The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was a regiment of the British Army. Having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th in 1751, the regiment was one of the oldest in the army. As the city regiment of Liverpool, the King's was one of only three regiments affiliated to a city in the British Army (the others being the Royal Fusiliers and the Manchester Regiment). After 273 years of continuous existence, the regiment was amalgamated with the Manchesters in 1958.
The regiment was referred to variously as L'POOL R, the Liverpools, KLR and the King's. The usage of "L'POOL R" and "the Liverpools" was most prevalent from the 1880s to the 1920s.
In 1881, under the Cardwell-Childers reforms, the British Army's structure was substantially reorganised: most regiments were amalgamated, given city or county affiliation and the regular, militia, and volunteer battalions were integrated into one regimental structure. Thus, on 1 July, the two battalions of the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot became the 1st and 2nd Battalions, The King's (Liverpool Regiment). The 8th King's had been associated with Liverpool since 1873, when the regiment was allocated to the 13th Brigade Depot in Liverpool. Many of the non-regular militia and volunteer battalions that existed in Lancashire and the Isle of Man became reserve battalions of the regiment. By 1908, the regiment was one of the largest in the British Army. Some of the battalions maintained individual distinctions, such as unique titles, cap badges, uniforms, and honorary colonels.
The 1st King's were based in North West England during the period of the army's reforms — its time there was not entirely peaceful. While based in Salford Barracks, Manchester, the battalion was subject to a bomb attack by "Fenians". The barracks sustained some structural damage as a result of the explosion, which killed a child and badly wounded its mother.[#endnote_Bombattack] The battalion was also called upon to help quell riots that broke out following a mineworkers' strike. In 1882, the battalion was posted to Ireland, based in the Curragh. Though the posting was overall uneventful, the battalion did help reestablish order during four riots in Belfast following the defeat of the 1886 Home Rule Bill in the British Parliament. About fifty people died during the disturbances. The battalion returned to England three years later.
Colonial wars (1881-1914)
The 2nd King's overseas service in the 1880s was punctuated by the Third Burmese War, which began in 1885. It had been based on the Indian subcontinent since 1877 and had fought in the Second Afghan War. Invasion of Upper Burma began in October in the form of the Burma Field Force. Making swift progress up the Irrawaddy River, the force captured frontier forts and the capital Myingyan. Following the capital's capture, the battalion provided an escort that oversaw the exile of King Thibaw. A seven-year guerilla campaign against the British followed the completion of Upper Burma's annexation on 1 January1886. The 2nd King's operated in small groups against the guerillas in the Burmese jungle for over a year. Casualties numbered 12 officers and 256 men by the time the battalion returned to India. The battalion was subsequently posted to Aden for a year before returning to Britain in 1892. Overseas service for the 1st King's included a two-year stay in Nova Scotia, where they became the last battalion of the regiment to garrison Canada. The battalion was posted to the West Indies in 1895, then Natal Colony in 1897. The Second Boer War began two-years later.
Prior to the outbreak of the Boer War, as relations between the British and Boer republics deteriorated, the 1st King's were moved to Ladysmith, where they underwent intensive training and formed a company of mounted infantry. The war began on 11 October 1899. The Boers invaded Natal soon afterwards and besieged Ladysmith on 2 November.
The Boer War had provided the first opportunity for the regiment's volunteer battalions to serve overseas with the regular forces, supplying small detachments and service companies for the 1st King's and other units. In contrast, the regiment's militia battalions, numbered the 5th and 6th, were sent to South Africa as intact units late in the war.
A monument commemorating the regiment's service in the Boer War was erected in St John's Gardens and unveiled by Field Marshal Sir George White on 9 September1905. The monument was sculpted by Sir William Goscombe John. A figure of Britannia features prominently atop a pedestal, which has four standing soldiers positioned on its four corners, each representing a period in the regiment's history.
