Entrenching Battalions 1918

[Wienand Drenth]

Hello,

It is with a lot of interest I browse www.1914-1918.net, and I was happy to find a new page on Entrenchting Battalions appear few weeks ago. As I am doing some research into the lineages of British Army regiments, information on these not-well known units was more than welcome.

While reading the page mentioned on this site, and checking it against my own notes, I was wondering what sources were used. My main source for these battalions is the Order of Battle of Divisions series, with some other details from Frederick's lineage book, and James' British Regiments 1914-1918.

So I am interested to hear what sources were consulted for putting together that page. In particular since some information is not found in the Order of Battle series mentioned. But I guess the Entrenching battalions were formed from whatever source men could be spared.

Anyway, looking forward learning more!

Best regards,

Wienand Drenth

Netherlands

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi Wienand

Welcome to the forum.

You may be interested in this small bit of information. When the 16/Welsh Regt. were broken up in early 1918, some 250 men of that battalion formed the 1st Entrenchting Battalion. Later in April all or most were transfarred to the 1/K.S.L.I. to help replace that battalions loses.

Annette

[Wienand Drenth]

Hello Annette,

Many thanks for the warm welcome! I hope you learn a lot here on this forum in the future.

Also many thanks for your details on 1st Entrenching Bn. I have some further questions, I hope you, or someone else, can help me with them.

1) When these battalions were formed early 1918, its personnel came from a wide variety of infantry regiments. Did these soldiers retain their capbadge, or were they rebadged?

2) Furthermore, when the Entrenching Battalions were broken up, were soldiers posted to a battalion of their former regiment, or, given the dangerous situation at the time, they were used to reinforce were needed?

3) When were the Entrenching Battalions disbanded. The Order of Battle of the BEF of 11 Nov. 1918 does not show any. I suspect that most were broken up after the German offensive had started, but I am not sure about it.

Best regards,

Wienand

[charlesmessenger]

Wienand

To answer your questions:

1. The soldiers retained their own capbadges.

2. They were not necessarily posted back to battalions of their own regiments.

3. No Entrenching Bns existed after the end of April 1918. Some found themselves embroiled in either the March or April German offensives and were destroyed. The remainder were used to bring decimated units back up to strength.

Charles M

[Wienand Drenth]

Charles,

Many thanks for your answers which solve several questions I have about this little known battalion. About the disbandment of these battalions, are there any specific (official) dates of disbandment, or did the battalions simply fade away as they provided reinforcements.

I have another question on the formation of the battalions. On the page on this site on the entrenching battalions, several first-line territorial battalions are mentioned providing its personnel. However, I have checked this against James and Becke, and it looks these first-line battalions amalgamated with their second-line counterparts. I would suspect that some surplus personnel, from both first- en second-line battalions, would form into the entrenching battalions. As the information is presented now, it seems if the first-line battalions were disbanded. They weren't of course, but it confused me a bit.

Cheers,

Wienand

[charlesmessenger]

Wienand

Unfortunately only a couple of war diaries from these Entrenching Bns remain and can be found at the National Archives, Kew in WO 95/905. That for No 4 EB relates that they sent 359 men to 2 DLI and 106 to 22 NF on 29 March 1918 and were disbanded in early April. 19 EB came under command of 24 Div on 22 March and was ordered to disband on 3 April. It was to be absorbed by 24 Div, but the CO objected, given that the bn was made up of men from Irish regts. Hence it was absorbed by 16 Div instead. 20 EB was also involved in the March offensive and was broken up on 26 March, also being absorbed by 16 Div.

As for your query on TF bns. It would seem that from the case of the 8th Londons (Post Office Rifles), and indeed the 6th and 7th Londons as well, that it was the 1st line bns which were broken up in some cases. Thus the 1st/8th sent two coys to the 1st/17th Londons and one to the 1st/24th. The rump joined the 2nd/8th, although some were sent to No 6 EB. The amalgamated bn then became the 8th Londons. I suspect that the reason may have been that at the time of the amalgamations the 2nd Line bns were stronger than the 1st Line.

Perhaps other TF experts might like to comment.

Charles M

[Wienand Drenth]

Charles,

Many thanks for your further details. It helps me to have a lineages of the entrenching battalions as complete as possible.

As for the TF battalions, when the BEF reorganised early 1918 from 4 bns per brigade to 3 bns, no first line battalions were to broken up (officially). I think I read this in Middlebrook's book on the German March offensive. Also James writes, for 1/8th Bn, London Regt for example, that 1/8th Bn absorbed 2/8th Bn. However, 1/8th Bn joined 58th Division (home of 2/8th), which means in my perception that 1/8th Bn was the bn that was "reorganised", and not the 2/8th. So I think it is a matter of taste to decide who absorbed who.

Regards,

Wienand