The universal obligation to military service in the Shire levy was long established in England and its legal basis was updated by two acts of 1557 (4 & 5 Ph. & M. cc. 2 and 3), which placed selected men, the 'trained bands', under the command of Lords Lieutenant appointed by the monarch. This is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. It was an important element in the country's defence at the time of the Spanish Armada in the 1580s, and control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between King Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War. The Somerset Trained Bands were active in local skirmishes and sieges during the early part of the civil war, and later in controlling the country under the Commonwealth and Protectorate. The English militia was re-established under local control in 1662 after the Restoration of the monarchy, and the Somerset Militia played a prominent part in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. However, after the Peace of Utrecht in 1715 the militia was allowed to decline.[1][2][3][4][5]
Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 reorganised the county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. In peacetime they assembled for 28 days' annual training. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. An adjutant and drill sergeants were to be provided to each regiment from the Regular Army, and arms and accoutrements would be supplied when the county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits.[6][7][8][9]
Somerset's quota was set at 840 men in two regiments, each of seven companies. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Earl Poulett, was an enthusiast for the militia, but even he was slow to act, finding the Somerset gentry averse, and the 'common people outrageously against it' for fear of being 'Digby'd abroad' (Lord Digby had recently raised a regular regiment in Somerset and Dorset for home service but the men had been forcibly sent overseas). In 1758 Poulett tried to recruit officers, but the first lieutenancy meeting was a failure with only eight persons putting themselves forward out of 40 required. Poulett then began a publicity campaign, giving a rousing speech and having copies of its circulated. He proposed taking the colonelcy of both regiments himself, and appointed the other senior officers from across the political spectrum. By January 1759 he had obtained almost all the officers and balloting and enrolment of the other ranks began.[10][11] The 1st Somerset Militia was formed at Taunton, the 2nd Somerset Militia at Bath, and both received their arms on 22 March 1759.[3][11][12][13][14][15]
Somerset Militia 1759.
The 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia were both embodied for fulltime service on 3 July 1759. Despite the delays, Somerset was still one of the earliest counties to complete its militia, but the lack of experience in any county at this date led to problems over pay and administration. The counties were offered the help of a regular officer, but Poulett refused this, to reassure his men that they were not being conscripted into the regulars. The Somerset Militia also produced its own simplified drill book.[11][16]
The 2nd Somerset Militia was embodied under the command of Colonel Sir Charles Kemys Tynte, 5th Baronet, MP for Somerset. The adjutant was Lieutenant Daniel Daniel of the 13th Foot, who had been wounded at the Battle of Fontenoy and had been at the Battle of Culloden. The day after embodiment the regiment was ordered to march to Bideford in Devon to come under the command of Major-General Duroure. It set off from Bath on 16 July. Two years later, in July 1761, it was serving at Godalming in Surrey. Poulett continued to have difficulties over officers for the Somerset Militia: after the death of King George II and the accession of George III in 1760 their commissions were continued by royal proclamation. Some officers chose to regard them as new commissions outside the Militia Act and retired in 1761. While balloting was held in Somerset in November 1761 to replace the time-expired men in the ranks, the lieutenancy published advertisements in December seeking candidates for junior officers. After serving in home defence for most of the war, the regiment was ordered to disembody on 30 December 1762, shortly before hostilities were ended by the Treaty of Paris. The officers and men of the Somersets left so quickly that it was difficult to settle up the regimental accounts.[17][18] In 1763 the disembodied Somerset militia regiments were reorganised into a single regiment of 12 companies, and the 2nd Somerset Militia ceased to exist for the next 35 years, while the 1st served during the War of American Independence.[13][14][15][11][19]
French Revolutionary War
Supplementary-Militia, turning-out for Twenty Days Amusement: 1796 caricature by James Gillray.
