The 1st Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteers were a unit of the British Army raised from 1859 onwards as a group of originally separate Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs). They later became the 4th Volunteer Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment and saw action in the Gallipoli and Palestine campaigns during the First World War. Converted into a searchlight unit between the wars, they served in the defence of the United Kingdom and as an infantry regiment in liberated Norway during the Second World War. After the war, they continued in the air defence role until 1961 when they reverted to infantry as part of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
Early history
An invasion scare in 1859 led to the creation of the Volunteer Force and huge enthusiasm throughout Great Britain for joining local RVCs.Beckett. The War Office issued a Circular Letter on 12 May inviting volunteers, and within three days Earl Spencer had offered to raise a company from his tenants at Althorp in Northamptonshire.Gurney, p. 314. This became the Althorp Rifles, later 1st Northamptonshire RVC. The unit had a song, sung to the tune of The British Grenadiers: Now every man of sense, Sir,Should welcome with three cheersAnd rally round Lord Spencerand the Althorp Volunteers.Beckett, p. 265.
Within months the following units had been raised in the county:Beckett, Appendix VII.Frederick, pp. 227–8.Westlake, Rifle Volunteers, p. 190–1.Northamptonshire Volunteers at Regiments.org.Gurney, pp. 314–5 & 324–5. 1st Northamptonshire RVC at Althorp with the 5th Earl Spencer appointed to command on 29 August 1859. 2nd Northamptonshire RVC raised at Towcester after a meeting held at the Pomfret Hotel on 12 July 1859 with the 5th Earl of Pomfret appointed to command on 19 October. 3rd Northamptonshire RVC planned at Northampton but converted to Mounted Rifles in March 1860 (see below). 4th Northamptonshire RVC raised from 'professional men and tradesmen' after a meeting at Northampton Town Hall on 2 June 1859, with the first officers commissioned on 15 February 1860. 5th Northamptonshire RVC raised from employees of the military contractor Isaac, Campbell & Co at Northampton, with the company's proprietor Samuel Isaac appointed as captain and his brother Saul Isaac as lieutenant on 3 March 1860. 6th Northamptonshire RVC raised at Peterborough, with the Hon George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, former MP for Peterborough, appointed as commanding officer 3 March 1860. 7th Northamptonshire RVC raised at Wellingborough, with the first officers commissioned on 20 September 1860 8th Northamptonshire RVC raised at Daventry with Sir Rainald Knightley, Bart, MP for South Northamptonshire, appointed to command on 23 November 1860.
All these units were included in the 1st Administrative Battalion, Northamptonshire RVCs, in 1860, under the command of William Fitzroy, Earl of Euston (later 6th Duke of Grafton), as lieutenant-colonel, with Earl Spencer and the Earl of Pomfret as majors.Monthly Army List, January 1866. (There was no 2nd Admin Bn in Northamptonshire.) The 1st Northamptonshire RVC established its headquarters (HQ) at Clare Street drill hall, Northampton.Northampton at Drill Hall Project. On 1 June 1860 the new 4th and 5th Northampton RVCs took part in a brigade field day with the Northamptonshire Militia, which was just finishing its annual training, and a field battery of the Royal Artillery from Northampton Barracks.Markham, p. 100.
Three further volunteer corps were later raised in the county and added to the 1st Admin Bn: 1st Northamptonshire Mounted Rifle Volunteer Corps, raised at Overstone 3 Mar 1860 by Col Robert Loyd-Lindsay, VC, joined 1st Admin Bn 1862.Beckett, Appendix X.Gurney, p. 315. 1st Northamptonshire Engineer Volunteer Corps at Peterborough, raised 1867.Westlake, Engineer Volunteers, p. 13. 9th Northamptonshire RVC raised at Kettering, 22 April 1867.
The 1st Northamptonshire MRV was absorbed by the 4th Northampton RVC in 1863 and the 1st Northampton EVC transferred to the 2nd Tower Hamlets EVC in 1872. Also in 1872, the 4th and 5th RVCs amalgamated to form a new 3rd corps. Sir Henry Fletcher, Baronet, was appointed Captain of the 1st RVC in 1866, and Henry James Fitzroy (later Earl of Euston, nephew of the 6th Duke of Grafton) of the 2nd RVC in 1872. After Fitzroy had been promoted to major in 1874, Sir Hereward Wake, 12th Baronet, was captain of the 2nd RVC from 1877 to 1887, by special permission, because he simultaneously held a commission in the Militia.Army List.Gurney, p. 319.
The Administrative Battalion was consolidated as the 1st Northamptonshire RVC in 1880, with the following organisation: A Company (ex 1st RVC) B Company (ex 2nd RVC) C to G Companies (ex 3rd RVC) H and I Companies (ex 6th RVC) K and L Companies (ex 7th RVC) M Company (ex 8th RVC) N Company (ex 9th RVC)
Under the Childers Reforms of 1881, the 1st Northampton RVC was attached as a Volunteer Battalion to the Northamptonshire Regiment on 1 July, and formally changed its title to 1st Volunteer Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, in December 1887. (As with the Admin Bn, there was no 2nd Volunteer Bn). The Earl of Euston took over as Lt-Col Commandant on 4 February 1882.
