Hertfordshire Regiment facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hertfordshire Regiment |
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Badge of the Hertfordshire Regiment
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| Active | 1908–1961 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  British Army |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Type | Territorial |
| Size | 1 battalion (peacetime) |
| Garrison/HQ | Port Hill drill hall, Hertford |
| Nickname(s) | The Hertfordshire Guards |
| Colors | White |
| March | ‘The Young May Moon’ |
| Engagements | Second Boer War, First World War, Second World War, Palestine Mandate |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft, |
The Hertfordshire Regiment was a special army unit in the British Army. It was part of the Territorial Army, which is made up of soldiers who train part-time. This regiment started in 1859 as groups of Rifle Volunteers.
The Hertfordshire Regiment fought in the Second Anglo-Boer War and both the First and Second World Wars. In 1961, it became part of other regiments. Today, its history is carried on by the Royal Anglian Regiment.
Contents
How the Regiment Started (Before 1908)
The Hertfordshire Regiment began with groups of rifle volunteers in the 1800s. These groups were formed across Britain. People were worried about possible conflicts with France at the time.
In Hertfordshire, these new volunteer companies joined together. They formed two main groups called the Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteers. By 1880, they were known as the 1st and 2nd Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps.
In 1881, the county of Hertfordshire lost its regular army regiment. So, the two Hertfordshire volunteer groups joined the nearby Bedfordshire Regiment. This regiment's recruiting area included Hertfordshire. In 1887, the volunteer groups changed their names again. They became the 1st and 2nd (Hertfordshire) Volunteer Battalions, The Bedfordshire Regiment.
Even though these volunteer groups didn't fight as whole units, many men volunteered. During the Second Boer War, 279 men from these battalions went to South Africa. They joined the 2nd battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment there.
The Regiment in the Early 1900s (1908-1919)
In 1908, the British Army changed how its reserve forces were organized. This was part of the Haldane Reforms. The Volunteer Force joined with another group called the Yeomanry. Together, they created a new Territorial Force (TF). This force was set up to be ready for war.
The two Hertfordshire Volunteer Battalions combined. They became the Hertfordshire Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment (T.F.). Their main office was in Hertford. The next year, this battalion became its own unit. It was called 1st Battalion, The Hertfordshire Regiment. It still worked closely with the regular Bedfordshire Regiment.
The First World War
During the First World War, the Territorial Force grew much larger. The Hertfordshire Regiment added three more battalions. The original battalion was renamed 1/1st. Three new battalions were formed: 2/1st, 3/1st, and 4/1st.
Only the 1/1st Hertfordshires fought overseas. The other battalions trained new soldiers and helped defend Britain.
1/1st Battalion in World War I
When the war started, the 1/1st battalion gathered in Hertford. They went to France on November 6, 1914. They fought in the trenches during the end of the First Ypres. Soon after, they joined the 4th (Guards) Brigade. This brigade was part of the 2nd Division.
Because they joined this special brigade, they were nicknamed the Hertfordshire Guards. They even started using some of the Guards' traditions. In January 1915, Lieutenant Colonel Croft took command. The next month, they helped other Guards units capture a place called the Brickstacks at Cuinchy. In May, they fought again in the Battle of Festubert. They helped secure an area under heavy enemy fire.
On August 19, 1915, the battalion moved to the 6th Brigade. This was just in time for the Battle of Loos. On September 27, they were supposed to attack enemy lines. But the attack was called off. The gas they released before the attack did not reach the enemy.
The next winter was spent in the Artois region. Soldiers rotated between fighting in the trenches and resting. In February 1916, Lieutenant Colonel Page took over the battalion. They moved to the 118th Brigade of the 39th Division.
Later, the battalion fought in the Battle of the Somme. On October 14, 1916, they helped capture the Schwaben Redoubt. In the final part of the campaign, the Battle of the Ancre, the Hertfordshires had a big success. On November 13, they advanced through mist and heavy artillery fire. They captured the entire Hansa Line. They moved forward 1,600 yards, met all their goals, and captured 250 prisoners. They also took nine machine-guns. This victory cost them seven officers and 150 men.
The battalion spent the first half of 1917 near Ypres. In July, they trained for their next big fight, the Third Battle of Ypres. On July 31, 1917, the 39th Division advanced towards Pilckem Ridge. The 1/1st Hertfordshires were part of the third stage of this attack. They moved towards the Langemarck Line. They faced more and more heavy machine-gun fire. When they reached the enemy's barbed wire, it was still intact. The battalion had to retreat under heavy fire and strong German counterattacks. Every officer was either killed or injured. This included their commanding officer. The other soldiers had 459 casualties.
After this, Lieutenant Colonel Phillips took command. New soldiers arrived to rebuild the battalion. For the rest of the year, they continued to play a small part in the fighting at Ypres.
In early 1918, the battalion moved to the 116th Brigade. This brigade was resting near Amiens. On March 21, the German Army started its Spring Offensive. The brigade quickly moved to support other units. They then fought a series of rearguard actions as the Fifth Army retreated. During one of these actions, their commanding officer was captured.
The 39th Division had lost so many soldiers that it was reduced to a smaller group. The Hertfordshires joined with another regiment to form one battalion. In this new form, they helped stop the German attack during the Battle of Lys. In May, the 1/1st Hertfordshire Regiment was rebuilt. It gained 30 officers and 650 men from another regiment.
On August 23, they took part in the attack on Achiet-le-Grand. On September 5, Lieutenant Colonel Heselton took command. Thirteen days later, the battalion fought for the Hindenburg Line. On October 8, they were involved in the Second Battle of Cambrai. They then chased the German forces to the River Selle. On November 4, 1918, in their last action of the war, they helped push the enemy back into the Forêt de Mormal.