World War I (1914-1918)
The regiment fielded 49 battalions during the war from a pre-war establishment of two regular, two militia, and six territorial. Of those 49 battalions, 22 served extensively, receiving 68 battle honours and six Victoria Crosses for service on the Western Front, the Balkans, India, and Russia. Some 13,795 Kingsmen died during the course of the war, the battalions suffering an average of 615 deaths. [#endnote_WWIcasualties] Thousands more were wounded. Of specific formations, the Liverpool Pals sustained nearly 2,800 casualties and the 55th Division's 165th (Liverpool) Brigade, composed entirely of battalions from the King's, had losses of 1,672 dead, 6,056 wounded, and 953 missing during the period of 3 January1916 and 11 November1918. [#endnote_LBrigade]
Shortly after the war began, Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener began a vigorous campaign to recruit 100,000 men ("Kitchener's Army") under the belief the war would not be over by Christmas. The 17th Earl of Derby proposed forming a battalion of "Pals" for the King's Regiment, to be recruited from men of the same workplace. His proposal proved successful. Within a week, thousands of Liverpudlians had volunteered, formed into the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Battalions. They were known as the City of Liverpool battalions or "Liverpool Pals". Lord Derby addressed recruits on 28 August:
This should be a battalion of Pals, a battalion in which friends from the same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honour of Britain and the credit of Liverpool. [#endnote_Derbyspeech]
The 1st King's arrived in France as part of the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, one of the original components of the British Expeditionary Force that landed on 14 August1914. The BEF's first encounter with the German Army at Mons, Belgium was followed by a retreat that would last until 5 September and end at the Marne, a river east of Paris. The 1st King's helped cover the withdrawal as a rearguard. On 1 September the battalion was ordered to prevent a German force cutting off the 4th Guards Brigade and 70th Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, at Villers-Cotteréts. The guns were successfully extricated through the actions of the battalion, earning them the praise of the 2nd Division's commanding officer, General Monro.
Paris was saved with the halting of the German advance at the Marne; the ensuing retreat, which prompted an Allied counter-offensive, ended at the Aisne. After both battles were fought, the battalion moved to Ypres in October. In an action at Langemarck during the First Battle of Ypres, the battalion captured the small village of Molenaarelstoek, just north-east of Polygon Wood. The Germans launched a counter-offensive on 11 November, which included an entire division of the élite Prussian Guard. Located to the south-east of Polygon Wood, the 1st King's was one of only a few units available to meet the German advance. During the wood's defence, the battalion effectively destroyed the 3rd Prussian Foot Guards. By the end of the battle, the battalion's casualties numbered 33 officers and 814 other ranks (OR) from an original strength of 27 officers and 991 ORs.[#endnote_CasualtiesYpres] Among the battalion's dead was the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel William Bannatyne, who was killed by a sniper on 24 October.
German forces advancing against the 4th King's in 1915.
By March 1915, several battalions of the regiment were serving on the Western Front. The 1st and 1/5th took part in an attack that coincided with the Allied offensive at Neuve Chapelle. The preliminary Allied bombardment failed to cut much of the barbed wire, impeding the battalion's advance. Heavy casualties were incurred as a result of the withering hail-of-fire directed at the battalion, one of whom was the commanding officer. One platoon that managed to reach the German lines blockaded themselves in the communications trench, where they held on for an hour before ordered to withdraw.[#endnote_TrenchNeuve] Over 200 casualties were incurred by the battalion.
The King's next fought in the Second Battle of Ypres, a German offensive that began on 24 April. 'Second Ypres' was the 4th and 1/6th King's first battle. In the St Julien area, the 4th suffered over 400 casualties in an intense three-day period. The 1/6th, meanwhile, supported the 1st Cheshires in a small defensive action at Hill 60. After 'Second Ypres' ended, four battalions were engaged in battle at Festubert, collectively sustaining over 1,400 casualties. Lance-Corporal Tombs became the regiment's first Victoria Cross recipient of the war for actions at Festubert on 16 May. The 1/10th distinguished themselves at Bellewaarde on 16 June, suffering severely in their first battle.