In the mobilisation scheme introduced after the Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888, the battalion initially formed part of the South Midland Brigade, which would have assembled at Warwick in the event of war. Later it joined the volunteer battalions of the Suffolk Regiment in the Harwich Brigade, tasked with defending the naval base at Harwich.Gurney, p. 320.
By 1900 the unit had grown to a double battalion of 16 companies distributed as follows:Gurney, p. 321.
A Company at Althorp HQ and B to F Companies at Northampton G and H Companies at Peterborough I and K Companies at Wellingborough L Company at Daventry M and N Companies (one of them composed of cyclists) at Kettering O Company at Rushden Q Company at Desborough and Rothwell R Company at Raunds
In December 1899 the Volunteers were invited to form special service companies to reinforce their Regular battalions serving in Second Boer War. Volunteers from the 1st VB Northamptons disembarked at Cape Town in February 1900, and took their place as I Company with the 2nd Northamptons, gaining the Battle Honour South Africa 1900–1902 for the unit.Leslie.
After the Boer War the battalion joined with the volunteer battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment to form the Bedford Brigade in Eastern Command.
Territorial Force When the Volunteer Force was subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) as part of the Haldane reforms of 1908, the bulk of the 1st Volunteer Bn became the 4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, but the Peterborough companies were converted to form the Northamptonshire Battery of the Royal Field Artillery and the East Midland Brigade Company of the Army Service Corps.East Anglian Bde RFA at Regiments.org.Litchfield, p. 101.London Gazette, 20 March 1908.
The 4th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment formed part of the East Midland Brigade of the East Anglian Division.James, p. 89.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 125–32.Northamptons at Long, Long Trail.54 Div at Long, Long Trail.
First World War
Mobilisation On 26 July 1914, the 4th Northamptons went into camp at Ashridge Park for annual training. When the order to mobilise was received on 4 August, it returned to its Clare Street drill hall at Northampton and by 10 August the battalion was at its war station at Romford as the East Anglian Division concentrated in Essex. On 20 August it moved to Bury St Edmunds and formed part of the East Coast defences until the following May.Gurney, pp. 326–7.Regimental History, pp. 326–7. Meanwhile, the formation of duplicate or 2nd Line TF units from Home Service men and recruits had been authorised, and towards the end of 1914 the 2nd East Anglian Division came into existence at Peterborough. The original battalion became the 1/4th, and its 2nd Line became the 2/4th.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 91–8. Later a 3/4th Battalion was formed.Regimental History, p. 340.
1/4th Northamptons After the Home Service men and the unfit had been transferred to the 2/4th Bn, the 1/4th was brought up to strength with recruits and training continued at Bury St Edmunds. The battalion moved to Thetford in Norfolk in November 1914. At Easter 1915 the East Anglian Division moved into the coast defences, the 1/4th Bn being stationed in Norwich. In May the battalion moved back to Bury St Edmunds to fit out with tropical kit for overseas service. The 1st East Anglian Division was now numbered as the 54th (East Anglian) Division, with the East Midlands Brigade becoming 162nd (East Midland) Brigade. On 29 July the 1/4th Northamptons entrained, and sailed the following day from Devonport aboard the transport Royal George.
Gallipoli In the early hours of 15 August the battalion transhipped to the destroyers Foxhound and Scourge and ran in to Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula, landing from small boats onto the beach. At the end of the day it was moved up to support the rest of 162nd Brigade, which had been engaged throughout the day. On 17 August the battalion moved into the front line. In trench warfare, it lost three officers and seven other ranks killed, and three officers and 53 other ranks wounded by the end of August.Regimental History, pp. 328–9.
At the beginning of September the 1/4th Northamptons were transferred to 163rd (Norfolk & Suffolk) Brigade in 54th Division, and remained with it until the end of the campaign. This brigade held the Hill 60 sector and the battalion spent its time between that place and 'South Wales Borderers Valley'. The trench lines were close together, within hand grenade range, and between 3 September and 30 November the battalion suffered battle casualties of 35 killed and 129 wounded, as well as a large number of sick. On 27 November the battalion was due to be withdrawn for a month's rest at Mudros, but torrential rain brought all movement to a halt, followed by freezing conditions, and the battalion was not relieved until 8 December, having suffered further casualties.Regimental History, pp. 329–30.
Egypt After a week at Mudros, the battalion was transferred to Egypt, landing at Alexandria on 18 December. On 30 December it was moved by rail and foot to the Western Desert in support of the cavalry and armoured cars operating against the Senussi before returning to camp near Cairo in January 1916. Here the 54th Division was concentrated, and the battalion was brought up to strength with drafts, including men from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Leicestershire Regiment who had seen service on the Western Front.Regimental History, p. 330.
In April 1916, after rest, the division took up positions in No 1 (Southern) Section of the Suez Canal defences, remaining in this area for the rest of the year. In the autumn the battalion embarked to join T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt, but the move was countermanded. On 9 January 1917, the 1/4th Northamptons went into camp for training, and at the end of the month entrained for Kantara to begin the march across the Sinai Peninsula preparatory to the advance into Palestine.Regimental History, pp. 331–2.
Palestine