Re-organisation, February 1918

[CliftonR]

Does anyone know the basis on which infantry battalioons were disbanded in February 1918.  I know no Regular or 1st Line TF battalions were disbanded, but how were the 2nd Line TF or Service battalions selected.  Were there any criteria established centrally or was the proces delegated to, for excample, Divisional GOCs?  Was there any consultation?  Did some battalions object and did anyone take any notice?

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum, a name from the past if I’m right! one maybe for @Chris_Baker

[Ken Lees]

1st Line TF battalions were disbanded.

1/9th King's Liverpool Regt., the junior battalion of the all KLR 165 Brigade, 55th Division, were disbanded and the men distributed between other King's battalions, notably the 1st, 4th and 2/9th.

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, CliftonR said:

Were there any criteria established centrally or was the proces delegated to, for excample, Divisional GOCs?  Was there any consultation?  Did some battalions object and did anyone take any notice?

 

The reorganisation of 1918 can be traced back to the political decisions of the War Cabinet and the Manpower Committee of the Government. They were reluctant to provide manpower at the expense of industry, agriculture etc.  This 'Manpower crisis' is discussed in detail by Chris on the LLT 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/the-british-armys-manpower-crisis-of-1918/

In January 1918 the average battalion was at least a company understrength and Haig wanted to reduce the number of Divisions.  He was overruled by the War Cabinet who suggested reducing the number of Battalions in each Division as the French had done.

The final decision was made on the 10th January 1918 when the War Council ordered Haig to reduce all British Divisions by three Battalions. It was decided to implement this, presumably by GHQ, to reduce each Brigade by one Battalion. This was to be done by amalgamation or disbandment, and the men were to be sent to battalions with the same cap badge.  The policy, as you are aware was that no regular or first line TF battalions should be disbanded with priority for breaking up given to 2nd and 3rd line TF units and later formed New Army Battalions.  Pioneer Battalions were exempt from the process. The policy came into effect on the 16th February 1918, although restructuring began in the previous week beginning on the 8th February.  Reading the war diaries ion those battalions affected it appears they had very little warning and the breaking up of the battalions was a shock.

Twenty two pairs of TF Battalions were amalgamated usually by moving the second line into the first line; twenty one TF Battalions were disbanded the majority of which were 2nd Line but by 1918 most had lost their regional identity.  Eighty four Service or New Army Battalions were disbanded or broken up. The  stated policy was not strictly adhered to and many well established but under strength Battalions were disbanded first.  A disproportionate number of Irish Regiments were disbanded as since 1916 fewer and fewer Irish recruits had come forward. The History of the 40th Division records "the Battalions selected for destruction were to be those recruited from districts where it was impossible to comb out more men". Thus the 40th lost the 19th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the 12th South Wales Borderers and the 11th Royal Lancaster Regiment.  A few Regiments kept all their Battalions.

The 11th South Wales Borderers in the 38th (Welsh) Division suffered the same fate as The 12th SWB who had been in France for twenty months. The 11th were the junior SWB Battalion in the Brigade and  a number of men were posted into the the 10th Battalion in the same Brigade so in this instance it was an amalgamation of sorts. Fifty men  (the entire 'C' Company) went to the 5th Battalion SWB and two groups of 100 men together with their officers were posted to each of the 1st and 2nd Battalions SWB. The remainder formed into an entrenching battalion with the remnants of the other battalions that had been disbanded. The late Charles Messenger notes that this surplus of total manpower within the BEF and formed into Entrenching Battalions at the completion of the exercise amounted to 20,000 men.

The war diary of the 11th SWB  ends on the 31st January 1918 with the normal routine entries. Eight days later the first men leave. There is no mention of disbandment and. as the process was complete by the end of February no war diary. We don't know what they thought about it.

The 12th SWB diary does continue into February and indicates the sudden nature of the decision.  On the 6th February it was 'a quiet day' and they were relieved in the trenches. The following day cleaning up and on the 8th a new draft of 50 was inspected by the GOC, and the Battalion ordered to 'Stand to'. Then on the 9th February the entry reads " Bn parade in the morning when Col read letters from Sir Douglas Haig and the Div General (Maj Gen Ponsonby)on the disbanding of the Bn. Handing in of (?) was completed." The latter from the previous two days. The diarist notes two officers returned from leave, must have been a surprise, two more went on leave so routine continued.  The following day the Battalion was bussed to VI Corps Reinforcement Camp at BaIlleulmont and the restructuring began.  By the 16th it was complete with the remnants again moving into an Entrenching Battalion. The Brigade Diary simply notes the movements out with no comment as to selection.

So in answer to the last two questions although this is the experience of just two Welsh Battalions, there was no consultation and no opportunity to object.  Other diarists are less prosaic than the 12th SWB and make their feelings known often reflecting on their previous achievements.

Those Battalions that were left after the 16th February had to be reorganised within the Brigades, some even moving to different Divisions. In spite of this surprisingly little has been written about the effects on morale or the administrative difficulties created by this major upheaval. Probably because was overshadowed by the seismic events the following month and thereafter.

 

 

[Ken Lees]

1/9th King's Liverpool Regiment, Battalion War Diary - January, 1918

... On the 26th inst Lieut. Colonel DREW received a private letter from the Major General Commanding the 55th Division intimating that a change was about to take place which would affect every Division in the British Armies, in so much that Brigades would only be composed of 3 Battalions instead of 4. Unfortunately, from information received from G.H.Q. the Major General regretted that this Battalion would have to leave 165 Infantry Brigade, and would be amalgamated with the 2nd line Battalion.

27th On the 27th inst we received official notification of the above, from the 55th Division which also intimated that we should be required to take only 12 Officers and 200 Other Ranks along to the 2nd line.

28th On the 28th inst a letter was received informing us that 3 Drafts would have to be found, which would consist of the following:

12th KINGS - 5 Officers, 100 Other Ranks 1st KINGS - 10 Officers, 200 Other Ranks 4th KINGS - 10 Officers, 200 Other Ranks

29th The draft for the 12th KINGS had to proceed by Lorries on the 29th inst. As we could not supply the full number of men asked for in three drafts, the men were posted to the Battalions in equal proportions. The draft to the 12th KINGS left on the 29th inst & consisted of 5 officers and 80 Other Ranks. The remainder carried out a route march, about 8 miles. On the 30th inst the two drafts for the 1st & 4th KINGS left for their respective units. The strength of these drafts were 1st KINGS - 10 Officers and 192 Other Ranks: 4th KINGS - 10 Officers and 189 Other Ranks: When these drafts left, all ranks were visibly affected, as the majority of them had fought together as a battalion during the past three years.