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The East Surrey Regiment
Active 1881 - 1959
Country United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Branch British Army
Type Infantry
Size Two Battalions
Engagements Sobroan (10th Feb. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists )
Ypres (23rd April)

The East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot and the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot . The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The 31st (Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot ("The Young Buffs" was a Line Regiment of the British Army first formed in 1694 The 70th (Surrey Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army formed in 1758 and united with the 31st (Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot in 1881 to form

Contents

Lineage

In 1702 a regiment of marines was raised in the West Country by George Villier (not related to the Villiers that became the Duke of Buckingham. Marines (from the English adjective marine, meaning of the sea, from Latin language mare, meaning sea via French adjective The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region The titles Marquess and Duke of Buckingham, referring to Buckingham, have been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain It was named Villier's Marines and its direct descendant became the East Surrey Regiment. Villier was drowned in 1703, abd the regiment was taken over by Alexander Luttrell. After Luttrell's death in 1705, the command went to Joshua Churchill until 1711 when it became Goring's Regiment (At this time regiments took the name of their colonel). Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country

In 1715 the regiment was removed from the marines and became the 31st Regiment of Infantry, and in 1751 the designation was changed to the 31st Regiment of Foot. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists Five years later a second battalion was raised in Scotland, the 2/31st Foot, which was predesignated in 1758, the 70th Regiment of Foot (Glasgow Lowland Regiment).

Further changes were made in 1782. the 31st became known as the Huntingdonshire Regiment, while the 70th became the Surrey Regiment. History The earliest English settlers in the district were the Gyrwas, an East Anglian tribe who early in the 6th century worked their way up the Ouse and the Cam Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. They stayed with this title until 1881 when they became the 1st & 2nd battalions of the East Surrey Regiment. They had been pair in 1873 as linked regiments for alternate service at home and abroad.

Early history

In the form of the 31st Foot, the regiment saw service at the Battle of Dettingen, where it received the nickname "The Young Buffs". The Battle of Dettingen ( Schlacht bei Dettingen) took place on June 27 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession In the Napoleonic Wars it served in the West Indies and Spain, where it won 8 Battle Honours. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions A battle honour is a military tradition practised in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand It was fighting in the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the Crimean War, in China at the Taku Forts. The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849 between the restive Sikh Kingdom and the British Empire. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought

The 70th Foot was in the Indian Mutiny, the Maori Wars in New Zealand, and the Second Afghan War

The 1st Battalion, after formation, was based in various garrisons around the British Empire but did not see major action until the First World War in 1914. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of Sepoys of British East India Company 's army on the 10th of May 1857 in the town of Meerut, The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of conflicts that took place in New Zealand The European influence in Afghanistan refers to political social and sometimes Imperialistic influence various European nations have had on this historical development of the The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

The 2nd Battalion on the other hand was in action soon after formation, being part of the British expedition to the Sudan in 1884. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. This battalion also took part in the Anglo-Boer War that started in 1899. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: They took part in the Relief of Ladysmith , the Battle of Tugela Heights and Laing's Nek. The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 Laing's Nek, or Lang's Nek is a pass through the Drakensberg, South Africa, immediately north of Majuba, at at an elevation of 5400 After South Africa the battalion was shipped to India in 1903 where they remained until the outbreak of World War I. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

First World War

During the First World War, the regiment raised 18 battalions. The Regiment served on the Western Front from the Battle on Mons in August 1914 to the Armistice in November 1918. See Western Front (disambiguation for other meanings Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World An armistice is a situation where the warring parties agree to stop fighting Battalions also served in Italy, Macedonia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding Also in North Russia in 1919. It was given 62 Battle Honours and seven of its soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross, all of whom survived the awarding action. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since During the war over 6000 men of the Regiment lost their lives

The 1st Battalion

On 4th August 1914, the 1st Bn The East Surrey Regiment was in Dublin. Eleven days later, mobilization completed and at full war establishment, the Battalion was in France, and before the end of the month was in action against the Germans. During the Retreat from Mons and afterwards, the Battalion took part in the great battles of 1914, Le Cateau, the Marne and the Aisne. The Great Retreat is the name given to the slow fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War The Battle of Le Cateau occurred on 26 August 1914, after the British, French and Belgians retreated from the Battle of In 1915, after the Battle of La Bassée, the 1st Surreys withstood a most determined attack on Hill 60, near Ypres. In the desperate fighting which ensued, the Battalion won three Victoria Crosses and seven Distinguished Conduct Medals. Among the VCs was Lieutenant Roupell, who later became the last Colonel of The East Surrey Regiment. The casualties in this short action alone amounted to 113 killed and 165 wounded.


