Short History of the London Rifle Brigade

PART I.. [sidenote: =formation.=]

The London Rifle Brigade, formerly the 1st London Volunteer Rifle Corps (City of London Rifle Volunteer Brigade), and now, officially, the 5th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment, London Rifle Brigade, familiarly known to its members and the public generally by the sub-title or the abbreviation "L.R.B.," was founded July 23rd, 1859, at a meeting convened by the Lord Mayor. It has always been intimately associated with the City of London, its companies being under the patronage of the various Wards.

Within a week of its formation the muster of the Regiment exceeded 1,800; two battalions were formed and headquarters were taken at No. 8, Great Winchester Street, where they remained for 34 years, and subsequently in Finsbury Pavement.

In 1893 the Regiment entered its present headquarters in Bunhill Row. These were designed by the late Lieut.-Colonel Boyes, erected entirely from regimental funds, supplemented by contributions from members of the Brigade, from various City Companies and other friends of the Regiment, and constitute the finest building of its kind in London.

Since the formation of the Territorial Force these headquarters have been shared with the Post Office Rifles.

Mr. Alderman Carter was at first appointed Honorary Colonel, but in 1860 it was suggested that a military Honorary Colonel would be more appropriate than a civilian one, and Mr. Carter (then Lord Mayor) approached H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, who, in response to the unanimous wish of the Regiment, accepted the appointment, which he held until his death in 1904. During this period he rarely missed attending the annual inspection.

In 1862 a resolution was passed at a meeting "that Regimental Commanding Officers should now and always be Officers of professional experience and ability." This tradition has been departed from on only two occasions prior to the war, as shown in the list given on the following page.

NAME. FROM. TO.

G. M. Hicks (late 41st Regiment) 30/12/59 January, 1862. G. Warde (late 51st Regiment) February, 1862 Early, 1876. Sir A. D. Hayter, Bt. (late Early, 1876 1881. Grenadier Guards) W. H. Haywood (Ex London Rifle 1881 1882. Brigade) Lord Edward Pelham-Clinton June, 1882 1890. (late Rifle Brigade) H. C. Cholmondeley (late Rifle 1890 February, 1901. Brigade) Edward Matthey (Ex London Rifle February, 1901 4/6/01. Brigade) Lord Bingham (late Rifle Brigade) June, 1901 1913. Earl Cairns (late Rifle Brigade) 1913 1915. Norman C. King (Ex London Rifle 1915 Brigade)

1st Battalion.

Earl Cairns 4/8/14 16/3/15. A. S. Bates (Ex London Rifle 16/3/15 15/8/16. Brigade) R. H. Husey (Ex London Rifle 15/8/16 Brigade)

2nd Battalion.

G. R. Tod (late Seaforth September, 1914 Highlanders)

3rd Battalion.

H. C. Cholmondeley 30/11/14 1915. Norman C. King 4/6/15

Colonel Cholmondeley was appointed to command the Mounted Infantry Section of the C.I.V., to which regiment the London Rifle Brigade contributed 2 officers (Captain C. G. R. Matthey and Lieutenant the Hon. Schomberg K. McDonnell) and 78 other ranks.

When the Volunteer Active Service Companies were raised, 17 members were accepted for service with the Royal Fusiliers, and an additional 76 joined the Imperial Yeomanry and R.A.M.C.

The total death roll of the Regiment was seven.

Colonel Cholmondeley, Lieutenant E. D. Johnson (Imperial Yeomanry), and Colour-Sergeant T. G. Beeton (C.I.V. Infantry) were mentioned in despatches.

Colonel Cholmondeley received the C.B. for his services in South Africa, and Lieutenant the Hon. Rupert Guinness was made a C.M.G. for his work with the Irish Hospital.

When the Coronation honours were announced in 1902, Colonel Edward Matthey, V.D., received the C.B., a fitting award for his long services to the Volunteer Force. Before joining the L.R.B. in 1873 as a private he had already been 13 years in the Victoria Rifles. He retired in 1901, having served in every rank. His interest in the Regiment has been, and still is, without limit.

To face page 4.

8th to 16th November, 1914.]

The work he has done for its welfare, while still serving, and since retirement, cannot be chronicled here, but, when the full history of the Regiment is written, Colonel Matthey's name will be found writ large on its pages.

To face page 5.

The Brewery--The Battalion's First Bath house.]

In January, 1905, the Regiment was given the right to bear upon its "Colours and appointments" the words "South Africa, 1900-1902."

