Always the disciplinarian, as befits an RSM, the rows of seeds in his garden were immaculately straight. He apparently said "they will be bombing the babes in the woods next". He served with the regiment at Vimeiro (1808), Corunna (1809), Barrosa (1811) and Vitoria (1813), and was wounded leading the 'forlorn hope' during the storming of San Sebastian (1813). We are now on Facebook. [25] In November 1805, shortly after the Battle of Trafalgar, the Regiment suffered a significant misfortune: as the 1st battalion sailed for the Hanover Expedition a storm wrecked the troop transport Ariadne on the northern French coast and some 262 men were taken prisoner. It stayed in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war. Members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment, c1946. Cunningham led a failed attempt to relieve the besieged city of Derry. After his discharge, Dad was in the Indian Police until the Pakistan India separation they then went home to the UK. 4th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment was a unit of the Territorial Force with its HQ in St Giles, Norwich, they were part of the Norfolk and Suffolk Infantry Brigade, East Anglian Division. The Regiment went on to serve during Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-87), Anglo - Boer War (1899-1902) and two World Wars. Then, in 1874, it arrived in India, joining the Jowaki expedition (1877-78) on the North-West Frontier, and fighting in the Second Afghan War (1878-80) and the 1888 Burma campaign. There is an extensive and representative display of medals awarded to soldiers of the Regiment, including two of the six Victoria Crosses won. [Norwich Record Society: Vols I,VI,VII (1931/5/6)] Militia Regiment and Musters. The years covered run from August 1914 through to the early months of 1919 and the return home of prisoners of war. None of them ever came back. This directly quoted Hamiltons after action report. [65], The two Territorial Force battalions, the 4th and 5th, were both part of the Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade, part of the East Anglian Division. 10thFeb 2023 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. The Fourteenth Army was commanded by the popular and highly respected William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim. The History of the 4th Battalion Norfolk Regiment 1899 -p122 "The Norfolk Artillery Militia marched into the barracks at Southtown on Friday last, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Astley." Beauchamp was seen by Private S T Smith to say Hound them out boys! It was the last time he was seen alive and probably the last order he ever gave. As it already had two battalions of its own, it wasnt merged with any other unit. It's not just medals, weaponry and uniforms. The latter service included Ferozeshah (1845) and Sobraon (1846). Each of these lasted only three years and was mainly used for raids on the Spanish coast and for service in Britain and Portugal. (d.6th August 1944), Wright William Stephen. Search Artists, Songs, Albums. The entire unit was captured at Castelo de Vide, on the Spanish-Portuguese border, and taken back to France as prisoners of war. [14] The regiment was renamed the 9th Regiment of Foot in 1751 when all British regiments were given numbers for identification instead of using their Colonel's name. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project have lost contact with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. Royal Norfolk Regiment. In 1948, it became a single-battalion regiment within the new East Anglian Brigade. Meanwhile, 2nd Battalionwas back in India when the First World War started. Units became separated from each other and HQ Company had formed a defensive position based at the Duriez farmhouse. to help with the costs of keeping the site running. We could only come to the conclusion that they had advanced too far, had been captured and made prisoners of war. William John O'Brien Daunt, CBE, 19511959: Brig. [93], The regiment served in Korea in 195152 during the Korean War, and in Cyprus in the fight against EOKA in 195556. Nominal Roll of Officers on Posted Strength. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named the 9th Regiment of Foot. Norfolk Regiment (d.17th Dec 1991). et Cie, S.C.A. In fact, they lay where they fell until 1919 when the battalions Chaplin the Reverend Pierrepoint Edwards found them and reported at the time: We have found the 5th Norfolks there were 180 in all; 122 Norfolk and a few Hants and Suffolks with 2/4th Cheshires. Add a Name to this List It turned out that my mother was an army nurse already in India and she nursed him. Royal Norfolk Regiment, L/Cpl. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. In the ensuing campaign in North-West Europe, the regiment won two of its five Victoria Crosses of the war, the highest number for any single regiment. In July 1916, reinforcements enabled 2nd Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment to re-form. Cpl. [54], The regiment was not fundamentally affected by the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, which gave it a depot at Gorleston Barracks in Great Yarmouth from 1873, or by the Childers Reforms of 1881 as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment. Both brigades were part of the 18th Infantry Division. Norfolk Yeomanry (The King's Own Royal Regiment), Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Debt of Honour Register, Report problems or contribute information. Apparently the Norfolk's had got the nickname of "the babes in the woods" after the place where they were camped. Hamiltons dispatch did not appear until 6th January 1916 and on 7th January 1916 the Eastern Daily Press reported, SANDRINGHAM MEN DISAPPEAR. The article went on to state that 16 officers and 250 men pushed deep into enemy