The militia was already being embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793 and the Somerset Militia took up its usual home defence and garrison duties.[20] In an attempt to have as many men as possible under arms for home defence in order to release regulars, in 1796 the Government created the Supplementary Militia, a compulsory levy of men to be trained for 20 days a year in their spare time, and to be incorporated in the Regular Militia in emergency. Somerset's new quota was fixed at 2960 men, and two additional battalions were formed from these men in 1797 as well as bringing the 1st Somerset Militia up to full strength. The new battalions were the Eastern Battalion at Bath, and the Western Battalion at Taunton; later they were designated the 2nd and 3rd Somerset Militia. On 24 February 1797 the 1st Somerset Militia sent a detachment of three officers, six sergeants, two drummer and 15 rank and file to Bath to train the supplementaries. Both new regiments were embodied on 12 March 1798 and each was sent a cadre of 3 sergeants, 3 corporals and 6 'well-drilled privates' from the 1st Somersets to serve as non-commissioned officers.[12][15][11][21][22][23][24][25]
On 17 March both the 1st Somerset and the 'Somerset Supplementary' regiments were ordered to complete their Grenadier and Light Companies to 100 strong, ready to be incorporated with those from other militia regiments into composite Grenadier and Light battalions. These were formed on 8 May, at Maker and Stanborough respectively, in the coast defences of South West England. After training, the rest of the Eastern Battalion under Colonel Tynte[lower-alpha 2] followed them to camp at Charleston Down, arriving on 18 June.[23][27]
The French Revolutionary Wars saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the British Isles), which the regular army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry.[8][28]
Hostilities ended with the Treaty of Amiens on 27 March 1802, and the militia were disembodied.[29]
Napoleonic Wars
However, the Peace of Amiens was shortlived and Britain declared war on France once more in May 1803. The 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia had already been embodied in March and were brought up to a higher establishment by supplementaries in June. Both regiments did duty in South West England. Both had detachments of selected Sharpshooters, and early in November the district commander, Maj-Gen Thomas Grosvenor, held a competition between them, the best marksmen to be awarded a red feather in their cap.[30][lower-alpha 3]
From August to October 1804 the 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia were both stationed at Weymouth, Dorset, in a brigade commanded by Maj-Gen Lord Charles FitzRoy, while King George III was in residence at Gloucester Lodge.[31]Viscount Hinton, son of the 4th Earl Poulett, who had been a captain in his father's 1st Somerset Militia, was appointed colonel of the 2nd Somerset on 20 September 1804.[32] In August and September 1805, while Napoleon assembled an invasion force across the English Channel at Boulogne, the 1st and 2nd Somersets were again camped at Weymouth, brigaded with the 1st Royal Lancashire and the North Yorkshire Militia. On 1 September the 2nd Somersets consisted of 843 men in 10 companies under the command of Lt-Col Edward Andrews.[33] In the autumn of 1805 the 2nd Somerset was again brigaded with the 1st Somerset, this time at Silverhill, East Sussex.[31]
Somerset Militia 1812–16.
Ireland
An Act of Parliament[which?] in 1811 permitted militia regiments to volunteer for periods of two years' service in Ireland.[34][35] The 2nd Somerset volunteered, and on 28 June 1813 the regiment embarked at Bristol bound for Dublin. Napoleon abdicated in April 1814 and it appeared that the wars were over. In September the English militia regiments in Ireland were ordered back to their home counties to be disembodied. On its return in 1814 the 2nd Somerset re-established its HQ at Bath. Early in 1815 Napoleon returned from Elba, sparking off the short Waterloo campaign, but it appears that the 2nd Somerset was not embodied during this crisis.[14][24]
Long peace
Somerset Militia 1831.Col Sir Thomas Lethbridge, 2nd Baronet, in the uniform of the West Somerset Yeomanry.
