The First World War

Introduction

1st/1st Battalion

The heady days of August 1914 where in high endeavour, confidence and enthusiasm they were cheered on by family, friends and the community; they marched off to the war that would be ‘over by Christmas’. They had travelled by train to Hereford and then to their war station at Pembroke Dock. By Christmas 1914 nearly 3,000, mainly young men had volunteered for service with The Herefords – so many that a second Battalion was formed. There were few barracks available and soldiers were billeted in private homes. The autumn, winter and spring months were spent in reorganisation and training. The best recruits were selected to join the 1st Battalion and older and unfit soldiers replaced. Then followed intensive training at individual, unit and formation levels; strong friendships were made that would literally last a lifetime.

By Summer 1915 the Battalion was ready and the men keen to get involved; they were warned for service in India but in July voyaged to Egypt, were reorganised and landed on the beaches at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on the 8 August. This was their battlefield initiation and suddenly the realities of war were apparent. In the first few days they suffered casualties with over a dozen killed in action and over 200 wounded – the war was now real.

They had suffered heat, shortage of water and poor food, difficult ground and constant Turkish fire, and the battlefield had developed into stalemate. Then at the end of November, the winter weather arrived with a vengeance over 350 men of the Herefords were evacuated with wounds or illness, many with exposure and frostbite, perhaps 6 men had died from exposure. When the remnants for the Battalion embarked on the 12 December to leave the peninsula only 79 men answered the roll.

The Battalion recovered in Egypt, receiving back those that recovered and reinforcements from the 2nd Battalion in England. They were firstly employed in the Western Desert protecting Egypt from Sennusi tribesmen from Libya. Then in the Eastern Egypt defences on the Suez Canal and helped repel, at the Battle of Romani, the last Turkish assault against Egypt. The battle had been a turning point and Allied troops went on the offensive crossing the Sinai Peninsula. The Battalion shared in the defeat of the 1st and 2nd Battles of Gaza. Under the new CinC General Allenby they had been re-equipped, reinforced and subjected to a demanding training programme, but this had paid dividends and despite suffering over 70 fatalities and 150 wounded, at the Battle of Khuweilfeh the Battalion had been successful in holding the high ground and protecting the coastal strip allowing the troops to advance. The advance continued through the bleak Judean Hills. and the Battalion suffered a cold and wet time before being present with General Allenby when Jerusalem was liberated from Turkish hands at Christmas 1917. The Turks were weakening but not yet beaten and the Allies continued to push them northwards.

Then in Summer 1918 a reorganisation of the Army took place to make more troops available for the Western Front; the Herefords left Egypt for Western Front.

When the guns fell silent at 11.00 on the 11 of Nov 1918 the 1st Battalion The Herefordshire Regiment were out of the line ‘at rest’ in the area of Moorseele, in central Belgium about 20 km east of Ypres. The strength of the Battalion is not known but it was probably about 450, in November they had received a reinforcement draft of 37, but lost 162 men to wounds and sickness

Whilst they could now look forward to a return to home, this would not come for a while. The Battalion moved and formed part of the Army of Occupation in the Rhineland. In December the first men were demobilised and were home for Christmas, but the last soldiers would not return until May 1919, when the Regimental Colours were returned to Hereford.

3rd/1st Battalion

Volunteer Training Corps