British Army First World War reserve brigades


The article lists British Army reserve brigades in the First World War. At the start of the war, British Army volunteers in the vast majority of cases joined their local infantry regiments reserve battalion.
In 1916 when conscription was first introduced for the British Army, the existing regimental system could not cope with the large influx of recruits. By January 1916, when conscription was introduced, 2.6 million men had already volunteered for service, a further 2.3 million were conscripted before the end of the war; by the end of 1918, the army had reached its peak strength of four million men. To train the recruits from 1916 onwards twenty-six reserve brigades were raised, with an official complement of over 208,500 soldiers.

Background

In August 1914, 300,000 men had signed up to fight, and another 450,000 had joined-up by the end of September. Recruitment remained fairly steady through 1914 and early 1915, but it fell dramatically during the later years, especially after the Somme campaign, which resulted in 360,000 casualties. A prominent feature of the early months of volunteering was the formation of Pals battalions. Many of these pals who had lived and worked together, joined up and trained together and were allocated to the same units. The policy of drawing recruits from amongst the local population ensured that, when the Pals battalions suffered casualties, whole towns, villages, neighbourhoods and communities back in Britain were to suffer disproportionate losses. With the introduction of conscription in January 1916, no further Pals battalions were raised. Conscription for single men was introduced in January 1916. Four months later, in May 1916, it was extended to all men aged 18 to 41. The Military Service Act March 1916 specified that men from the ages of 18 to 41 were liable to be called up for service in the army, unless they were married, or served in one of a number of reserved occupations, which were usually industrial but which also included clergymen and teachers. This legislation did not apply to Ireland, despite its then status as part of the United Kingdom. By January 1916, when conscription was introduced, 2.6 million men had volunteered for service, a further 2.3 million were conscripted before the end of the war; by the end of 1918, the army had reached its peak strength of four million men.

Reserve brigades

At the start of the First World War, most British Army infantry regiments had their own reserve battalions. After conscription was introduced from 1 September 1916 onwards, the reserve infantry battalions were reorganised. The previous regimental system simply could not cope with the influx of recruits and a centralised training and reserve system was introduced.
The reserve battalions still kept their regimental affiliations, cap badges and accoutrements, until 1 September 1916, when the regimental distinctions disappeared and the battalions were re-designated as the 1st to 116th reserve battalion in one of 26 reserve brigades. The Training Reserve had an official complement of 208,500 soldiers.
A development of the scheme was designating of 14 of the battalions as "Young Soldier Battalions". When a recruit had finished training in the Young Soldier Battalion he was sent to one of two associated "Graduated Battalions", in which the four companies were organised by age, 3 monthly steps between 18 and 19 years. As a result, every 3 months, 28 companies of newly trained soldiers were ready for drafting to France. In October 1917 some of the Graduated Battalions were found suitable for Home Service and re-designated with battalion numbers from the 201st upwards.
Another consequence of the centralised training system was that when recruits were posted to a battalion on active service, they would be sent to where there was a vacancy and not their local regiment. This system lasted until May 1917, when the reserve battalions were once again affiliated with a particular regiment and became known as graduated or young soldier battalions of their regiment.