In 1916, the 1st Battalion took part in the great battles of the River Somme, and distinguished itself notably at Morval in September. The Battalion took part in many of the great battles of 1917, such as Arras, the Third Battle of Ypres and, perhaps the worst, Passchendaele. "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as After a four month tour on the Italian Front, the Battalion was back in France in March 1918, and was engaged in the Battles of Albert and Bapaume, and the subsequent advance to victory. Bapaume is a commune and the chief town of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais département in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region

The 2nd Battalion

The Battalion returned from India at the outbreak of war, but it was not until January 1915 that it arrived in France. It was soon in action to the south of Ypres where it lost many men, some by poison gas. Ypres ( French, generally used in English French ipʁ English ˈiːprə Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced /ˈiːpər/ or Ypern In the Battle of St Julien, the Battalion had 141 killed and 256 wounded. The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in World War I and the first time A week later it lost a further 100 killed and 133 wounded. The 2nd Battalion took part in the Battle of Loos in September 1915, and fought valiantly in the defence of the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. The Hohenzollern Redoubt near to Auchy-les-Mines in France, was a German fortification on the Western Front in World War I. At a vital stage in this battle, Lieutenant Fleming-Sandes, though wounded, displayed exceptional courage and leadership, for which he was later awarded the Victoria Cross. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The following month the Battalion was transferred to the Salonika Expeditionary Force, and spent the remainder of the War on the Struma, Valley Front and east of Lake Doiran. The summer heat in Macedonia was intense, but the principal scourge was malaria, which at one period reduced the strength of the Battalion to 186 Other Ranks.

The Territorial Battalions

The 5th and 6th Battalions of The East Surrey Regiment were not to see service on the Western Front. See Western Front (disambiguation for other meanings Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World They embarked for India in October 1914 and were employed on garrison duties in the United Provinces and the Punjab for two years. The 5th Battalion then joined the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force and took part in the operations on the Tigris, while the 6th Battalion left India for a twelve month tour of duty with the Aden Field Force. This Battalion returned from India for demobilization in 1919, but the 5th Surreys, who were engaged on active operations in Southern Khurdistan until late December, did not reach home until February 1920. Both were resuscitated in 1921 with the rest of the TA. In the late 1930s the 5th Bn converted to Royal Artillery and in 1939 the 6th Bn, which by then was over 1200 strong, was divided into the 1/6th and 2/6th Surreys. The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army.

The Service Battalions - Kitchener's Army

The East Surrey Regiment raised seven Service battalions, of which the 7th, 8th, 9th (the Gallants), 12th and 13th served in France. The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army, was an (initially all-volunteer army formed in the United Kingdom following the outbreak of hostilities in All these non-Regular battalions had fine fighting records, and in every way maintained the traditions of the Regiment, enhancing its prestige by their gallantry and endurance. All took part in the Battles of the Somme in 1916. Most were present at the principal battles of 1917, such as Arras, the Scarpe and the Third Battle of Ypres, and in 1918 at St Quentin, Albert and Cambrai. Cambrai (Dutch Kamerijk; old spelling Cambray) is a French town and commune, in the Nord département, They saw as much fighting as the Regular battalions and showed themselves as worthy members of the Regiment whose name they bore. One particular incident will always be remembered. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, B Company of the 8th Battalion went into the attack dribbling four footballs which the Company Commander, Captain Nevill, had bought for his platoons to be kicked across No Man’s Land. The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, fought from July to November 1916 was among the largest battles of the First World War Captain Nevill and many of his men were killed during the advance, but the 8th Surreys were one of the few battalions to reach and hold their objective on this day. The ‘Football Attack’ caught the imagination of the country, and illustrations of it are shown in the Regimental Museum, which also contains one of the footballs used. on that day, the 8th Battalion won two DSOs, two MCs, two DCMs and nine MMs, but 147 officers and men were killed and 279 wounded.

