The Border Regiment in the Great War: Difference between revisions

| theatrehonours='''<u>First World War</u>:'''<br>France & Flanders<br>Italy<br>Macedonia<br>Gallipoli<br>Egypt<br>North West Frontier<br>'''<u>Second World War</u>:'''<br>

| battlehonours ='''<u>Boer War</u>:'''<br>The Relief of Ladysmith 1900<br>South Africa 1899-1902<br>'''<u>First World War</u>:'''<br>France & Flanders 1914-1918<br>Ypres 1914-18<br>Langemark 1914-17<br>Gallipoli 1915-16<br>Somme 1916-18<br>Arras 1917-18<br>Cambrai 1917-18<br>Lys 1918<br>Macedonia 1915-18<br>Vittorio Veneto 1918<br>Afghanistan 1919'''<br><u>Second World War</u>:'''<br>Dunkirk 1940<br>Somme 1940<br>Tobruk 1941<br>Meiktila<br>Landing In Sicily<br>Chindits 1944<br>Arnhem 1944<br>Imphal<br>Myinmu Bridgehead<br>Burma 1943-45<br>North West Europe 1940-44<br>Sakawng<br>Tamu Road<br>Shenam Pass<br>Kohima<br>Ukhrul<br>Mandalay<br>Rangoon Road<br>Defence of the Escaut<br>Pyawbwe<br>Sittang 1945

 

Much of the information contained within these pages have been sourced from one invaluable reference, ''[[The Border Regiment in the Great War (book)|The Border Regiment in the Great War]]'' by Colonel H.C. Wylly, C.B.<ref name="ftn1">There are many references to this text contained in this site's pages; where an instance is used the reference, for example, (Wylly, p.81) is given. Other instances may be directly quoting Wylly using his name as a reference for that quote in the main body of text.</ref> Colonel Wylly, not only a respected Colonel but also an author, has written a seminal piece of work, a record of the history of the regiment during the First World War with great detail and accuracy. It might not be everyone's favourite piece of literature, and at times it can be a strain to read, but that aside, this single study is the definitive source for the history of the regiment during the 1914-1918 period and should be regarded as such. Colonel Wylly was thanked for his efforts by Major General Sinclair MacLagan in the preface of 1924 for the "skillful manner in which he has recorded the doings of the different Battalions in six separate theatres of war, and has merged them into one consecutive narrative - a task which at first sight appeared well nigh impossible". Yet Wylly achieved this with great success owing to the style in which he decided to write; keeping the regimental units together instead of separating them into their individual battalions. Sinclair MacLagan explained stating that "The Border Regiment, in both peace and war, exists not as a collection of separate units, but as one large family irrespective of the number of Battalion embodied in it", which makes sense as to why Colonel Wylly chose to write the narrative in a linear format for all of the Battalions.

 

== History ==

The history of The Border Regiment, like many other regiments from this period, is a long and complex one that is far too detailed for me to go into here. There is much research needed and even though the number of original documents housed in archives are numerous, particularly those of Lord Lonsdale's 11th Battalion at the Castle in Carlisle, the actual number of obtainable and useable documents online are very slim, and those that can be accessed are usually at a price.

 

 

The entire Brigade was again on the move, this time marching by night to Locre during continuous outbursts of shelling as they passed through Ypres. Luck would have it that not a single man was harmed on their journey, something quite unusual considering the logistics of moving that many men at a time of artillery fire. They reached Locre early the next day on the 6th and rested in an open field until later in the morning. The fighting over the last few days had taken its toll on the 7th Division and numbers had been greatly reduced; the Border Regiment had been hit hard. Figures of casualties of the 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment between the 18th of October and 7th of November can be seen in the table to the right.

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== Congratulatory messages ==