A new British offensive was launched on 25 September at Loos, to coincide with a French offensive in the Champagne region. The King's were represented in the offensive by eight battalions, from standard infantry to pioneers. Chlorine gas was used on the first day of the battle. The gas, however, blew back in the wind, hindering the advance of the 1st King's and others who had to contend with uncut barbed wire. The 1/9th King's advance also stalled, though they took about 300 Germans prisoner. The battalion was later amongst those who successfully defended against a German counter-attack on 8 October.
The 1/10th King's during the Battle of Bellewaarde, 16 June 1915. In the background, an artillery marker has been planted atop a parapet to show the extent of the 1/10th's advance.
The Liverpool Pals' baptism of fire came during "The Big Push" on 1 July1916, on the first day of the Somme Offensive. The four Pals' battalions of the 30th Division were to attack towards Montauban, south of where most of the British Army's casualties (nearly 60,000) were sustained on the first day. During the offensive, the 17th, 19th, and 20th Pals formed part of the 89th Brigade, whilst the 18th Pals were with the 21st Brigade. At 07:30, the 30th Division began its advance on the left of the French Corps de Fer. Meeting limited opposition, the Pals completed their objectives with comparatively minimal losses, though the 18th suffered severely from machine gun fire while advancing on the Glatz Redoubt. The 18th's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel E. H. Trotter, who was killed by a shell on 8 July, detailed his battalion's first-day losses:
I estimate our casualties at about five hundred. I told both officers and men that there were to be no SOS messages and the [Glatz] redoubt was to be carried by themselves without causing the brigadier to use his reserves, so during the battle the estimates were put at a lower figure than the actual number.
More battalions entered the fray as reinforcements following the first-day. Some 14 battalions took part in five attempts to capture the village of Guillemont between July and September. During the third attempt, three companies of the 1st and 1/8th King's were surrounded by German forces and decimated. The 1/8th had suffered 15 killed, 55 wounded, and 502 missing, while the 1st were later reinforced with drafts from the Manchester Regiment. The village was captured on 3 September, by which time the 12th King's was the regiment's only representative in the struggle for Guillemont.
The war's end in Europe came with the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918. The initial reaction of soldiers was illustrated in the 9th King's battalion history:
While on parade on the morning of the 11th November it was announced to the men that the Armistice had been signed. The news of the cessation of hostilities was received by the soldiers without any manifestation of the joy or excitement that marked the occasion at home. The parade continued and the rest of the day was spent quite as usual. The news for which the men had waited so long seemed when it came to be almost too good to be true.
Most of the regiment's battalions were disbanded by the end of 1919, the men demobilised and returned to Britain. Many had stayed on the continent or moved to overseas garrisons prior to disbandment. On 11 December, the remnants of the 1st King's, some veterans of 1914, marched across the German frontier "at ease", bayonets fixed and their colours uncased. The battalion was based at Düren and Berg Neukirchen for about five-months as part of the British Army of the Rhine. The 13th King's, too, served with the occupation army until disbanded in October 1919.
Inter-War (1918-1939)
With the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, most King's battalions returned to Britain. The 17th King's war did not end on 11 November; the battalion had sailed for Murmansk, Russia in October as part of the Allied intervention force sent to fight alongside the "White" forces in their war against the Bolsheviks. The battalion was moved to Archangel, where it was based fully intact for a short period. The battalion's companies would serve separately for the duration of their stay in Russia. The battalion was disbanded in September 1919.
In 1921 the regiment's title was inverted, to become The King's Regiment (Liverpool).
