These records are the unit war diaries of the british army in the first world war and are held by the national archives in record series wo 95. Research reveals tragic story of surreys ww1 regiments. I know the battalion was with the 37th brigade with the 12th division, and that the division where involved in the attack. Introduction to the war diaries, 19141918 of the queens royal west surrey and the east surrey regiment. Private harry brown, 15 battalion, east surrey regiment. The east surrey regiment was a line infantry regiment of the british army active from 1881 to 1959. When the territorial army was ordered to double its strength in the spring of 1939, a second line regiment, known as the 67th east surrey antitank regiment, ra was. Discover sources at surrey history centre and elsewhere for tracing military records.
List of nicknames of british army regiments wikipedia. Clicking on the link will take you to the results on findmypast but you will need a subscription or payperview credits to actually view the records. Splendid two volume regimental history of the east surreys in the great war, in which they served in most theatres. There are over 37,000 east surrey regiment service and pension records. Ts transcript 10pp of the official war diary of the 16th battalion the queens royal west surrey regiment 44th division for the campaign in france and belgium, 15 may 1940 31 may 1940 and covering in detail their preparations for and determined defence of positions along the escaut canal and their subsequent withdrawal to and evacuation from dunkirk. Mason the east surrey regiment by chris baker the british army in the great war the east surrey regiment by brad chappell the regiment warpath. East surrey regiment east yorkshire regiment essex regiment general staff gloucestershire regiment gordon highlanders grenadier guards hampshire regiment herefordshire regiment hertfordshire regiment highland light infantry honourable artillery company household cavalry indian army kent cyclist battalion inns of court officers training corps. Please use the comments box below if you can provide more information about this person. Some of these records can also be viewed online on ancestry although. Formed in november 1938, the regiment originally existed as the 5th battalion the east surrey regiment, an old territorial infantry battalion with its headquarters at wimbledon, which recruited in surrey and south west london. Wo 954048, national archives, kew, surrey, england. The 31st started life as marines and fought at dettingen where george ii named them the young buffs, and. History of the east surrey regiment, by daniell, david scott and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available.
History of the east surrey regiment, sloman abebooks. The first world war has always held a certain grim fascination its sheer magnitude, the horrific casualties, the bravery, the patriotism, the amazing logistical challenges and the speed of. The aiglers 87th foot captured a french imperial eagle aigle at the battle of barrosa the albert lesters prince alberts own leicestershire yeomanry, also known as gods own in the 3rd cavalry division during the great war reference to the lack of kia until may. Additional name information from the lives of the first world war website. The battalion war diaries for the queens royal west surrey and east surrey regiments, 1914 1918, have been digitised and are now available online on the website of the queens royal surrey regimental museum. Sergeant cliff martin 2nd battalion, the east surrey.
Queens royal west surrey regiment during ww1 the regiment formed 28 battalions and was awarded 74 battle honours and 4 victoria crosses, losing 8,000 men during the course of the first world war. British army the east surrey regiment geni family tree. A key attraction was that it was kingstons local regiment and ham was part of the borough of kingston, surrey. The 6th battalion spent the rest of the war in guard duties and coastal defence, as well as supplying drafts for the overseas battalions of the regiment, while the 7th battalion, after a period of reorganisation, was transferred to the royal artillery as a light antiaircraft regiment, the 109 l. In august 1940 all british troops were recalled from china and the battalion was sent to singapore for combat training headed by lieutenant colonel g. Using official and unofficial sources, diaries, letters, and british and german. Introduction to the war diaries, 19141918 of the queens royal west surrey and. Nominal roll of 1st battalion, east surrey regiment surrey county. British army war diaries 19141922 the national archives. They are not personal diaries try the imperial war museum or local record offices for those. Uk, wwi war diaries france, belgium and germany, 19141920. Also have aread through the war diary once you know his battalion. The regimental records do not include information on every soldier who served with the.
