The Birmingham Rifles was a volunteer unit of the British Army founded in Birmingham in 1859. As the 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, it served as infantry on the Western Front and in Italy during World War I. Its successor units served in air defence during the early part of World War II, and later as anti-tank gunners in the Burma Campaign.
Volunteers The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Beckett. One such unit was the 1st (Birmingham Rifles) Warwickshire RVC, formed on 20 October 1859 by Colonel the Hon Charles Granville Scott, formerly of the Scots Fusilier Guards, on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. Shortly afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel John Sanders, late of the 41st Bengal Native Infantry, assumed command. In March the following year it absorbed two other Birmingham-based units, the 3rd Warwickshire RVC raised on 8 November 1859, and the 6th raised on 8 February 1860. The whole was consolidated as the 1st Warwickshire RVC in March 1860 and the 'Birmingnham' subtitle was authorised by September.Beckett, Appendix VII.Frederick, pp. 281–2.Westlake, pp. 241–42.5th Warwicks at Regiments.orgJeff, pp. 6–7.Jeff, p. 13. Further companies were raised, and the unit soon reached a strength of 12 companies, one recruited from newspaper workers, one from gunmakers, and another from Scots residents in the city. A cadet corps of the battalion existed at King Edward's School from 1864 to 1866, and again from 1883 to 1884. At first the uniform was grey with green facings, then Rifle green with red facings was adopted in 1863.Army ListJeff, p. 10
On 14 June 1871, retired Major-General John Hinde, CB, (1814–81) formerly of the 8th Foot, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Birmingham Rifles.London Gazette, 16 June 1871.John Hinde at Nat Gould website On 4 March 1882 he was succeeded by Colonel William Swynfen Jervis, late of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and one of the founders of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.London Gazette, 3 March 1882.W.S. Jervis at Cricket Archive.
In its early months the battalion paraded at Beardsworth's Horse Repository, but as numbers grew it moved at the invitation of the Cattle Show committee to Bingley Hall. This arrangement was never satisfactory, because the battalion could not use the hall for the duration of the cattle show in November and December each year. When the show committee also let the hall to a circus for three months in the spring of 1879, the battalion was temporarily housed in Mr Wiley's factory in Graham Street. The battalion now acquired a site of its own and a drill hall was built at Thorp Street, which remained in use until 1968.Jeff, pp. 7–8.
Under the 'Localisation of Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell reforms, the Volunteers in Warwickshire were grouped with the two Regular battalions of the 6th Foot (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) and the two Warwickshire Militia regiments into Sub-District No 28 (County of Warwick), forming Brigade No 28 (Warwickshire).
Following the Childers Reforms, the battalion became a Volunteer Battalion (VB) of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 1 July 1881, and was designated the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the regiment on 1 January 1883. Four new companies were added in 1891, the unit reorganising as a double battalion, the 1st Battalion having 'A' to 'H' Companies, the 2nd 'I' to 'Q' Companies. A cyclist section formed in 1894 had become a full company by 1900, together with 'U' Company formed of staff and students of Birmingham University. New cadet corps were formed at Solihull Grammar School and King Edward's School in 1904 and 1907 respectively.
The Stanhope Memorandum of 1888 proposed a Mobilisation Scheme for units of the Volunteer Force, which would assemble by brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime the brigades provided a structure for collective training.Beckett, pp. 135, 185–86.Dunlop, pp. 60–61. The Volunteer Battalions of the Royal Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire regiments were formed into a South Midland Volunteer Infantry Brigade, which in the event of war was to assemble at Warwick. Later, a separate Worcester and Warwickshire Volunteer Infantry Brigade was formed.
Commanding Officers The following officers commanded the unit while it was part of the Volunteer Force: Col Hon C.G. Scott (September–November 1859) Lt-Col J.W. Sanders (1859–60) Lt-Col J. Oliver Mason (1860–67) Lt-Col C. Ratcliffe (1867–71) Maj-Gen J. Hinde, CB (1871–81) Col William Swynfen Jervis (1882–1900) Col W. Cox (1900–01; Lt-Col No 2 Bn 1891–1900) Col C.J. Hart, CB, VD, TD (1901–08; Lt-Col No 1 Bn 1900–01) Lt-Col W.R. Ludlow (No 2 Bn 1901–08)
Boer War The Volunteer Battalions provided service companies to serve alongside the Regulars during the Second Boer War. Despite the large number who volunteered, only a half company was sent from the two battalions of the 1st VB. The contingent left Birmingham on 17 January 1900 and joined the 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshires, taking part in six actions at Elandsfontein, Pretoria, Pienaarsport, Diamond Hill, Edendale and Belfast. The 58-strong detachment suffered seven casualties, all but one dying from sickness. The battalion earned its first Battle Honour: South Africa 1900–02.Jeff, pp. 12–13.Leslie.
Territorial Force When the Volunteers were subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF) in 1908 as part of the Haldane Reforms, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Birmingham Rifles became the 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and 6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, respectively and the cyclist company was disbanded, while 'U' Company and the cadet corps became part of the Officer Training Corps. The battalion adopted the red uniform with blue facings of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Both the 5th and 6th battalions were in the Warwickshire Brigade of the TF's South Midland Division.Jeff, p. 18.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 77–83.James, pp. 48–9.