The London Rifle Brigade has always been distinguished as a shooting regiment. In the very first year of its existence its co-operation was sought in connection with the formation of the National Rifle Association. In 1907 it had no less than a dozen International marksmen in its ranks.

The earliest notable individual success was that of Private J. Wyatt, who won the Queen's Prize in 1864.

On two more occasions has the Blue Riband of the shooting world been won by members of the Regiment--in 1902 by Lieutenant E. D. Johnson, and in 1909 by Corporal H. G. Burr.

Regimental teams have been very successful both at the National Rifle Association and the London district meetings. At the latter the "Daily Telegraph" Cup was won two years in succession (1897 and 1898).

This was second to none in the Territorial Force. Its Annual Assault-at-Arms provided as stirring a spectacle as could be witnessed anywhere. For many years past the Brigade achieved notable successes at the Royal Military Tournament and in the competitions of the Metropolitan Territorial School of Arms Association.

The Battalion always took part in the various contests between the Territorial Regiments with considerable success. The most notable of late were the following:--The "Marathon" Race in the Territorial Championship of the London District, 1913, when Captain Husey and the London Rifle Brigade team won it in the record time of 1 hr. 33 min. 37 sec.; the distance was 12 miles, from Ewell to Stamford Bridge. The national contest at Newport did not produce such a good time, the London Rifle Brigade team winning it in 1 hr. 48 min. 14 sec.

The march to Brighton of 52½ miles for a team of sixty of all ranks, in full marching order, was accomplished in 1914 by a London Rifle Brigade team, under Captain Husey and Lieutenant Large, in the record time of 14 hrs. 23 min. The war has not given any other battalion a chance to lower the latter record, and it will assuredly take "some doing."

PART II.. [sidenote: =mobilisation.=]

The Battalion mobilised on the outbreak of war. It had actually gone into camp at Eastbourne, but was brought back to London within a few hours of its arrival.

A second and third Battalion were soon formed. (See pp. 30, 31.)

FIRST BATTALION.

Making stays of varying duration en route at Wimbledon, Hersham, and Bisley (for three weeks), the 1st Battalion finally reached Crowborough, where it remained under canvas until ordered abroad.

It embarked on November 4th, 1914. The following were the officers:--

Lieut.-Col. W. D. Earl Cairns (Commanding).

Lieut.-Col. (Hon. Col.) C. G. R. Matthey, V.D. (Second-in-Command).

Major.--N. C. King, T.D.

Captains.--A. S. Bates, M. H. Soames, R. H. Husey, C. H. F. Thompson, H. F. MacGeagh, J. R. Somers-Smith, A. L. Lintott, and Hon. Major C. D. Burnell.

Lieutenants.--R. E. Otter, J. G. Robinson, G. H. Morrison, E. L. Large, P. A. Slessor, H. B. Price, A. G. Kirby, G. H. Cholmeley.

Second-Lieutenants.--K. Forbes, G. H. G. M. Cartwright, W. L. Willett, H. L. Johnston, C. W. Trevelyan, H. G. Vincent, G. E. S. Fursdon, G. C. Kitchin.

Adjutant.--Captain A. C. Oppenheim, K.R.R.C.

Quartermaster.--Lieutenant J. R. S. Petersen.

Medical Officer.--Major A. D. Ducat, T.D.

The following short account is written in constant remembrance of the censorship regulations, and with a view to giving a faint outline of its doings to those who were not out with the 1st Battalion in France. It will be an aid to memory to those who were with it, and are fortunate in being able to look back on a time when the 1st Battalion undoubtedly reached its zenith.

Never can any Battalion of the Regiment be better than was the 1st London Rifle Brigade in 1914-15. That all will endeavour to be as good is quite certain.

The Battalion arrived in France. Disembarkation was a tedious business, and the progress through the town to the rest camp at the top of the hill was one of the worst forms of route march the Battalion had ever experienced. Frequent checks, but no halts, taught the true weight of packs and kit; and a perfunctory inspection on arrival at the camp completed the exhaustion.

For the next three weeks the history of the Battalion was one common to those Territorial units which were sent out as lone Battalions about that time. It comprised a glorious uncertainty, which troops coming out earlier and later in complete divisions cannot have experienced. For instance, on landing it was learnt, quite by accident, but on excellent authority, that officers no longer wore Sam Browne belts or carried swords. A frantic rush at the last moment procured web equipment just before the parade to entrain. Swords and belts were left at the base.

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