After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held until 1831, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced.[24][36][37]
On the death of the 4th Earl Poulett in 1819, Viscount Hinton succeeded to the earldom and also to the colonelcy of the 1st Somerset Militia; Sir Thomas Lethbridge, 2nd Baronet, became colonel of the 2nd Somerset.[38][39][40] After the death of Sir Thomas Lethbridge, William Pinney, MP for East Somerset, was appointed colonel on 18 January 1850. His lieutenant-colonel was Francis Fownes Luttrell, who had been wounded at Waterloo while serving as an officer in the Grenadier Guards.[24][40]
1852 Reforms
The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852, enacted during a renewed period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by royal proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances:[41][42]
'Whenever a state of war exists between Her Majesty and any foreign power'.
'In all cases of invasion or upon imminent danger thereof'.
'In all cases of rebellion or insurrection'.
The 2nd Somerset Militia was revived, with Col Pinney and Lt-Col Luttrell still the senior officers, joined by the Earl of Cavan, formerly of the 7th Dragoon Guards, appointed Major on 25 August 1852.[40][43]
Somerset Militia 1854.
Crimean War and after
War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea, the militia began to be called out for home defence. The 2nd Somersets were embodied on 25 September 1854 and sent to Ireland, serving at Cork by the beginning of December.[3][40][44] It transferred to Dublin during November 1855,[45] moving out of the city to The Curragh by May 1856.[46] The war had ended in March with the Treaty of Paris, and the regiment was disembodied later that year. Unlike some other regiments it was not embodied during the Indian Mutiny[3]
Thereafter, annual training (21 or 27 days) was carried out each year.[47] The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war.[41]
Colonel Pinney retired in 1870 after 20 years in command, being appointed the regiment's first Honorary Colonel. He was succeeded in command by Alex. W. Adair, formerly of the 52nd Foot, with the rank of Lt-Col Commandant (the appointment of regimental colonel having disappeared in the Militia after 1852).[43]
Cardwell Reforms
Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, militia regiments were brigaded with their local regular and Volunteer battalions. Sub-District No 36 (Somersetshire) was formed at Taunton:[12][43][47]
The militia now came under the War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant. Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the regular army.[41][48] The sub-districts were to establish a brigade depot for their linked battalions, but it was not until 1879–81 that Jellalabad Barracks was built as the depot at Taunton. The 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia had adopted Leigh Camp near Taunton as their training ground in 1873.[14][47]
Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia were both assigned to 1st Brigade of 3rd Division, IV Corps in Ireland.[43] On 12 February 1876 the 2nd Somerset Militia was redesignated the 2nd Somerset Light Infantry Militia.[3][12][15][14]
On 3 April 1878 the Militia Reserve was called out to reinforce the Regular Army during the international crisis over the Russo-Turkish War.[47]
Somerset Light Infantry
Somerset Light Infantry cap badge.
The Childers Reforms took Cardwell's reforms further, with the linked battalions forming single regiments. From 1 July 1881 the 13th Foot became Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry), or more familiarly the Somerset Light Infantry (SLI) with the 1st and 2nd Somerset Light Infantry Militia as its 3rd and 4th Battalions.[3][12][15]
The militia were issued with the Martini–Henry rifle in 1882, and the Lee–Metford in 1895. The increased range and penetration of these new weapons meant that the rifle range at Leigh Camp was no longer safe. The 4th Bn moved its training ground to Bath in 1887.[14][49]
Second Boer War
At the start of the Second Boer War 1899, most of the regular battalions were sent to South Africa, the Militia Reserve was mo nilised to reinforce them, and many militia units were called out to replace them for home defence. The 4th SLI were embodied on 4 December and volunteered for service in South Africa. The battalion embarked in March 1900 under the command of Col W. Long, with a strength of 27 officers and 361 other ranks (ORs). Although the 3rd Bn SLI was embodied it did not serve overseas, but two of its officers volunteered to serve with the 4th Bn.[3][12][14][43]
After arriving at East London on 2 April 1900, the battalion provided guards for the Line of communications between that city and Queenstown, with the Maxim gun detachments at Burgersdorp. In December a detachment of 4 officers and 200 ORs went to join the Stormberg Garrison, while E Company went to Queenstown and Bowkers Park. In March 1901 the battalion provided the garrison for Cathcart, which was threatened by the Boers. In May, B Company went to Wonderboom and Bamboo Siding, and D Company to Bushman's Hoel. By October, J Company was employed on the Sterkstroom section of the blockhouse line and B Company at Baileytown, while a number of officers were employed on staff duties.[3][14]