World War I
Mobilisation On the outbreak of war in August 1914, the units of the South Midland Division had just arrived at Rhyl for annual training when orders recalled them to their home depots for mobilisation. 5th Battalion mobilised at Thorps Street under the command of Lt-Col A.I. Parkes.Jeff, p. 24.Jeff, p. 100. The Warwickshire Brigade first went to its war station at Portland. The division then concentrated around Chelmsford, where it formed part of Central Force. While the battalions trained for overseas service, so-called 2nd-Line battalions were authorised on 31 August to be formed at the home depots from men who either had not volunteered for overseas service or were unfit, together with the recruits flooding in. Thus the parent battalion at Chelmsford was designated the 1/5th Battalion, that at Thorp Street was the 2/5th Battalion. Later, a 3rd-Line or reserve battalion was also formed to train drafts for the other two.Jeff. p. 19.Royal Warwicks at Long, Long Trail.48 Division at Long, Long TrailRoyal Warwicks at WarpathBecke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
1/5th Royal Warwicks The South Midland Division was selected to proceed to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) early in 1915. Lt-Col A.C. Stewart, Corps of Guides, took over command of 1/5th Warwicks in February 1915. The battalion embarked at Southampton for Le Havre on 22 March 1915. Within days it began learning the routine of trench warfare around St Yves, Messines and Ploegsteert. On 12 May, the division was designated the 48th (South Midland) Division and the brigade became numbered as the 143rd (1/1st Warwickshire) Brigade.
On 12 July 1915, Captain G.C. Sladen, Rifle Brigade, assumed command with the rank of Temporary Lt-Col. The battalion moved south to a section of the line around Hébuterne, Foncquevillers and Gommecourt.Jeff, p. 26.
Somme The first offensive operation of the 1/5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment was on 1 July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. Together with 1/7th, the battalion held a two-mile stretch of trench adjoining the attack of 31st Division towards Serre. They were not to attack, but made simulated preparations for doing so. The enemy wire was cut, and they released smoke just before zero hour, but no assembly trenches had been dug nor was the British wire cut, and the German defenders were not fooled. 31st Division was dreadfully cut up, as was the rest of 143 Brigade, which had attacked with 4th Division.Edmonds, pp. 426–27.
During the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, the battalion captured Ovillers-la-Boisselle on the night of 15/16 July. The prospects for the attack were unpromising: the troops were exhausted before the attack and were suffering from the effects of lachrymatory gas shells; the men were too closely bunched and the waves too close together; and there was no artillery support. Nevertheless, in the dark, a party of the 1/5th Battalion led by Charles Carrington hit on a weak spot in the German defences with no machine gun cover, and captured a trench well behind the German main position without losing a man. Carrington persuaded his superiors not to withdraw his men, and the following morning the cut-off main German position surrendered.Griffiths, pp 59–60.
The 1/5th Battalion was involved in the following further operations during the Battle of the Somme: Battle of Pozières Ridge, 23–27 July and 13–28 August 1916 Battle of the Ancre Heights, 3–11 November 1916 Battle of the Ancre, 13–18 November 1916 Lt-Col Sladen was promoted to command 143rd Bde, and Lt-Col C. Retallack was appointed to succeed him as CO on 4 September. By December the battalion occupied trenches at Le Sars. Casualties during the Somme campaign had been heavy. Company Serjeant-Major F. Townley was awarded the Military Cross (MC) after he had twice taken command of A Company when all the officers became casualties.Jeff, p. 33.
The 1/5th Battalion was involved in the following operations during the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March and April 1917: Occupation of Peronne, 18 March 1916 The battalion advanced on Épehy in April
Ypres In July the battalion entrained at Authie for Proven in Belgium. After a short period of training it took part in the Third Battle of Ypres Battle of Langemarck, 16–18 August 1917: Serious losses were suffered in an impossible situation near St Julien; Lt-Col Retallack was severely wounded, leaving Capt W.H. Bloomer in temporary command Battle of Polygon Wood, 28 September–3 October 1917 Battle of Broodseinde, 4 October 1917: Lt-Col W.C.C. Gell, who had assumed command in September, led another attack at St Julien, which was an outstanding success Battle of Poelcappelle, 9 October 1917
The battalion was moved to Vimy and returned to trench duty and rest periods.
Italy On 10 November 1917, the 48th Division received orders to move to Italy. The battalion entrained at Ligny-Saint-Flochel; HQ and C Companies travelled via the Mont Cenis Tunnel, A, B and D Companies by the Riviera route. They detrained at Bovolone near Verona on 27 November.Jeff, p. 28. By 1 December the division had concentrated around Legnago on the Adige. On 1 March 1918, the division relieved 7th Division in the front line of the Montello sector on the Piave Front, and held the line until 16 March. On 1 April, it moved westward into reserve for the middle sector of the Asiago Plateau Front.