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Sunday, 18 November, 2018 – 21:45 (BST)
Welcome to the Lonsdale Battalion
The home of the
11th (Service) Battalion Border Regiment in the First World War


Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense — Evil be to Him who Evil Thinks


  Your Lonsdale Battalion & Border Regiment Needs You!
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We are currently looking for assistance with writing articles and glossary terms from our wanted pages list. As this project expands so does the ever increasing list of articles that need writing and this is where we need your help. You do not need to be an academic with a degree in writing or history! We will guide you through our very simple procedures. If you have an interest in the Lonsdale Battalion or the Border Regiment and are willing to spare some of time then please drop us a message and we'll get back to you with answers to any questions you may have or, alternatively, create a new account and you can start straight away. Thanks -- Borderman (Talk) 13:08, 14 September 2017 (BST)
  The Lonsdales

The 11th (Service) Battalion Border Regiment, also known as the Lonsdale Battalion was a 'Pals' battalion formed of three detachments at Carlisle, Kendal and Workington by the Earl of Lonsdale and an Executive Committee. The Battalion became a well-trained, disciplined unit of volunteers that answered Field Marshal Earl Kitchener's call to arms - to fight for King and Country. Men that had grown up together enlisted together and “during these formative days of the Battalion’s earliest history it became clear to everyone in the Border Counties that this really was a Battalion of 'Pals,' of comrades, and of Border men.” - The Lonsdale Battalion Border Regiment, September 1914 to June 1915

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  Battalion History

The Lonsdale Battalion was formed by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, and an Executive Committee with the approval of the War Office on 17 September, 1914. The Executive Committee raised four companies, all financed by the Earl of Lonsdale himself from his personal funds. Discover almost four years of the Battalion's history through formation, training and front line action.

The Battalion History  
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  The Lonsdale Battalion – On This Day

On this day is a listing of historical daily events associated with the movements actions of the Lonsdale Battalion between 1914–1918. An event is a term used to describe a particular action or set of actions such as: a reference to bayonet training, digging entrenchments, receiving orders, front line fighting and a variety of simple reports including casualty figures, among many others. → Please note this information refreshes every day.

On this day in history (18 November)

1914

  • Hirings take place in Brampton.[1]
  • Telegram from Lt-Col. Machell to Recruiting Office: “....now only taking odd men who had been enlisted previously and sent home.” [2]

1916

  • Battalion situated in the Redan Sector trenches. At midnight the Commanding Officer and Adjutant leave Battalion Headquarters and lays a tape as they move in direction of Wagon Road. Companies follow, marching into position along Wagon Road. By 4am the Lonsdales are ready.[3]
  • At 4.30am the Commanding Officer gives last-minute instructions to Officers Commanding Companies. The Companies move into position by 5am and at 6.10am (zero time) the artillery barrage opens and the Lonsdales advance in perfect order to attack, “the spirit of the men being a fine sight to see in spite of the intense cold in which they had to lie & wait.” Some reach 'Munich Trench' however, soon after it is difficult to ascertain the position of every Company.[3]
  • The Germans put over a heavy bombardment, including several rockets that burst into four red stars. Further considerable hostile machine gun fire ensues, some which appears to come from a gun well in the rear of 'Frankfort Trench,' engaging in indirect fire onto the ground over which the Lonsdale attack is being delivered.[3]
  • Soon after daylight Captain Ross & 2nd Lieut. Greenhill are found, having earlier been held up, with some Lonsdale and K.O.Y.L.I. men near a communication trench running between 'Wagon Road' and 'Munich Trench.' Sharp fighting occurs and bombing attacks are delivered. A bombing post is established and further behind two Lewis guns are positioned commanding both flanks.[3]
  • After dark several men, those who were left on the 'Wagon Road' side of 'Munich Trench,' return after having held shell holes opposite the German line. During the day until 10pm, stretcher bearers are continuously over the top, bringing in and attending to wounded men.[3]
  • The remaining men are reorganised, placing 'Wagon Road' in a state of defence. Wounded men crawling back are continually sniped at by the enemy.[3]

The following Lonsdale men died this day in 1916

1917

  • Battalion situated at 'Road Camp' involved in training.[4]

References / notes

Material from Timeline/Chronology of the Lonsdale Battalion (September 1914 - May 1915) are sourced from the DLONS/L/13/13 Lowther Estate Archives. Entries from this timeline are reproduced here with kind permission of Jim Lowther and are not available under the license of this site. Please do not publish these extracts on other publicly visible media without prior permission from the copyright holder.

