History Kensington Regiment (Princess Louise's)

1 history

1.1 origins
1.2 second boer war
1.3 territorial force
1.4 first world war

1.4.1 1/13th london regiment (1st kensingtons battalion)
1.4.2 2/13th london regiment (2nd kensingtons battalion)
1.4.3 3/13th london regiment (3rd kensingtons battalion)


1.5 inter-war
1.6 second world war
1.7 post war

history
origins

the origins of kensington regiment dated 1859 formation of volunteer force, part of volunteer revival result of perceived french military threat, had grown under leadership of napoleon iii. number of volunteer rifle corps formed in west london. these included 2nd (south) middlesex volunteer rifle corps (vrc) formed under patronage of viscount ranelagh , 4th middlesex volunteer rifle corps (vrc), formed under patronage of 2nd baron truro.

by 1892 both units had been linked volunteer battalions king s royal rifle corps, , continued link until formation of territorial force in 1908. @ time headquarters of 2nd (south middlesex) @ beaufort house, walham green , 4th (west middlesex) @ iverna gardens, high street, kensington.

second boer war

men both units voluntarily went out south africa city imperial volunteers, thereby earning corps right battle honour of south africa 1900-1902 .

territorial force

in 1908 part of haldane reforms of kingdom s volunteer forces, kensingtons regiment formed in amalgamation of 4th middlesex v.r.c. , 2nd (south) middlesex, v.r.c., newly minted unit being titled 13th london regiment (kensingtons), t.f.. based @ old 4th middlesex v.r.c. s head quarters @ iverna gardens in borough of kensington, adopted local regiment , consented new regiment use name in formation s title. regiment took latin unit motto quid nobis ardui (english: nothing arduous us) borough s coat of arms. royal highness princess louise, duchess of argyll consented use of name regiment , became officially designated princess louise s kensingtons.

first world war

during world war regiment increased war fighting capacity 3 separate battalions being formed.

1/13th london regiment (1st kensingtons battalion)

this battalion mobilized on declaration of war on 4 august 1914. in november 1914 departed england france, , saw action on western front, including battles of neuve chapelle (1915), aubers ridge (the regiment s defining action in war) (1915), somme (1916), arras (1917), passchendaele (1917), cambrai (1917), somme (1918), & hundred days offensive (1918). returned corps head quarters in kensington france demobilization in may 1919.

2/13th london regiment (2nd kensingtons battalion)

the battalion formed in august 1914 intention of acting regiment s home training unit, furnishing reinforcements 1st battalion in field replace losses sustained in action. however, november 1914 decided war office war s scale of operations rapidly escalating new 2nd battalions of london territorial force s infantry regiments mobilized active service in field. 2nd kensingtons did send drafts of reinforcements join 1st battalion in france throughout 1915 whilst training in england, ended close of year , responsibility regiment s reinforcement supply transferred 3rd battalion, in preparation 2nd battalion s departure on active service. 2nd kensingtons dispatched ireland in april 1916 deal fenian revolution. afterwards saw action on western front in france (1916); salonika (1917), taking part battle of doiran; , palestine (1917-1918), taking part in third battle of gaza, battle of jerusalem, capture of jericho, first transjordan attack on amman, second transjordan attack on shunet nimrin , es salt , battle of sharon. battalion broken , demoblized in camps @ sidi bashir in egypt, , mersin in asia minor in february march 1919.

3/13th london regiment (3rd kensingtons battalion)

the 3rd battalion formed in november 1914 home training battalion of regiment responsibility supplying reinforcement drafts regiment s 2 fighting battalions in field, role fulfilled until end of conflict in late 1918.

inter-war

in 1937, on break-up of london regiment, unit re-designated princess louise s kensington regiment, middlesex regiment (duke of cambridge s own).

second world war

during second world war kensingtons first territorial army unit guard tower of london, including performing ceremony of keys. changed role infantry heavy fire support unit armed mortars, medium machine-guns , oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. 1st kensingtons served british expeditionary force in france, , later deployed north africa part of british first army prepare sicilian campaign, , later italian front, 78th battleaxe infantry division. 2nd kensingtons served first in iceland , see action normandy arnhem, 49th (west riding) infantry division.

4.2-inch mortar of 2nd kensington regiment, 49th (west riding) infantry division in action @ turnhout, belgium, 1 october 1944



post war

in 1947, regiment became part of royal corps of signals army phantom signal regiment (princess louise s kensington regiment). regiment reformed 41 (princess louise s kensington) signal regiment in 1961 , became trunk communications signal regiment squadrons in portsmouth, coulsdon , hammersmith. in 1967, reorganisation of territorial army, unit became squadron of 31 (city of london) signal regiment. squadron reassigned 31 (city of london) signal regiment 38 (city of sheffield) signal regiment in 2010.

in 2014, 41 (princess louise s kensington) signal squadron amalgamated 47 (middlesex yeomanry) squadron form 31 (middlesex yeomanry , princess louise s kensington) signal squadron, part of 71 (yeomanry) signal regiment.