The regiment's territorial battalions were greatly affected in the inter-war period, being reduced in number from six to one by 1937. The 8th and 9th were disbanded in the early 1920s when the Territorial Army (TA) was reduced in size, while a reorganisation of the TA's infantry in the mid-1930s resulted in the 6th, 7th and 10th converting to new roles. The 6th became Royal Engineers, the 7th joined the Royal Tank Regiment, and the 10th became a battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.
1st King's
In 1920, the 1st King's was sent to Bantry, County Cork, in Ireland, where they served during the Anglo-Irish War. They were noted for their chivalrous reputation in their treatment of prisoners, compared to other regiments, and this saved some of the lives of its soldiers.[#endnote_KingsIreland] After the establishment of the Irish Free State in the south, the battalion was moved to Northern Ireland, stationed in Londonderry and Omagh.
A brief deployment to Turkey as part of the army of occupation occurred in 1923. The battalion returned to England in 1924 and was posted from 1926 to the garrisons in Malta, Sudan, and Egypt. While much of the battalion's time in Egypt was peaceful and comfortable, they occasionally dealt with rioting, and on one occasion a company was deployed to Jerusalem. In 1931, Greek Cypriots in Cyprus uprised demanding union with Greece. Two companies were sent as reinforcements for the British garrison in October; C Company arrived via eight Vickers Victoria air transports, followed by the sea-transported D Company.
India was the battalion's next posting, based initially in Jubbulpore from 1932. The battalion was converted to a machine gun battalion in 1937 and moved to Landi Kotal in the Khyber Pass, where they remained into the Second World War.
2nd King's
The 2nd Battalion continued to serve in India following the Armistice, and in 1919 was called upon for service in the Third Afghan War. As a "Special Column", the battalion reached the Toba Plataeu, some 8,000 feet high, but the war was concluded before the battalion could engage Afghan troops.
Demobilisation followed and the remnants joined the Sudan garrison in 1920, where the battalion was reformed. Postings to Hong Kong and Canton occurred in 1922, then a return to India in 1924. and finally Iraq the following year. Stationed near Baghdad, their stay lasted two-years, uneventful but with the distinction of being the last British battalion to serve there until the Second World War.
Immediately after their return to England, the 2nd King's became the first battalion of the regiment to undertake public duties at Buckingham Palace. The battalion was based in various parts of the country for nearly a decade before resuming overseas duties in 1938, when it was posted to Gibraltar.
World War II (1939-1945)
By late-1941, three battalions of the regiment (1st, 2nd, and 13th) were stationed abroad. The remainder were located throughout the United Kingdom, poised to defend against an invasion. Two battalions were reformed, the 8th (Irish) and 9th. Some 16 battalions and four batteries of the Home Guard were affiliated with the King's Regiment during the war. The Lancashire Home Guard performed various duties in Britain supporting the regular army, including anti-aircraft defence during the Liverpool Blitz.
The 1st and 13th would serve in Burma as Chindits, the 2nd in Italy and Greece, and the 5th and 8th in North-West Europe. Of battalions that were transferred and converted to other roles, only the 40th RTR (7th King's) saw active service. With the 23rd Armoured Brigade, the battalion fought in North Africa, where they acquired the nickname "Monty's Foxhounds", Italy, and Greece.
Italy and Greece
Having spent five-years in Gibraltar, the 2nd King's departed for Egypt in December 1943 to reinforce the 4th Infantry Division. With the division, the battalion landed in Italy in March 1944. On 11 May, it took part in the oppossed crossing of the Rapido River during the final battle for Monte Cassino. They came under intense mortar and artillery fire during the crossing, while many assault boats capzised due to the strong current. The 4th Division struggled to consolidate its bridgehead, during which the 2nd King's lost its commanding officer, 72 men killed or missing, and many wounded. After a five-month struggle, Monte Cassino was captured on 18 May by the Polish II Corps and the Gustav Line broken.
