The Preston Rifles, later the 4th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 until the 1950s. It served as infantry on the Western Front and in Ireland during the First World War, and as an air defence unit during The Blitz and the campaign in North West Europe during the Second World War.
Volunteer Force 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 11th (1st Preston) Lancashire RVC, formed at Preston, Lancashire, on 4 October 1859 under the command of Henry Newsham Pedder, late of the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia and grandson of the founder of Preston's first bank.Frederick, pp. 190–1.Westlake, pp. 143–4.Beckett, Appendix VII.Lancashire Record Office, Handlist 72.Pedder at Preston Digital Archive.
In February 1860 the unit absorbed two other Preston corps, the 12th (2nd Preston) RVC and the 30th (Fishwick) RVC, becoming a three-company corps. In July 1861 one of the original captains, William Henry Goodair, a member of a local cotton manufacturing family, took over as Major-Commandant.Army List, various dates.'First Citizens of Preston', Lancashire Evening Post, 11 April 2007. The corps became part of the 6th Administrative Battalion of Lancashire RVCs formed in September 1861, the other units being the 44th at Longton, the 59th at Leyland, and the 61st (two companies) at Chorley. The 6th Admin Battalion had its headquarters at Preston.Frederick, pp. 190–1.
In July 1865 the 11th Lancashire RVC was given special permission to adopt The Preston Rifle Volunteer Corps as its official designation.London Gazette 28 July 1865. The 11th absorbed the 44th RVC in 1866 and the 61st RVC in November 1868, reaching a strength of eight companies. Goodair was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1867, and Captain George H. Lightoller of the 61st RVC became Major in 1868. Simultaneously Goodair was major of the 6th Admin Bn commanded by Lt-Col Sir Thomas Hesketh, Bt. (The Pedder, Goodair and Lightoller families recur among the names of the unit's officers over the next few decades.)
Under the scheme of 'localisation' introduced by the Cardwell Reforms, Regular infantry battalions became linked in pairs assigned to particular counties or localities, and the county Militia and Volunteers were affiliated to them. From 1873 the 6th Admin Bn was attached to 'Sub-District No 12', headquartered in Preston and brigaded with the 47th Foot, the 81st Foot and the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia.Training Depots, 1873–1881 at Regiments.org archive site.
In the reorganisation of the Volunteers in 1880, the whole 6th Admin Bn was consolidated on 16 March as the 11th Lancashire RVC with the following dispositions: HQ at Preston A to E Companies at Preston F Company at Leyland G, H and J Companies at Chorley.
Its uniform was scarlet with white facings.
On 1 July 1881 the unit became a Volunteer Battalion of the Preston-based Loyal North Lancashire Regiment formed from the 47th and 81st Foot (Regulars) and 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia under the Childers Reforms. It was designated the 1st Volunteer Battalion from 1 February 1883. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 introduced a Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training.Beckett, pp. 135, 185–86.Dunlop, pp. 60–61. The Volunteer Battalions of the Loyals were assigned to the Mersey Brigade, which was later split up and the Loyals reassigned to the Northern Counties Brigade based in Preston. In 1902 this was also split, the Loyals staying with the new North East Lancashire Brigade in Preston. Finally, in 1906 the brigade was entitled the North Lancashire Brigade and two battalions of the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) were brigaded with the Loyals.
During the Second Boer War the battalion formed a service company of volunteers to serve alongside the Regulars, earning the Battle honour South Africa 1900–1902.Leslie.
Territorial Force When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the battalion became the 4th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment:London Gazette 20 March 1908.Mark Conrad, The British Army 1914 (archive site) HQ at Preston A, C & D Companies at Preston B Company at Longridge E Company at Lytham F Company at HorwichLancashire at Centenary Drill Halls. G & H Companies at Devonshire Road, Chorley
The North Lancashire Brigade now formed part of the West Lancashire Division of the TF.James, pp. 88–9.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 133–39.
First World War Mobilisation Annual training for the West Lancashire Division had just begun at Kirkby Lonsdale when war was declared on 4 August 1914, and the units at once returned to their headquarters for mobilisation. On 10 August the TF were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service and all the units of the West Lancashire Division did so.Wylly, p. 157.Coop, pp. 20–21
On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later the 2nd Line also began to serve overseas.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 1–7.
The 2/4th Bn Loyals was formed at Preston in October 1914 and became part of the 2/1st North Lancashire Bde in the 2nd West Lancashire Division. A 3/4th Bn was raised in 1915 to provide drafts to the other battalions when they were serving overseas.Loyals at Long, Long Trail.Loyals at regimental Warpath.John Downham, 'The Regiments in the Great War' at Lancashire Infantry Museum.Wylly, pp. 187, 200.
1/4th Loyals The 1/4th Bn mobilised at 9 Avenham Lane, Preston, and moved on 22 August to Swindon in Wiltshire, and then in November to Sevenoaks in Kent.55 Division at Long, Long Trail.
