1/5th Battalion - Norfolk Regiment

[Alastair]

F. Loraine Petre in his history of the Norfolk Regiment describes the activity of the 1/4th and 1/5th battalions prior to making their way to Gallipoli as follows:

"The order for mobilization reached both battalions on the evening of August 4, 1914, a few hours before the formal declaration of war. Next morning the 1/4th Battalion assembled at the Drill Hall in Chapel Field, Norwich, and was billeted in the City of Norwich Schools on the Newmarket Road. The 1/5th Battalion mobilized at Dereham on the same day.

On August 11th, the 1/4th Battalion left by special train for Ingatestone in Essex, and on the 17th the 1/5th was transferred from Billericay, to which it had been sent after mobilization, to Colchester. Training for war was actively carried on in both battalions at their various stations in England.

The 1/4th were at Purleigh (Essex) on August 11th and at Colchester with the 1/5th on the 19th. There both battalions remained, training and practising route marches, till the spring of 1915 when the 1/5th proceeded, in March, to Bury St. Edmunds, and the 1/4th in April to the same place. At Bury St. Edmunds the officers of the 1/5th had a narrow escape when their hotel was set on fire by bombs dropped by German aeroplanes.

From May 21st both battalions became part of the 54th infantry division, and with the 1/5th Suffolk and 1/8th Hampshire constituted the 163rd infantry brigade. On the previous day the 1/4th Battalion had been sent to Watford, which it left by special train on July 29, 1915, for Liverpool, where it embarked on the S.S. " Aquitania " en route for the Dardanelles".

As far as I am aware, Colchester had (and still has a military barracks) but I am surprised to see the 1/5th in Billericay which would have been a fairly small town at the time. Does anyone know why they went there specifically, and where were they based for accomodation and training etc?

[sotonmate]

Alastair

I have seen references to the "Billericay Trenches 1915" (try a Google) so must assume that there was a full -blown warfare facility in the vicinity (Ramsden Heath and south to the Essex Marshes-good practice for Flanders mud etc ?). I guess there was plenty of open space there,probably for tented camps,of which I have seen quite a few old pics in various parts of the countryside. There must have been dozens of Battalions around the UK looking for the space to drill and practice and live together to get team spirit etc. In the early days not all of them had the full equipment issue either.

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[Alastair]

Thanks - I had not thought of trenches - but I do now recall a wooded area off Norsey Road that had what looked like old earthworks that we always put down as being from the locals taking on the Romans a lot earlier than that - I will look into it!

[rob carman]

Alistair,

Nigel McCrery (1999). All The King's Men. Pocket Books, London.

McCrey says barely anything. "After two weks at Dereham The battalion was transferred to Billericay, and from there they marched to Colchester a distance of twenty miles. Their march was undertaken on one of the hottest days in August."

If the 1/5th were in Billericay to train in prepared trenches, that particular resource was not offered the 1/4ths.

I don't have an answer for "Why Bilericay?", but with the Essex units from the 54th Div in Norfolk at this time, might the battalions have been stationed away from their home counties prophylactically, to keep men from bunking off home when they should not?

Rob.

[Steven Broomfield]

I thought many TF Battalions had "War Stations" allocated. Remember the role was home defence, and there was expected to be an invasion by the Germans. The East Coast was the obvious target for a force from germany, so a lot of TF units were based in that neck of the woods.

I imagine removing them from home was not a serious thought, but having them in the way of an expected invasion, while still able to train, was.

[stiletto_33853]

Alatair,

There were all sorts of regiments around this area, Chelmsford, the Hanningfields, Maldon, Billericay, Sandon and so the list goes on.

Andy

[Alastair]

Thanks all, as a result of a Google search I now have twelve photographs of trenches from a collection entitled Billericay Trenches supplied by a Canadian University which do look like the general area of the fields to the Billericay School side of the town but cannot be sure as no real landmarks. However, if correct they are extensive and should still be abale to be found (or at least the remains) if not built on. Any more information anyone may have would be great.

[Alastair]

The reverse of this photo apparently has 'South Side of Norsey Woods July 1915' written on the reverse which confirms what I thought. A great result and great suggestion from sotonmate - thanks.

[Alastair]

NORSEY TRAIL

(N.B. The numbers below refer to those shown on the trail plan. Larger version of the plan)

(2) TRENCHES The network of trenches, dating from the First (1914-18) and Second

(1939-45) World Wars, stretches from the north to the south of the eastern part of the Wood. They were dug by the London Defence Volunteers who used this long section of the medieval wood bank as part of the London defence line. During the Second War World, the Wood was also used for army manoeuvres and storage.