Peace negotiations began in April 1902 and the battalion returned to the UK, having lost one officer and 22 other ranks killed or died of disease. It was disembodied on 14 May 1902. The participants received the Queen's South Africa Medal with the 'Cape Colony' clasp, and the King's South Africa Medal with the clasps for 1901 and 1902. The battalion was awarded the Battle honourSouth Africa 1900–02.[3][14][43]
Disbandment
After the Boer War, there were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (militia, yeomanry and volunteers) to take their place in the six army corps proposed by St John Brodrick as Secretary of State for War. However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out.[50][51] Under the sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the militia was replaced by the Special Reserve, a semi-professional force similar to the previous militia reserve, whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime.[52][53][54] While the 3rd (1st Somerset Militia) Bn became the 3rd (Reserve) Bn, SLI, the 4th (2nd Somerset Militia) Bn was disbanded, though many members transferred to the 3rd Bn, including Maj Arthur Llewellyn, who was CO of the 3rd Bn on the outbreak of World War I.[12][14][15][43][55][56][lower-alpha 4]
Commanders
The following commanded the regiment and battalion:[3][40][43][56]
Col William Pinney, former CO, appointed 12 March 1870, died 30 May 1898
Col W. Long, CMG, former CO, appointed 7 November 1903
Heritage and ceremonial
Uniforms and insignia
From 1759 the Somerset Militia wore red uniforms with black facings – black being the livery colour of Earl Poulett, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and colonel of the 1st Somersets. The Regimental Colour would also have been black, displaying the Poulett coat of arms (when the original colours were replaced in 1762 Poulett was dissatisfied with the replacements and had new ones made at his own expense). By the time the 2nd Somerset Militia were reformed in 1798 the county militia had adopted yellow facings. By about 1811 the 1st Somersets had reverted to black facings, but the 2nd Somersets retained yellow as late as 1850. However, the reformed regiment used black velvet facings by 1855.[24][40][43][57][58]
2nd Somerset Militia button found in Oxfordshire.
When the Somerset Militia became part of the SLI they lost their familiar black facings and adopted the blue that the SLI had been awarded when they became 'Prince Albert's' and hence a Royal regiment in 1842.[47][43] The last pair of regimental colours of the 2nd Somerset Militia were given to the County Museum in 1908.[58]
Prior to 1855 the regimental insignia had been the Royal cypher within a crowned garter inscribed Defendemus, with a spray of oak leaves on either side and a scroll beneath inscribed 'SECOND SOMERSET REGT'. The buttons had 'SOMERSET REGT.' surmounted by a crown over '2', or 'SECOND SOMERSET' surmounted by a crown. The officers' waistbelt plate of 1855–74 had the Royal cypher beneath a crown; their Shako plate of 1870 was a crowned cut star with a central design of 'VR' surrounded by a garter inscribed 'SECOND SOMERSET', within a oak wreath with a 'DEFENDEMUS' scroll beneath (see illustration). After the regiment became light infantry in 1876 the centre badge was changed to a bugle-horn. The Glengarry cap badge 1874–81 was a sword with a cross-hilt, point downwards, within a garter bearing the title, surmounted by a Saxon crown.[15][59]
After it became part of the SLI in 1881, the battalion wore the insignia of that regiment, including the cap badge of a light infantry bugle-horn beneath a Mural crown surmounted by a scroll bearing the Battle honour 'JELLALABAD'.[43]
Precedence
In 1759 it was ordered that militia regiments on service were to take precedence from the date of their arrival in camp. In 1760 this was altered to a system of drawing lots where regiments did duty together. By the time the 2nd Somerset was reformed the counties were allocated precedence by a ballot held at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War in 1793: Somerset was 40th. Another ballot for precedence took place in 1803 at the start of the Napoleonic War and remained in force until 1833: Somerset was 9th. In 1833 the King drew the lots for individual regiments and the resulting list continued in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places and the 2nd Somerset became 47th. Most regiments took little notice of the numeral.[14][15][24][40][43][60][61]
↑ It is incorrect to describe the British Militia as 'irregular': throughout their history they were equipped and trained exactly like the line regiments of the regular army, and once embodied in time of war they were fulltime professional soldiers for the duration of their enlistment.