List of brigades

Reserve
brigade
number		Original regimentReserve
battalion
number
1st Reserve Brigade16th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry1st
1st Reserve Brigade17th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry2nd
1st Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment3rd
1st Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment4th
1st Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment5th
2nd Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment6th
2nd Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment7th
2nd Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry8th
2nd Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment9th
2nd Reserve Brigade15th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment10th
3rd Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment11th
3rd Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters12th
3rd Reserve Brigade4th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters13th
3rd Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Manchester Regiment14th
3rd Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers15th
4th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment16th
4th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment17th
4th Reserve Brigade15th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps18th
4th Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Rifle Brigade19th
4th Reserve Brigade15th Battalion, Rifle Brigade20th
5th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment21st
5th Reserve Brigade16th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers22nd
5th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment23rd
5th Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment24th
6th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment25th
6th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment26th
6th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment27th
6th Reserve Brigade8th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment28th
7th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Buffs 29th
7th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment30th
7th Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers31st
7th Reserve Brigade15th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers32nd
8th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment33rd
8th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment34th
8th Reserve Brigade7th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment35th
8th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry36th
8th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment37th
9th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Black Watch38th
9th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders39th
9th Reserve Brigade8th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders40th
9th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders41st
9th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders42nd
10th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, King's Own 43rd
10th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment44th
10th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry45th
10th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment46th
10th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment47th
11th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry48th
11th Reserve Brigade15th Battalion, King's Regiment49th
11th Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment50th
11th Reserve Brigade10th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment51st
12th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry52nd
12th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers53rd
12th Reserve Brigade18th Battalion, Royal Scots54th
12th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers55th
12th Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, Scottish Rifles56th
13th Reserve Brigade9th Battalion, South Wales Borderers57th
13th Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, Welsh Regiment58th
13th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, South Wales Borderers59th
13th Reserve Brigade20th Battalion, Welsh Regiment60th
13th Reserve Brigade21st Battalion, Welsh Regiment61st
14th Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers62nd
14th Reserve Brigade18th and 20th Battalions, Royal Welsh Fusiliers63rd
14th Reserve Brigade21st and 22nd Battalions, Royal Welsh Fusiliers64th
14th Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, South Wales Borderers65th
14th Reserve Brigade22nd Battalion, the Welsh Regiment66th
15th Reserve Brigade3rd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers-
15th Reserve Brigade4th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers-
15th Reserve Brigade3rd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles-
15th Reserve Brigade4th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles-
15th Reserve Brigade5th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles-
15th Reserve Brigade3rd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers-
15th Reserve Brigade4th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers-
16th Reserve Brigade21st Battalion, King's 67th
16th Reserve Brigade22nd Battalion, the King's 68th
16th Reserve Brigade25th Battalion, Manchester Regiment69th
16th Reserve Brigade26th Battalion, Manchester Regiment70th
16th Reserve Brigade27th Battalion, the Manchester Regiment71st
17th Reserve Brigade21st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers72nd
17th Reserve Brigade22nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers73rd
17th Reserve Brigade17th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment74th
17th Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment75th
17th Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, King's Own 76th
18th Reserve Brigade18th Battalion, Royal Scots77th
18th Reserve Brigade19th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry78th
18th Reserve Brigade20th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry79th
19th Reserve Brigade32nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers80th
19th Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment81st
19th Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment82nd
19th Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment83rd
20th Reserve Brigade29th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "A" Battalion, MGC84th
20th Reserve Brigade30th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "B" Battalion, MGC85th
20th Reserve Brigade31st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "C" Battalion, MGC86th
20th Reserve Brigade21st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry re-designated "D" Battalion, MGC87th
21st Reserve Brigade19th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment88th
21st Reserve Brigade20th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment89th
21st Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment90th
21st Reserve Brigade15th Battalions, York & Lancaster Regiment and East Yorkshire Regiment91st
22nd Reserve Brigade17th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment92nd
22nd Reserve Brigade15th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment93rd
22nd Reserve Brigade16th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment94th
22nd Reserve Brigade11th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry95th
22nd Reserve Brigade16th Battalion,, Hampshire Regiment96th
23rd Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment 97th
23rd Reserve Brigade14th Battalion, Essex Regiment98th
23rd Reserve Brigade12th Battalion, Royal West Kents99th
23rd Reserve Brigade24th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment100th
23rd Reserve Brigade27th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment101st
23rd Reserve Brigade28th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment102nd
24th Reserve Brigade27th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers103rd
24th Reserve Brigade28th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers104th
24th Reserve Brigade29th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers105th
24th Reserve Brigade30th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers106th
24th Reserve Brigade31st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers107th
26th Reserve Brigade13th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment108th
26th Reserve Brigade19th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps109th
26th Reserve Brigade22nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps110th
26th Reserve Brigade23rd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps111th
26th Reserve Brigade17th Battalion, Rifle Brigade112th
28th Reserve Brigade"E" Battalion, MGC113th
28th Reserve Brigade"F" Battalion, MGC114th
28th Reserve Brigade"G" Battalion, MGC115th
28th Reserve Brigade"H" Battalion, MGC116th