When the war ended on November 11, 1918, the battalion was resting. They stayed in France until they were sent home in April 1919.
Other Battalions in World War I
The 2/1st Battalion formed in Hertford in September 1914. Its job was to train new soldiers for the 1/1st battalion fighting overseas. It also helped defend Britain. It was disbanded in September 1917.
The 3/1st Battalion formed in Hertford in December 1914. It was later renamed '1st Reserve battalion'. In July 1917, it joined with another reserve battalion.
The 4/1st Battalion formed in Thetford in November 1915. It was made up of soldiers from the 2/1st and 3/1st Battalions. It was disbanded in August 1917.
Between the World Wars (1920-1939)
The Territorial Force became the Territorial Army again in 1920. The 1st Battalion was reformed in Hertford. Even though the regular Bedfordshire Regiment changed its name, the 1st Hertfordshires kept their unique identity.
For most of this time, there was only one battalion. In 1938, Queen Elizabeth became its honorary colonel. In March 1939, as war seemed likely in Europe, the 1st Battalion was told to recruit more soldiers. A second battalion was formed in August of that year.
The Second World War (1939-1945)
1st Battalion in World War II
The 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, was ready for war when it started. In October 1939, it helped defend the coast. It stayed on these duties until March 1943. Then, it prepared to go overseas.
It arrived in Gibraltar on April 22, 1943. It stayed there for over a year, mostly training. In July 1944, it went to Italy. There, it joined the 1st Infantry Division. On August 19, it moved to the front lines near Florence. On August 31, the battalion advanced on Fiesole, clearing the village of enemy soldiers.
On September 2, they moved north, chasing the enemy. The enemy was retreating to the Gothic Line defenses. On September 14, the battalion helped break through the Gothic Line. After artillery fire and smoke, two companies went around the German lines. They captured a hill called Poggio Prefetto.
For the next two weeks, the advance continued. The battalion helped clear the enemy from many mountain positions. They played a part in capturing Monte Gamberaldi. The battalion then rested for a while. It returned to the front in mid-October and helped capture Monte Ceco.
In November, the 1st Infantry Division moved south of Bologna. The Hertfordshires fought against German paratroopers. Winter made the fighting slow down. The battalion stayed on the front lines in tough conditions. This was their last duty in Italy. In January 1945, they left Italy and went to the Eastern Mediterranean.
2nd Battalion in World War II
The 2nd Battalion was formed from parts of the 1st Battalion. It also helped defend against invasion until the end of 1942. In July 1943, it changed its role. It became part of a 'Beach Group'. These new units were designed to defend landing beaches during the invasion of Europe. They also helped with communications.
The 2nd Hertfordshires joined 9 Beach Group. Their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel J.R. Harper, became the overall commander.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the battalion landed on KING and LOVE sectors of Gold Beach. They landed in the fourth wave of troops. They fought throughout the day. That night, they cleared enemy positions in Vaux. These positions had been causing trouble on the beach. In the following days, the battalion helped the Royal Engineers clear land mines. They also helped move supplies off the beach.
The battalion was disbanded on August 17, 1944. Its soldiers were sent to other units. A memorial to the regiment stands near where they landed.
After the Wars (1945-Present)
On January 31, 1945, the 1st battalion landed in Haifa. They spent time getting new equipment and training. This was still happening when the war in Europe ended.
In Palestine, the situation became unsafe. The battalion became more involved in fighting an insurgency by some Zionist groups. The 1st Hertfordshires worked around Tiberias. They tried to stop enemy movements and protect the railway at night.
In November, they joined the 6th Airborne Division. They continued to help keep order in Palestine during 1946. They helped with rescue efforts after an attack on the King David Hotel.
Soon after, the battalion took part in Operation Shark. This was a large search operation in Tel Aviv. It started on September 30. Soldiers searched the city and found 787 suspects. They also found five hidden weapons stashes. They took 176 small weapons, 4 machine guns, and 23 mortars. This was their last big operation. In November, the battalion moved to Cairo and was disbanded.
The Territorial Army was reformed in 1947. The regiment was brought back as a single battalion. In 1960, the government decided to make the Territorial Army smaller. The next year, the 1st Battalion the Hertfordshire Regiment joined with another battalion. They formed the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (TA).
After another merger in 1967, the history of the Hertfordshire Regiment lives on. It is now part of the Royal Anglian Regiment. Specifically, it is part of the 3rd Battalion.
The special flags of the Hertfordshire Regiment are kept in All Saints' Church, Hertford. Inside the church, there is also a memorial for the regiment's soldiers who died in the First World War. It lists their names.
Battle Honours
The Regiment earned these special honors for its bravery in battle. Those in bold are shown on their flags:
- South Africa 1900-02
The First World War:
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The Second World War:
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Victoria Cross Heroes
Two soldiers from the Hertfordshire Regiment received the Victoria Cross. This is the highest award for bravery in the British military. Both served in the 1/1st Battalion during the First World War.
- Corporal Alfred Burt for his actions on September 27, 1915, at Cuinchy.
- Second Lieutenant Frank Young (awarded after his death) for his actions on September 18, 1918, south east of Havrincourt.
Planned Memorial
The local council in St Julien, Belgium has given permission for a war memorial. It will be placed where the 1/1st Battalion attacked on July 31, 1917. The memorial is planned to be revealed on the 100th anniversary of that battle. This battle was part of the Third Battle of Ypres.
More details about the memorial unveiling on July 31, 2017, and related tours can be found at www.hertsatwar.co.uk and www.battle-honours.eu/Herts-at-War-2017.