  1. ↑ Record No. DLONS/L/13/13/7
  2. ↑ Record No. DLONS/L/13/13/6
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 11th Battalion War Diary, November 1916
  4. ↑ 11th Battalion War Diary, November 1917


On this day 18 November  ·  Find out more  
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  Document Library

There were a wide range of documents recorded and compiled between the Lonsdale's formation and eventual disbandment in 1918. The documents offer detailed information on the actions and day-to-day running of the Battalion at a time of war. These include, but are not limited to: orders, reports, notes, instructions, messages, honours, awards and press appreciations.

The document library  
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  Lonsdale Battalion War Diary

Some regimental war diaries are sparse in detail, whilst others are descriptive. Today, they are pivotal to learning about the daily lives of the men and the bitter fighting they endured. The Lonsdale's war diary offers a complexity of daily reports on operations, intelligence summaries, casualties, maps and various other appendices covering their time in France and Flanders.

The battalion war diary  
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  Roll of Honour

The 11th Battalion Roll of Honour has been transcribed as it was printed in HMSO’s Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19, Volume 39, The Border Regiment. This is a complete list of men killed whilst serving in the Lonsdale Battalion during the war. Many of the soldiers that served in the Lonsdale Battalion also served in other battalions of the Border Regiment, some even transferring from entirely different regiments, the most common of these being the Herefordshire, Essex and Liverpool Regiments.

The roll of honour  
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  Quotes

“All will be more comfortable when our division takes over. The Commanding Officer's are well enough off always, apparently, having pretty good dug-outs and a chance of drying up, but I feel very bad about the men, and one can’t do enough for them.”

—Lt. Col. P.W. Machell, Commanding the Battalion, Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) - In France.

“For the first six months there was never a night that the C.O. did not go round the trenches. Not a casual walk round, but four or fives hours out…We had the name of being the best Infantry Battalion in France, among any of those who had to do with us.”

—Major P. G. W. Diggle, 2nd in Command, Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) - In France.

Read a selection of quotes from various source materials. The words offer a glimpse into the lives of the men and the sights they bore witness to first-hand. Quotes from the Battalion War Diary give a unique insight to the mundane duties of trench warfare, the horrors of battle and the praising of fellow brothers in the course of their duties.

The Lonsdale quotes  
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  Image Galleries

Peruse over a collection of images of the Lonsdales during their initial training period at Blackhall Camp, Carlisle, before being shipped over to France. See the men in their civvies lining up for roll call, engaged in bayonet training and aiming drills, digging entrenchments and physical exercise. Plus, see photos of officers, individuals, groups, obituaries, cap badges and other insignia.

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  Newspaper Articles

Several Cumberland and Westmorland newspapers reported on the Lonsdales between 1914 – 1918. Reports on the war, notes of the week, the terrible conditions at the front, casualties and obituaries, to name a few provide the reader with a glimpse into a world where hardships were a fact of life, and the horrors of war and losing your friends were a daily routine. Here's one fine example of a chap writing home about his experience of being wounded.

A BIT OF ROTTEN LUCK

Lonsdales Wounded On Way To Trenches

Corporal J. Smith, 11th Borders in a letter to his parents on December 19th, says: -
Just a few lines to let you know that I have been wounded, but I am going on champion. A piece of shrapnel went clean through my right thigh while I was going into the trenches with my mates. There were two of us knocked out at the same time. We had a bit of rotten luck that day, and the trenches are four feet deep with mud and water. It was very hard for us, seeing we were new to the place. I went through an operation on Wednesday night… They took the tube out of my wound today. I expect I’ll be sent home any time about Christmas… The doctors and nurses are very nice to the wounded. They will do anything to help you… How is everybody at Workington? Give my kind regards to all.

Living day to day surrounded by death and the fear of never seeing loved ones again made the propaganda drive all the more effective as those at home learned about their sons and fathers fighting for the freedoms that many of us today take for granted. The press in recent times, however, enlighten us with stark reminders of bygone times and more often than not, heartwarming tributes of those who served over 100 years ago.

Lonsdales in the press  
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  Helping out with our projects

Interested in helping out around here? There is always something to write, discover and learn about the Lonsdale Battalion and the Border Regiment. As you can see from the menu on the left there are several projects that are a work-in-progress. Take a look at the recent changes made to the site to see what has been happening lately.

Our largest on-going project is the Lonsdale Battalion on this day... project. This is a listing of historical events associated with the actions of the Lonsdales, from formation in 1914 through to its disbandment in 1918. Whenever we learn something new and interesting about the Lonsdales we like to include what we can in the interest of free and accessible knowledge. Every project, however, no matter how large or small is just as important as the next, which is why they are of equal value and interest. Currently there are many other site projects either on the go or waiting to be started, and this is where we need your help in making these available for everyone.

If you are interested in helping out you can contact us with any questions you may have about any of the projects. Alternatively, if you have spotted any errors and omissions, would like to create news pages or simply edit some existing ones, you can do so by creating a new account and off you go. We look forward to seeing you around.

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