The commonwealth war graves commission has 1,519 recorded ww1 deaths for the 1st battalion, east surrey regiment. The battalion war diaries for the queens royal west surrey and east surrey. The 9th east surrey in the great war 1st edition by michael lucas isbn. The queens royal west surrey regiment the east surrey regiment. The regiment went on to serve during the crimean war fighting at the siege of sevastopol, and then during the second opium war in china. The division was one selected for the army of occupation in germany and the battalion ended its war service on garrison duty in the rhine bridgehead. War diary of the 16th battalion the queens royal west surrey regiment, may 1940. Royal east surrey regiment in the second world war 1939. The east surrey regiment was created in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st huntingdonshire regiment, which became the 1st battalion, and the 70th surrey regiment, which became the 2nd. War diary 1st battalion royal west kent regiment page 8.
I lived in stepney in london, i used to go the other side, essex side, southend, for my days out and that sort of thing, or for holidays and things, never had a holiday anyway, but thats how i came to join the regiment. The east surrey regiment 1996 journal of the east surrey regiment 19201959 administrative biographical background. The 2nd battalion east surrey regiment when war was declared in 1939, the surreys were on protection duties in shanghai. The thing that triggered me to put them on the internet was when i read about the east surrey regiment being in dublin four days before war was. At willow grange, 22nd november, the east surrey supported the west yorks in the assault, and in his report, dated 24th november, general hildyard said, the behaviour of all ranks of the 2nd east surrey regiment when engaged was satisfactory under great difficulties. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the first or second world war, please do not destroy them.
The history of the 12th bermondsey battalion east surrey. Researching soldiers who served in the east surrey regiment. The east surrey regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 31st who first paraded in 1702 as a marine regiment and the 70th who were raised in 1758. The east surrey regiment was formed from the 31st and 70th regiments of foot, the 31st being the older, raised on 12 feb 1702, and the 70th raised in 1756. J c lyal and 8 other ranks proceeded to 2 nd army rest camp for period of 14 days. East surrey regiment soldiers who died in the great war, 191419.
With the east surreys in tunisia and italy 1942 1945. A soldier in the east surrey regiment the 9th east surreys at st. The 4th battalion, queens royal regiment west surrey 4th queens was a volunteer unit of the british army from 1859 to 1961. Ancestry can be used free of charge in surrey libraries and at surrey history centre. Many men from, or of, ham chose to serve in the east surrey regiment during the great war. The east surreys at mons, 23rd august 1914 blogger. Amongst the records of the east surrey regiment held at surrey history centre. Photos, obituaries and short service records all available to view and.
There are over 37,000 east surrey regiment service and pension records for this regiment and its antecedents in various war office series held at the national archives. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to ww2 you may have at home. History of the east surrey regiment volumes ii 1914. This is his story, 100 years to the day after he was wounded at mons. Find your heroes and veterans from the great war in this collection of medal and award rolls. The casualties for the day were 4 other ranks wounded. These two regiments were amalgamated in 1959 to form the queens royal surrey regiment. Uk, wwi war diaries gallipoli and dardanelles, 19141916. Get a daytoday look at what your ancestors unit was up to during the first world war with these war diaries. In 1881 as part of the childers reforms the 31st was merged with the 70th surrey regiment to become east surrey regiment. Some of the wounded picked up died later whilst prisoners of war. Medal and his british war medal, 19141918 and a pay book which shows. An archive of first world war research information on soldiers in the east surrey regiment.
Charles sabourin, a favourite of mine over the years, was a regular soldier with the east surrey regiment. Agile and bolton wanderers argyll and sutherland highlanders humorous allusion to bolton wanderers f. Queens royal west surrey regiment forces war records. War diaries 1914 1919 of the queens royal west surrey. The east surrey regiment, based at kingston barracks, had troops from runnymede, spelthorne, elmbridge and the northern part of mole valley. Dear rob, i read your article with much interest as my father ben bentley was. War diary of the 16th battalion the queens royal west. The queens royal surrey regiment association has published a series of his articles over recent years in their journal. The 2nd battalion the east surrey regiment who returned from india during.