lines and were lost from sight and sound. I was informed by my natural grandmother, prior to her death, that William survived the war and may have served for a lengthy period. [78] Five members of the Royal Norfolks, the highest number of any British Army regiment during the Second World War, were awarded the Victoria Cross: The 1st Battalion was a regular army unit that was stationed in India at the outbreak of war and was recalled to Britain, arriving in July 1940 during the Battle of Britain. [60], In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the Territorial Force and the latter the Special Reserve;[61] the regiment now had one Reserve and three Territorial battalions. Both John Niel Randle and George Arthur Knowland were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion in the Far East, both for extraordinary heroism. Papers and photographs relating to the general and in particular the social history of the Royal Navy from the 17th century to the present day. [4] The regiment briefly returned to England, but in May 1689 Cunningham was replaced by William Stewart, under whom the regiment took part in a successful relief of Derry in summer 1689. There it fought at Imphal-Kohima (1944) and many other engagements. Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Manning, of Feltwell. I heard no news about the 5th Norfolks charging into a wood until I came home.. The Territorial 7th Battalion also served in France, where most of its soldiers were captured. The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum archive holds a unique record of many soldiers who were on active service with the regiment during the First World War. This infantry unit was raised in 1688 and subsequently served in many British Army campaigns during its long history. North Walsham, Norfolk.JPG. The 5th and 6th (City of Norwich) were both assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade, and the 4th Battalion the 54th Infantry Brigade. Royal Norfolk Regiment (d.21st May 1940), Pte. Register with your email address now, we can then send you an alert as soon as we add a record close matching the one you were searching for. 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment during the Second World War 1939-1945. Service records from the Brigade of Guards (The Grenadier, Coldstream, Irish and Welsh Guards) have now transferred to the Army Personnel Centre, including First World War records (see above). [10], The regiment embarked for Holland in June 1701 and took part in the sieges of Kaiserswerth and of Venlo in spring 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession. They may not be copied, and the links within them may not be harvested for use on your own web pages. [63], The Norfolk Yeomanry (TF), having fought dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign, were withdrawn to Egypt, where they were reorganised as infantry and redesignated as the 12th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, in the 74th (Yeomanry) Division (the 'Broken Spur' division). We knew that some of the men had been killed and others been wounded, so it did not seem at all unlikely that these others had been captured by the enemy. See also Norfolk Military History, See also the page on Norfolk Military History. Gordon Forbes Robertson 2nd Btn. Please enter your password, it must be 8 or more characters, I agree to Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement, 20 people in our Victorian Conflicts records, Many exclusive records, found only on our site, 1 on 1 Personal assistance from military photo and document experts, Access to Orbats mapping tool, allowing you to trace your WW1 ancestors steps. They gained the "Holy Boys" nickname during the Peninsular War from the misidentification by a Spanish soldier of Britannia on their cap badge as the Virgin Mary. On 14 October 1942, the battalion was transferred to the 176th Infantry Brigade, alongside the 7th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment and 6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, of the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division. Members of 2nd Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment on the march, India, c1935. I did not see any wood into which the officers and men could have disappeared, and I certainly did not see them charge into a wood: in fact the Norfolks did not charge as far as my knowledge goes. One of them, 1/5th Battalion, included the Sandringham Company, raised on the royal estate. This infantry unit has origins dating back to 1688. But who was the original Tommy Atkins. Pte. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small It was originally made from the bronze cannon captured during the Crimean War (1854-1856). Be the first to hear about our latest events, exhibitions and offers. Details and locations are to be found in the book "Militia Lists and . please But on 15th February 1916 the Lynn News reported that one officer was now recovering from wounds in a hospital as a prisoner of the Turks in Constantinople and noted: This news of Capt. The Regiment was first formed in 1685 by Henry Cornewall as Henry Cornewalls Regiment of Foot during the Monmouth Rebellion, when James Scott the 1st Duke of Monmouth (the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and the current Kings nephew) unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the unpopular King James II but his small force was swiftly put down at the Battle of Sedgemoor. 12 Militia and Special Reserve battalions This infantry regiment was raised in 1755. 26th May 1940 Road Blocks 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment were holding Le Paradis, Le-Cornet Malo and Riez-du-Vinage in an attempt to block the enemy's road to Dunkirk. Terms of Service apply. The Royal Leicestershire Regiment. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. [57], The 1st battalion was stationed in Gibraltar from 1887, then in British India. Royal Norfolk Regiment - Vintage Photograph 1075923. [13] The regiment was then based in Menorca from summer 1718 to 1746. "First time @NAM_London today. The latter also served in South Africa from 1905 to 1908. Crew and passengers were saved and conducted to Calais. When the 50th Anniversary of Gallipoli came round in 1965, references to the Sandringham Company, Battalion and Regiment first started to emerge when three New Zealand veterans claimed to have seen a British regiment marching up a sunken road to be swallowed up in a cloud. The large hardback volume, originally intended and printed as a recruitment register, has 400 pages, each recording 39 soldiers. In 1959, the Royal Norfolk Regiment was amalgamated with the Suffolk Regiment, to become the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk); this later amalgamated with the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire), the 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot) and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment to form the Royal Anglian Regiment, of which A Company of the 1st Battalion is known as the Royal Norfolks. This, in turn, converted into a battalion of The Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964. $12.90 . The summary includes a brief description of the collection(s) (usually including the covering dates of the collection), Pte. The Royal Norfolk Regiment at Britannia Barracks in Norwich in 1938. In 1805, 1st Battalion was shipwrecked off the French coast on its way from Ireland to Germany. . Family History - Royal Norfolks.jpg 1,354 635; 355 KB. The Regiment was first formed in 1685 by Henry Cornewall as Henry Cornewalls Regiment of Foot during the Monmouth Rebellion, when James Scott the 1st Duke of Monmouth (the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and the current Kings nephew) unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the unpopular King James II but his small force was swiftly put down at the Battle of Sedgemoor. However, the battalion was disbanded in 1943 due to the British government lowering the age of conscription to the British Armed Forces to 18 earlier in the year. In May 1959 it returned to England and on 29 August 1959 was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment to form the 1st East Anglian Regiment. It continued in British Army service until the 1881 reforms, when it was amalgamated with the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot to form The Northamptonshire Regiment. The Regiment was awarded the Royal title in 1935 as part of the King George V silver jubilee celebrations becoming the Royal Norfolk Regiment. William Herbert "Paddy" McQuitty 2nd Btn. Want to find out more about your relative's service? We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Privacy Policy and It was joined there by 2nd Battalion later that year. It was formed as the Norfolk Regiment in 1881 under the Childers Reforms of the British Army as the county regiment of Norfolk . This article is designed to tell the true story of what happened to the 1/5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment on 12th August 1915 at Kuchuck Anafarta Ova, Gallipoli, during World War One. [63], During the war, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sherwood Kelly, a Norfolk Regiment officer, was awarded the Victoria Cross while leading a trench assault by Irish troops during the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.[77]. In November 1914, it was sent to Mesopotamia, but suffered such heavy casualties that it had to merge with 2nd Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment in February 1916, forming the English Battalion. In 1889, it was replaced in India by 1st Battalion, which had spent the previous three decades in the Mediterranean, Gibraltar, South Africa, Ireland and Britain. ", These were the 3rd Battalion (Special Reserve), with the 4th Battalion at, Further information on this unit can be found in, Horse Guards Letter dated 30 July 1799: "His Majesty has been pleased to confirm to the 9th Regiment of Foot the distinction and privilege of bearing the figure of Britannia as the badge of the Regiment. The company was composed of Captain Lancelot Sandys, Lieutenant Robert Henly, two sergeants, two corporals, fifty private soldiers, and a drummer, and arrived in Bermuda along with the new Governor, Captain Benjamin Bennett, aboard HMSLincoln, in May 1701. The Royal Norfolk Regiment Galleries. He was court marshalled again. Captain Frank Peter Barclay, was awarded the Military Cross, and Lance-Corporal Davis the Military Medal. The Suffolk Regiment. Pte. recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. He was also a School Governor, Parish Councillor, Secretary of the British Legion and was largely responsible to raising money for the clock on Mulbarton Church tower, placed as a reminder of those men who fought and died for our freedom. [69] The 1/6th (Cyclist) Battalion was in Norwich on the outbreak of war: however, the 1/6th never served overseas and remained instead in Norfolk throughout the war until 1918 when it was sent to Ireland. The 18th Division fought in the defence of Singapore and Malaya against the Japanese advance. [100] When the regiment was redesignated as the "Royal Norfolk Regiment" in 1935, it was specially permitted to retain the yellow facings instead of changing to blue. Charles Arthur Lake 2nd Btn. please The regiment was renamed to the Royal Norfolk Regiment on 3 June 1935 to celebrate 250 years since the regiment was first raised and also to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. In 1940, the first decorations for gallantry awarded to the British Expeditionary Force in France were gained by men of the 2nd Battalion.