On 12 December, the 2nd King's were flown to Piraeus, Greece, two months after Allied troops had first landed in the country following the German withdrawal. By then, the Allies were in conflict with Communist partisans seeking to establish themselves as the new authority in Greece. Shortly after landing, the 2nd King's successfully seized a partisan-held barracks at the cost of 14 casualties. For the next several weeks, the battalion was employed on internal security duties, involving many instances of house-to-house and street fighting in Athens. The city was cleared of insurgents by early January 1945. A ceasefire was signed and the King's remained for a year to help maintain the tense peace before leaving for Cyprus.
Far East
The 13th King's sailed for India in December 1941, coinciding with Japan's entrance into the war. Its strength contained many men who were of an old or medically downgraded condition. After Burma was occupied by Japan in 1942, a unit was formed to penetrate deep behind Japanese lines from India. The 13th King's provided the majority of the British contingent for the unit, which was designated as the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade (the 'Chindits') and commanded by Orde Wingate.
Organised into two groups, the Chindits' first operation (codenamed 'Longcloth') began on 8 February 1943. No. 2 Group, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel S.A. Cooke, was formed from the 13th King's and divided into five independent columns, two of which (Nos 7 and 8) were commanded by majors from the battalion.
Normandy and Germany
From March 1943, the 5th and 8th King's (the 'Liverpool Irish') had received specialist training at Special Operations Training School in Ayrshire, where they prepared for the planned invasion of France. They were to form the nucleus of the 5th and 7th Beach Groups, whose objectives on an invasion beach were to maintain organisation, secure positions, and provide defence against counter-attack.
As invasion neared in late May 1944, the two battalions were moved to ports in southern England, where they embarked aboard troopships and landing ship tanks in early June. Much of the Liverpool Irish embarked aboard the Ulster Monarch, a passenger ship that had served on the Belfast-Liverpool line before the war. After delays, the invasion fleet proceeded to Normandy on 5 June. Both King's battalions landed on D-Day, the 5th at Sword with the British 3rd Infantry Division and the Liverpool Irish at Juno with the Canadians.
Two companies of the Liverpool Irish landed in the assault wave with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. Under intense machine gun and mortar fire, the landing of Major Max Morrison's "A" Company proceeded well, allowing some to establish a command-post upon reaching the sand dunes. In contrast, in "B" Company's sector, the late arrival of the reconnaissance party and DD tanks exposed the landing infantry to heavy machine gun fire. The company's officer commanding (OC), Major O'Brien, and the second-in-comannd were amongst those wounded. At Sword Beach, the 5th King's experience was similar. As the 3rd Division moved inland, the 5th King's attempted to neutralise German positions and snipers. Amongst those killed was commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel D. H. V. Board, who was killed by a German sniper, and the OC of 9 Platoon, Lieutenant Scarfe, mortally wounded in an attack on a German position.
With the beaches secure, the two King's battalions operated with the beach groups for a further six weeks. The severely depleted Liverpool Irish was disbanded in August, much of its strength having been transferred to other units as reinforcements. The 5th King's was later reduced to cadre strength. Disbandment was only avoided through the determination of Lieutenant-Colonel G.D. Wreford-Browne, who argued that the battalion was nearly the most senior unit still active in the Territorial Army.
As the Allies advanced into Germany and the Nazi regime crumbled, a unit intended to secure important objectives — equipment, intelligence, installations, and personnel — was formed principally from the 5th King's. The unit, designated as T (Target) Force, reached the naval port of Kiel in May 1945. There, elements of the battalion captured the German cruiser Admiral Hipper and took 7,000 German sailors prisoner. The battalion continued to conduct such operations until July 1946, when it was disbanded. Reconstitution into the Territorial Army followed in 1947 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward John Stanley (later the 18th Earl of Derby).
Post-World War II (1945-1958)
The 1st King's, now redesignated as the 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion, were still based in India with responsibility for the area around Meerut, north-east of New Delhi. After reconverting to the infantry role, the battalion departed for Liverpool in late 1947.
