Volunteer Units, Guards etc

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There have been many queries about these 'Home Guard' types of unit and I thought this extract from Liverpool Record Office's online catalogue might be of interest. Caution is needed, as the RO is undergoing a rebuild and records are currently off site and by appointment only, with a hiatus in November as they prepare to transfer everything back to their normal site. I have not seen any of the material, so please don't ask!

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"RefNo 356 KIN

Title 2nd Volunteer Battalion, The King's (Liverpool)Regiment

Date 1914-1922

Description The collection includes minute books, lists of men serving and miscellaneous records.

AdminHistory

In August 1914 the Liverpool Civic Service League commenced drilling volunteers, and soon a number of corps had sprung up for this purpose (see 356 KIN 31, page 10). In January 1915 a proposal to bring these corps under a single direction resulted in the creation of the City of Liverpool Volunteer Guard being formed in affiliation to the Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps and in February a General Committee, with a Military sub-committee met to carry out the reorganisation.

In September 1915 the title of the corps became the Liverpool Volunteer Regiment with 5 battalions, of which the first (Local Public Service) Liverpool Corporation, and the second (North, including the old Civic Service League corps) in which Robert Gladstone served and third (South) were from the original guard. In the following year the volunteer corps were organised on a county basis, and on 21st August 1916 the Liverpool Regiment was merged into the new Lancashire Volunteer Regiment. The old Liverpool 1st and 3rd becoming the 5th, and 2nd and 4th with Mossley Hill V.T.C., the 6th battalion in the new Regiment. Finally on the 1st July 1918 these corps became the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment which were disbanded in March 1920. (For their history see especially 356 KIN 1, page 103 and 356 KIN 31).

Extent 30 volumes "