The LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS

20^th Regiment of Foot.

The 11th (Service) Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers was formed at Codford in September 1914 as part of the third of Kitchener's new armies known as K3. It was assigned to Army Troops in 25th Division at Codford Wiltshire. Soon afterwards it was transferred to 74th Brigade within 25th Division. In December 1914 it moved to billets at Boscombe. In April 1915 the battalion moved to Hursley Park and in May 1915 to Malplaquet Barracks, Aldershot for final training. The battalion embarked for France and Flanders on 29 September 1915, landing at Boulogne. On the Somme in July 1916, the battalion was in 74th Brigade in 25th Division.

On 1 July 1916 it was moved from Rubempre to Warloy and on 4 July 1916 to Bouzincourt. Later that day it moved forward to Usna Hill redoubts. On 6 July 1916 it moved to La Boiselle. The battalion was engaged in attacks and counter-attacks at Ovillers between 7 - 10 July 1916, suffering 171 casualties. It was relieved on 11 July 1916 and sent via Bouzincourt to Senlis. It then returned to Usna Hill and took part in attacks at Ovillers between 14 - 16 July 1916. The battalion was relieved on 17 July 1916 (during the night of 16 July 1916) and sent via Bouzincourt to Forceville.

The battalion continued to be employed in different sectors of the Somme front until near the end of the battle in late October 1916.

The 11th Battalion was disbanded near Dieppe, France on 12 August 1918.

Regimental Museum

Lancashire Fusiliers Regimental Museum,

Wellington Barracks, Bolton Road, Bury,

Lancashire BL8 2PL

Phone: (0161) 7642208.

Regimental history of the XXth Regiment of Foot since 1688:

weapons, uniforms and large medal collection.

Trophies, colours and memorabilia of General Wolfe, the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon, and the Gallipoli campaign.

Regimental History

"The History of the Lancashire Fusiliers 1914-18"in two volumes; by Major General J C Latter; published by Gale and Polden, in Aldershot in 1949.

The later history of the XXth Fusiliers and its involvement in Gallipoli is well detailed in "Hell's Foundations: A Town Its Myths and Gallipoli" by Geoffrey Moorhouse; published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1992; ISBN 0 340 43044 3.

It explores the relationship between Bury and the regiment whose depot was based there.

It focuses on the effects of Gallipoli, where the XXth took the greatest number of casualties of any British regiment, with six battalions involved, and where they won "six VCs before breakfast".

The Lancashire Fusiliers from its pre-war two regular, two reserve and four territorial battalions, raised a total of 31 battalions.

During involvement in campaigns in all theatres, the XXth Fusiliers lost 13,642 men killed in action. It won more VCs, a total of eighteen, than any other regiment during the Great War.

During the Gallipoli campaign,

the six battalions of the XXth won six VCs, 4 DSOs, 5 MCs, 2 CBs, 13 DCMs, and 43 MiDs.

The six VCs were won by the 1st Battalion on ‘W’ Beach on 25th April 1915.

Information kindly forwarded by Iain Kerr of Windsor, England, U.K. and Geoff Moran of Sydney, Australia.