↑ Probably Col John Johnson, formerly of the 1st Foot Guards, who had married the niece and heiress of the previous colonel and changed his name to Kemeys-Tynte.[26]
↑ The shooting competition was held at ranges of 200 and 300 yards, suggesting that Baker rifles were in use rather than the standard infantry Brown Bess smoothbore musket.[30]
The West Suffolk Militia was an auxiliary military unit in the English county of Suffolk in East Anglia. First organised during the Seven Years' War it served on internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. It later became a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and supplied thousands of recruits to the fighting battalions during World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The West Kent Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Queen's Own was an auxiliary regiment raised in Kent in South East England. From its formal creation in 1758 the regiment served in home and colonial defence in all of Britain's major wars until 1918, and supplied thousands of reinforcements to the Royal West Kents during World War I.
John Poulett, 4th Earl Poulett, KT, styled Viscount Hinton between 1764 and 1788, was a British peer and militia officer.
The East Kent Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Buffs was an auxiliary regiment raised in Kent in South East England. From its formal creation in 1760 the regiment served in home and colonial defence in all of Britain's major wars until 1918, seeing active service in the Second Boer War and supplying thousands of reinforcements to the Buffs during World War I.
The Royal Sussex Light Infantry Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, was an auxiliary regiment raised in Sussex on the South Coast of England. From its formal creation in 1778 the regiment served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars. It saw active service during the Second Boer War, and trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence it was formally disbanded in 1953
The Dorset Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Dorsetshire in South West England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county carried out internal security and home defence duties. They saw active service during the Second Bishops' War and the English Civil War, and played a prominent part in suppressing the Monmouth Rebellion. After being the first English militia regiment to reform in 1758, they served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars, including service in Ireland, and finally trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.
The East York Militia was a part time home defence force in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The Militia and its predecessors had always been important in Yorkshire, and from its formal creation in 1759 the regiment served in home defence in all Britain's major wars until 1919. It became a battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, and its role during World War I was to train thousands of reinforcements for the regiment's battalions serving overseas.
The 1st or East Devon Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was a part-time military unit in the maritime county of Devonshire in the West of England. The Militia had always been important in the county, which was vulnerable to invasion, and from its formal creation in 1758 the regiment served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars until 1908, after which it became a reserve unit for the Devonshire Regiment.
The 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England during the French Revolutionary War. It later became part of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Although primarily intended for home defence, its battalions served in Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta and saw active service during the Second Boer War. After conversion to the Special Reserve (SR) under the Haldane Reforms it supplied reinforcements to the fighting battalions during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The 4th Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Light Infantry) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England just before the Crimean War. It later became part of the South Lancashire Regiment. Although primarily intended for home defence, it saw considerable active service during the Second Boer War. After conversion to the Special Reserve (SR) under the Haldane Reforms it supplied reinforcements to the fighting battalions during World War I and carried out internal security duties in Ireland. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The 6th Royal Lancashire Militia was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England just before the Crimean War. It later became part of the Manchester Regiment. Although primarily intended for home defence, its battalions saw active service during the Second Boer War. Following conversion to the Special Reserve (SR) under the Haldane Reforms it supplied reinforcements to the fighting battalions during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The 7th Royal Lancashire Militia (Rifles) (7th RLM) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England just before the Crimean War. It later became part of the Lancashire Fusiliers. Although primarily intended for home defence, its battalions saw active service during the Second Boer War. Following conversion to the Special Reserve (SR) under the Haldane Reforms it supplied reinforcements to the fighting battalions during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The Queen's Edinburgh Light Infantry Militia was an auxiliary regiment raised in and around the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. It was formed in 1798 and reformed in 1802, but had links with earlier Fencible and Volunteer units from the area. It served in home defence during the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War. Later it became a battalion of the Royal Scots and saw active service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. It served as a Special Reserve training unit in World War I, but after 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The King's Own Light Infantry Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment was an auxiliary regiment raised in Staffordshire in the West Midlands of England in 1853. Under the Cardwell and Childers Reforms it became part of the North Staffordshire Regiment and saw active service during the Second Boer War. During World War I it trained thousands of reinforcements for the battalions serving overseas. After a shadowy postwar existence it was formally disbanded in 1953.
