5th (Reserve) Battalion Coldstream Gaurds

[ukphil]

Hi Guy's

Can any one help, what the 5th (Reserve) Battalion Coldstream Gaurds do in WW1. My Great grandad was in it.

I have his pension records and there is no record of oversea's service, and family "law" say's he never went oversea's [He was 37 when he joined up in 1915]

I did a search and not a lot turns up.

Thanks

Phil

[IPT]

Long, Long Trail - http://www.1914-1918.net/coldguards.htm

[ukphil]

Long, Long Trail - http://www.1914-1918.../coldguards.htm

thanks for that is was after a bit more :]

Ukphil

[IPT]

"They were used to carry out ceremonial duties in London and Windsor during the war."

"It was at this time that the 5th (Reserve) Bn was formed at Windsor, where it remained in a draft-finding role for the service battalions."

"Another survivor of the ‘make or break’ regime of Caterham, Arthur had passed

out of the Guards Depot during October 1915 and had duly been posted the 5TH

[Reserve] Battalion of the Coldstream Guards. Situated at Victoria Barracks at

Windsor, the 5TH Battalion’s primary role had been the provision of drafts of

replacements destined for service on the Western Front with the four other

battalions of Coldstream Guards. However, whilst waiting to go ‘over the water’

the men had not remained idle, and had continued to train and make preparations

for war. In addition, although there had been a war on, the Battalion had

continued to provide the guard at Windsor Castle, albeit without the scarlet

tunics and bearskin caps of pre-war days. Arthur Webster had taken part in these

various activities until January 1917, when he had been placed in a draft of

replacements for the many casualties, which had been incurred by the 2ND

Battalion during the Battle of Morval [25-28 September], when the Guards

Division, after particularly ferocious fighting, had taken the village of

Lesbouefs."

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:t-dbkOGsRIQJ:www.scarboroughsmaritimeheritage.org.uk/greatwar/s34-guards-division.php+5th+reserve+battalion+of+the+coldstream+guards+windsor&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

[ukphil]

thanks

ukphil

[mrjustinhayward]

"Besides the work of feeding our fighting battalions with reinforcements, the 5th reserve at Windsor sometimes furnished detachments for garrison duties elsewhere, principally in London. Six officers and two hundred and sixteen other ranks were in the tower of London from the 7th April 1916 till the following 26th August; another detachment of two officers and one hundred other ranks were sent to kensington from the .23rd April for three months till 23rd July 1917"

These were days when London wad much troubled by the enemys air raids, which besides inflicting injury to persons and property were liable to lead to panic and to disturb good order....especially when all lights had been extinguished....on the 14th August 1917 the London garrison was increased by fourteen officers and three hundred and seventy other ranks ...they remained there until 31st July 1918. They were subsequently supplemented by ...three officers and one hundred other ranks, who proceeded to kensington barracks on 23rd January 1918, also in connexion with air raids."