WW1 - 16 Battalions

Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)

1st Battalion:

August 1914 : in Colchester. Part of 11th Brigade, 4th Division - To France/Flanders 22 Aug 1914 - On the evening of 1st July 1916 after first day of the Somme, one NCO 57 unwounded other ranks answered the roll call. Moved to Ireland on Oct 1919 to 1921.

2nd Battalion:

August 1914 : in Quetta, India. Part of 4th (Quetta) Division. Transferred to 1st (Peshawar) Division December 1917. Remained in India throughout the war. Afghanistan in 1919 - Palestine Oct 1919 - Egypt Sept. 1920 - India 19 Sept 1920 to 1924.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion:

August 1914 : in Taunton. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved to Devonport on 8 August 1914 and stayed there until November 1917 when going to Londonderry. Moved to Belfast in April 1918.

4th Battalion -

5th Battalion -

India 10 Nov. 1914 - Egypt 11 May 1917 - Palestine 1917/1918 - Egypt 6 Dec. 1918 to Dec 1919.

6th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Taunton in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division. - France/Flanders 21st May 1915 -
14 April 1918 : formed a composite unit with 5th Bn, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry, which was reduced to cadre strength two weeks later.
18 June 1918 : transferred to 16th Division.
20 June 1918 : reconstituted by absorbing 13th Bn, DCLI.
4 July 1918 : transferred to 49th Brigade, 16th Division

Battalions of the Territorial Force

1/4th Battalion:

August 1914 : in Lower Bristol Road, Bath. Part of South-Western Brigade, Wessex Division.
9 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton, landing at Bombay 9 November 1914.
The Division (later renamed 43rd) was broken up on arrival in India.
21 January 1916 ; landed at Basra in 37th Indian Brigade, 3rd Indian Division.
Remained in Mesopotamia throughout the war.
5 May 1916 : transferred to 41st Indian Brigade.
March 1918 : transferred to 56th Indian Brigade, which was attached to 14th Indian Division in September 1918.

2/4th Battalion:

Formed at Bath in September 1914. Became part of 135th Brigade, 2nd Wessex Division.
12 December 1914 : landed in India. The Division was broken up on arrival in India.
August 1915 : moved to Andaman Islands, returned to India January 1916.
25 September 1917 : landed in Suez, Egypt, attached to 232nd Brigade, 75th Division.
1 June 1918 : landed in Marseilles, having been detached from the Division, and proceeded to the Western Front.
19 June 1918 : attached to 34th Division as Pioneers.

1/5th Battalion:

August 1914 : in Taunton. Part of South-Western Brigade, Wessex Division.
9 October 1914 : sailed from Southampton, landing at Bombay 9 November 1914.
The Division (later renamed 43rd) was broken up on arrival in India.
11 May 1917 : landed in Suez, Egypt, attached to 223rd Brigade, 75th Division.

2/5th Battalion:

Formed at Bath in September 1914. Became part of 135th Brigade, 2nd Wessex Division.
12 December 1914 : landed in India. The Division was broken up on arrival in India. Became divisional troops to Burma Division, then in January 1916 joined part of Rangoon Brigade in same Division.

3/4th and 3/5th Battalions:

Formed at Bath and Taunton respectively in March 1915.
April 1916 : became Reserve Bns and 5th then absorbed 6th on 1 September 1916 while at Hursley Park, Winchester. Moved to Bournemouth in October 1916; Sutton Veny in March 1917; Larkhill by late 1917 and finaly Oswestry in April 1918.

Battalions of the New Armies

7th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Taunton in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 61st Brigade, 20th (Light) Division

8th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Taunton in October 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 63rd Brigade, 21st Division.
8 July 1916 : transferred with Brigade to 37th Division

9th (Reserve) Battalion:

Formed in Plymouth in October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 98th Brigade, original 33rd Division.
April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion.
September 1916 : converted into 45th Battalions of 10th Reserve Brigade of Training Reserve.

Other battalions raised by the regiment

10th (Home Service) Battalion:

Formed in Weston-super-Mare in November 1916 and attached to 216th Brigade, 72nd Division.
November 1917 : disbanded in England, having left the Division in July 1917.

11th Battalion:

Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 85th Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed at Yeovil in April 1915 from "Home Service only" personnel. Known to have been at Herne Bayt in October 1917 and Wrentham in March 1918. Between 27 April 1918 and 16 July 1918, it was entitled 'Garrison Guard' Bn. 6 May 1918 : moved to France, and attached to 177th Brigade, 59th Division.

12th (West Somerset Yeomanry) Battalion:

Formed in Ismaila, Egypt on 4 January 1917 from dismounted Yeomanry.
January 1917 : attached to 229th Brigade, 74th Division.

13th (Home Service) Battalion:

Formed in Wrentham, Suffolk, on 27 April 1918, to replace 11th Bn in 227th Brigade.

1st (Garrison) Battalion:

Formed in Plymouth in January 1917. Moved to India in February 1917. Joined Rawalpind Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division.