Meanwhile, the 2nd King's were deployed to Palestine for two-weeks. First arriving on 29 April 1948, the battalion carried out security duties just prior to the establishment of Israel. The battalion returned to Cyprus, after which it proceeded to Liverpool.
On 6 September1948, the two battalions amalgamated in a ceremonial parade attended by honorary Colonel of the Regiment, Major-General Dudley Ward. The battalion was posted to West Germany shortly afterwards and moved to Spandau, West Berlin in 1950.
Korean War
The battalion was ordered to Korea in June 1952. By then the Korean War had entered a period of stalemate, with trench warfare prevailing. At Liverpool, the battalion embarked aboard the troopship Devonshire for Hong Kong, where they trained before landing at Pusan, Korea in September. They replaced the 1st Royal Norfolk Regiment in the 29th Infantry Brigade, 1st Commonwealth Division.
The battalion took up defensive positions once they were moved to the frontline. Much of the battalion's time at the front was quiet, though their night patrols often resulted in clashes with Chinese troops. The following year saw the battalion withdrawn to reserve for three months. A tactically important feature known as "The Hook", a crescent shaped ridge, was the scene of intense heavy fighting between Commonwealth forces and the Chinese in May. On the night of 20 May, Chinese forces commenced a sustained bombardment of the Hook, defended by the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Two days later, on 23 May, a company of the King's carried out a nighttime diversionary attack on Chinese positions known as "Pheasant". One of the platoons inadvertently stumbled upon a minefield, suffering 10 wounded from a strength of 16. The attack was consequently stalled, forcing the company to withdraw with its wounded back to British lines.
The King's were moved onto the right sector of the Hook on 27 May, while D Company's 10 Platoon and B Company (as reserve) were attached to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (the Dukes). The battle began on 28 May, when a fierce bombardment targeted positions held by the Dukes at 7:53 pm. The first wave of Chinese troops was launched against the Duke's positions minutes later, followed by three further waves. Two platoons of the King's were moved forward to reinforce the Point 121 position, which was then attacked by two companies of Chinese infantry. After the attack was repulsed with the assistance of Commonwealthartillery, the Chinese directed their attention to the King's on Point 146. Before they could attack, however, an intense artillery bombardment destroyed them as they assembled. The battle for the Hook ended at approximately 03:30 am, with the clearing of the remaining Chinese troops.
The 1st King's left Korea for Hong Kong in October 1953, by which time it had suffered 28 killed and about 200 wounded. Of some 1,500 men that served with the battalion in Korea, 350 were regular soldiers, the rest were national servicemen.[#endnote_Korea] The King's moved to Britain in 1955, were posted to West Germany the following year, and made their final return home in 1958.
Amalgamation
Following the 1957 defence review by Secretary of State for War Duncan Sandys, it was announced that the King's would amalgamate with the Manchester Regiment. The two regiments had historical connections; the 63rd Regiment of Foot, which formed part of the Manchesters in 1881, had once been the 2nd Battalion of the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot.
The surviving territorial battalion of the King's (Liverpool), the 5th, retained its identity until 1967, when it was reduced to a company of the newly-formed Lancastrian Volunteers.
Fitzsimons, Jim, (2004), A Personal History of the 8th Irish Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment, ISBN 09541111117
Maddocks, Graham (1991), Liverpool Pals: 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Battalions, The King's (Liverpool Regiment), Pen and Sword Books Ltd ISBN 0850523400
Middlebrook, Martin (2000), Your Country Needs You!: Expansion of the British Army Infantry Divisions 1914-1918, Pen and Sword Books Ltd ISBN 0850527112
Mileham, Patrick (2000), Difficulties Be Damned: The King's Regiment — A History of the City Regiment of Manchester and Liverpool, Fleur de Lys ISBN 1873907109
Wyrall, Everard (2002), The History of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-19, Naval and Military Press ISBN 184342360X
