Many Guernsey men had already volunteered for regiments in the British Army before the RGLI was formed. The RGLI was created because there was no Guernsey-named regiment to underline the island's devotion to the Crown.
The regiment was disbanded in 1919 but the regimental tradition lives on in the Guernsey Army Cadet Force (Det.) Light Infantry, who, although they do not wear the RGLI cap badge, still keep alive the history of the Regiment within the detachment.[2]
History
British War Medal For those who rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918
1916
17 December
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry established. (Royal Guernsey Militia suspended for the duration of the war)
Most men from the Militia volunteered to join the RGLI, others including a few civilians, were conscripted.
Training for planned Battle of Cambrai with Tanks.[5]:15
20 November – 3 December
Battle of Cambrai, where the RGLI's role was to go through the Hindenburg Line after the first wave and take 'Nine Wood' to the north of Marcoing.[3] This went according to plan, with few casualties and they then moved into Marcoing and on to the front line at Masnières. The Guernseymen found themselves defending the small town of Les Rues Vertes against a huge and determined German counter-attacks on 30 November, pushed back they retook the village twice in heavy hand to hand fighting that lasted two days. They suffered heavy casualties, with nearly 40% of the regiment either killed, injured or missing during the battle, but only withdrew when ordered to by the high command.[3][5][6][7][8]
A number of the wounded found themselves returned to Guernsey, to be cared for at the Victoria Military Hospital in Amherst or the Convalescent Hospital at Les Touillets, Castel.
After this, rest, refitting, training and a search for replacements. The shortage of men available from Guernsey resulted in the RGLI entering 1918 with 50% of the men being non-Guernsey born.[5]:20
1918
18–26 January
RGLI went back into the front line at Sint-Jan (north east of Ypres). After this, work parties, training.
8–29 March
In battle zone, taking turns in the front line at Poelcappelle.
3–7 April
In front line, Passchendaele sector. When out of the line, employed in trenching and draining.
Portrait of Haig at General Headquarters, France, by Sir William Orpen, May 1917
Pulled out of the front line, the 503 officers and men were hurried by lorry to Vieux-Berquin in the Lys area where a German offensive had broken through.
10–14 April
Battle of the Lys, east of Hazebrouck. German 6th Army under Von Quast smashes 5 miles through allied lines. The RGLI is bussed south to help stem the German advance. Hopelessly outnumbered, but holding the Germans in a fighting retreat from Le Doulieu to near Merris, the Battalion suffer an appalling 80% casualties rate.[3] The RGLI is relieved by the Australian 1st Division. Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig wrote in his despatches, which was published in the London Gazette on 21 October 1918: "After very heavy fighting, in the course of which the 1st Battalion Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, 29th Division, Major-General D.E. Cayley C.M.G. commanding the division, did gallant service....."[9]
The fighting strength was now less than 110 officers and men.[5]:24
27 April
The RGLI, withdrawn from the 29th Division and 86th Brigade, become GHQ troops well to the rear in Ecuires where they became guard troops for General Haig's H.Q. at Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais for the rest of the war and beyond.[3] The Army headquarters was an enormous administrative body, divided into five departments staffed with a wide variety of personnel. Haig lived at a small Chateau 'Beaurepaire', 2 miles (3.2km) SE of the town on the D138.
27 November
King George V, accompanied by Haig, made a triumphant passage through Montreuil on his way to Paris.[10]
1919
Colour Party of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry at Montreuil, 1919
5 April
Haig leaves Montreuil and the headquarters ceases to operate as such.
21–22 May
Many of the remaining members of the RGLI sailed back to Guernsey on the "SS Lydia". They left behind 327 graves bearing their cap badge.[5]:24
1249 Pte E Le Moigne, RGLI survived the war, and returned on the SS Lydia in May 1919. He had been awarded a 29th Divisional Parchment for Gallant Conduct and Devotion to Duty.
In February 1925, in accordance with General Order No 5034 The London Gazette published a complete list of Battle Honours awarded for the Great War.[30]
In General Orders, 1928, "Honours awarded to Militia Corps for services previous to the Great War shall pass to the reconstituted Militia Regiment and shall be emblazoned on all Regimental Standards, Guidons or Colours"[31]
Following the disbandment of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry in 1919, the 1st Battalion Royal Guernsey Militia were granted the following Battle Honours:
Ypres 1917 (for militia men serving with Royal Irish regiments)
↑ L'Art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques, des chartes, des chroniques et autres anciens monumens depuis la naissance de Notre-Seigneur, par le moyen d'une table chronologique ... Alexandre Jombert Jeune. 1784. p.830.
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