The 5th Middlesex Militia or Royal Elthorne Light Infantry was an auxiliary regiment raised in Middlesex in the Home counties of England just before the Crimean War. It later became part of the Middlesex Regiment. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in England and Ireland during Britain's major wars, and saw active service during the Second Boer War. It was converted to the Special Reserve under the Haldane Reforms and supplied reinforcements to the Royal Fusiliers' fighting battalions during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The Carnarvonshire Militia, later the Royal Carnarvon Rifles, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the county of Caernarfonshire in North Wales during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in Britain and Ireland through all Britain's major wars until it was disbanded in 1908.
The Glamorganshire Militia, later the Royal Glamorgan Light Infantry, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the county of Glamorganshire in South Wales during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in Britain and Ireland through all Britain's major wars and supported the civil powers in peacetime. It became a battalion of the Welsh Regiment in 1881, and saw active service in the Second Boer War. Transferring to the Special Reserve in 1908 it trained thousands of reinforcements for that regiment during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence, the militia was disbanded in 1953.
The Somerset Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Somerset in South West England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county carried out internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. They saw active service during the Second Bishops' War, the English Civil War, the Monmouth Rebellion and the Second Boer War, and finally trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.
The 1st Somerset Militia was an auxiliary military unit in the county of Somerset in South West England. First organised during the Seven Years' War it served on internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. It later became a battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry and supplied thousands of recruits to the fighting battalions during World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The Brecknockshire Militia, later the Royal Brecknockshire Rifles, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised from earlier precursor units in the Welsh county of Brecknockshire during the 17th Century. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in Britain and Ireland through all Britain's major wars. After a series of shortlived mergers it was finally amalgamated into the Royal South Wales Borderers Militia in 1876. This regiment's title and headquarters at Brecon were adopted in 1881 when the South Wales Borderers (SWB) was formed as the local regiment of the Regular Army. The battalion saw active service during the Second Boer War. It became at Special Reserve battalion of the SWB and trained thousands of recruits for the fighting battalions of the regiment during World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
Arthur Sleigh, The Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry Army List, April 1850, London: British Army Despatch Press, 1850/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 1991, ISBN 978-1-84342-410-9.
Edward M. Spiers, The Army and Society 1815–1914, London: Longmans, 1980, ISBN 0-582-48565-7.
Col Henry Walrond, Historical Records of the 1st Devon Militia (4th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment), With a Notice of the 2nd and North Devon Militia Regiments, London: Longmans, 1897/Andesite Press, 2015, ISBN 978-1-37617881-4.
War Office, A List of the Officers of the Militia, the Gentlemen & Yeomanry Cavalry, and Volunteer Infantry of the United Kingdom, 11th Edn, London: War Office, 14 October 1805/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84574-207-2.
J.R. Western, The English Militia in the Eighteenth Century: The Story of a Political Issue 1660–1802, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1965.
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Kingdom of Great Britain (1759–1800)
United Kingdom (1801–1908)
Militia 