51st (Highland) Division Many units of the West Lancashire Division went to France independently to provide reinforcements for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and by the end of March 1915 only the North Lancashire Brigade was left in England. The following month it was posted to 51st (Highland) Division at Bedford, which crossed to France at the beginning of May. The 1/4th Loyals disembarked at Boulogne on 4 May. Designated the 154th Brigade, the North Lancashire Brigade fought with the Highlanders for the rest of the year. The 1/4th Loyals first went into the line on 25 May in the closing stages of the Battle of Festubert.Wylly, pp. 157–60.55 Division at Regimental warpath.Becke, Pt 2a, p. 106.
Givenchy The 1/4th Loyals made their first general attack on 15 June, the first day of the Battle of Givenchy. Led by C Company, it advanced at 06.00 alongside the 6th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and at first all went well: the west end of a German salient was carried and the attackers moved on to the German main line, getting as far as the third line of trenches. However, the advance was halted by a mass of uncut wire, while B and D Companies trying to get across No man's land to support C Company suffered heavy casualties from the German counter-barrage, as did A Company in support. Although it had a lodgement in the enemy positions, 154th Bde had both flanks 'in the air'. The battalion attempted to dig in, but by midnight, with the Commanding Officer (CO), Lt-Col R. Hindle, wounded and German counter-attacks coming in, it was forced to withdraw, finally getting back to its own lines in the early morning mist of 16 June. The 1/4th Loyals had lost 431 men killed, wounded and missing, and took no further part in the battle.Wylly, pp. 160–62.
In late June and July the battalion held trenches in the Laventie sector, and then in August the 51st (Highland) Division took over part of the line near the Ancre from the French. However, the weak 1/4th Bn was mainly in brigade or divisional reserve until it received a draft of 100 reinforcements from the 2/4th Bn. At the end of the year the battalion was occupying trenches near Authuille.Wylly, pp. 163–64.
55th (West Lancashire) Division
At the beginning of 1916 the West Lancashire Division was reformed in France as the 55th (West Lancashire) Division and the 1/4th Loyals returned to it with 154 Bde (now redesignated 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade). The division reformed on 3 January at Hallencourt near Abbeville, and in February it relieved a French division in the line south of Arras.Wylly, p. 164.Coop, p. 23. During the early summer the division carried out a number of trench rais to divert attention from the Somme sector where a great offensive was being prepared. 1/4th Loyals established a specialist raiding party of 60 men under Capt E.M. Gregson. On 28 June the division laid on an elaborate daylight raid in which six battalions including 1/4th Loyals took part, with gas and smoke discharged on a two-mile frontage. Unfortunately shift in the wind made the gas and smoke only partially successful and some raiders did not get into the enemy lines. The 1/4th Loyals' party, yelling 'On the Kellys', was successful, but lost 10 killed (including Capt Gregson) and 19 wounded.Wylly, pp. 165–66.Coop, pp. 25–28.
Somme
On 25 July, the 55th Division was relieved and travelled south to join in the Somme offensive. It moved into the line opposite Guillemont on 30 July and prepared to attack on 8 August. 164th Brigade on the left was to attack Guillemont village with two battalions assisted by two companies of 1/4th Loyals, then the remaining two companies of 1/4th Loyals were to follow up and occupy the German front line. On each of the two days before the attack, D Company attempted to seize an enemy-held ridge 150 yards in front of the division's start-line, but failed. The attack (the Battle of Guillemont) was not a success. The only progress was on the left where 1/8th Bn Liverpool Regiment (the Liverpool Irish) went through the village and D Company 1/4th Loyals moved up to consolidate the gains. However the enemy got between them and the Liverpool Irish, forcing D Company to retire. The support companies were not engaged, but still suffered heavy casualties from artillery fire. The battalion had to be brought up to strength with a draft of over 200 men from the Manchester Regiment and the East Lancashire Regiment.Wylly, pp. 166–67.Coop, pp. 30–34.
After rest, the division moved back into the line on the night of 4/5 September to prepare for the Battle of Ginchy. The attack was made on the afternoon of 9 September behind a creeping barrage, and at Zero hour (17.25) B and C companies of 1/4th Loyals left their trenches and followed the barrage towards the first objective, a trench called Hop Alley. Unfortunately, Hop Alley was held more strongly than anticipated, with several machine guns, and an unknown trench (later called Haymarket) caused confusion and delay. If indeed the Loyals reached Hop Alley, they were unable to hold it. Casualties were again heavy and the battalion was withdrawn into reserve.Wylly, pp. 168–70.Coop, pp. 37–40.
When 164th Bde attacked Gueudecourt on 27 September during the Battle of Flers–Courcelette, 1/4th Loyals was in support and suffered few casualties. Afterwards the division left the Somme and moved north to the Ypres Salient until the end of the year. During 1916, 1/4th Loyals had lost 35 officers and 593 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.Wylly, pp. 170–71.Coop, pp. 43–44.
Pilckem Ridge