Second World War

1st Battalion

The 1st Battalion was based in England at the out break of the Second World War as part of the 4th Infantry Division. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including History The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsula War the Crimean It was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The British Expeditionary Force ( BEF) was the British army sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium on the outbreak of After returning to the United Kingdom after the evacuation from Dunkirk the 1st Battalion was reformed and was assigned to 11th Infantry Brigade, part of 78th Infantry Division, with which it remained for the rest of the war. Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque, dœ̃kɛʀk or; Dutch:; is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the The British 78th Infantry Division, also known as the Battleaxe Division, fought in the Second World War in North Africa and Italy. It took part in Operation Torch in November 1942, landing in North Africa at Algiers. Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British - American invasion of French North Africa in World War II Algiers (الجزائر Algerian Arabic: Dzayer ( (From kabyle pronunciation Kabyle: Ledzayer, Alger) is the Capital and largest Following this the battalion fought with the division in Tunisia until the end of the Tunisia Campaign in May 1943 during which time it took part in notable actions at Longstop Hill and Tebourba. Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. The Tunisia Campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia was a series of World War II battles that took place in Tunisia in the North African Campaign

The battalion then fought in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily before moving to Italy for the Italian Campaign where it had notable involvement in the Battle of Termoli and the fighting on the Barbara Line and River Sangro during the autumn of 1943. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war. The Volturno Line (also known as the Viktor Line) was a German defensive position in Italy during World War II. During World War II, the Barbara Line was a series of German Military Fortifications in Italy, some ten to twenty miles south of the The Bernhardt Line (or Reinhard Line was a German defensive line in Italy during World War II. In February 1944 78th Division was switched to the Cassino sector. For other meanings see Cassino (disambiguation Cassino is a Comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy The battalion initially held positiuons on the River Rapido south of Cassino but by March had been moved into bleak and exposed positions in the mountains north of the town. In late April they were relieved and after a brief rest took part in the fourth and final Battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944. Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. They were then involved in the pursuit after the Allied breakthrough. They fought a hard engagement at Lake Trasimeno on the Trasimene Line in June 1944 before being withdrawn with the rest of the division in July to Egypt for rest and training. The Trasimene Line was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II.

1st East Surreys returned with 78th Division to Italy in September 1944 in time to take part in Operation Olive and the fighting in the Apennine Mountains during the winter of 1944 and occupying positions on Monte Spaduro when the front became static. The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring 's last major line of defence in the final stages of

In February 1945 the battalion came out of the front line to prepare and train for the offensive planned for the spring. By late March the whole division was in place on the banks of the Senio river ready for the start of the spring 1945 offensive which started on 6 April. The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on April Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus The battalion fought in the intense action at the Argenta Gap before advancing with the rest of the division to the north of the Gulf of Venice and crossing the Italian border to finish the war in Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich

1/6th Battalion


2nd Battalion

In 1940 the 2nd Battalion was shipped from China to Malaya where it was attached to 11th Indian Division based in North West Malaya. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century In December 1941 the Japanese Army invaded Malaya after landing in southern Thailand. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Battle of Malaya was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from December 8 1941 to January 31 The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The 2nd East Surreys suffered tremendous casualties during the defence and retreat from this part of Malaya. The battalion was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment to form the British Battalion (Malaya 1941) on the 19th December 1941. The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was an Infantry Regiment of the line in the British Army, with a history going back to 1688 The British Battalion was an Ad hoc formation created on 20 December 1941 during the Battle of Malaya. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This unit fought gallantly through out the rest of the short campaign until the surrender of the British Army at Singapore in February 1942. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold

In May 1942 the 2nd Battalion was reformed from the redesignation of the 11th Battalion. It did not see further action in the Second World War.

Corporal Charles "Nobby" Hibbert, of the 2nd battalion, the East Surrey regiment, wrote an informal unpublished memoir shortly before his death at the age of 49 in 1969 in Stevenage, Herts, England, his health undermined fatally by his experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war in the far East. The book, which he called The Wheel of Fortune, described vividly in colloquial London English, the lost battle for Malaysia and the grimness of life under the loathsome prison camp regime in Borneo. His memoir also touches on the Chinese leg of the battalion's far eastern spell that ended in heoroic disaster.

Amalgamation

The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1948 and its personnel joined the 1st Battalion. In 1959 the East Surreys were amalgamated with Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) to form the The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. The 2nd (The Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot was the title given to The Tangier Regiment, when regimental numbering was introduced in Britain in 1751 The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment was an Infantry Regiment of the British Army. In further amalgamations in 1966 and 1992 the Queen's Royal Surreys first became part of The Queen's Regiment and then the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. The Queen's Regiment was an Infantry Regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Division "PWRR" redirects here For the railroad with these reporting marks see Portland and Western Railroad.

References

External links

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