Leicestershire Regiment - 4th Bn (TF)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment between 1908 and 1914. 

Until the 1st April 1908, the 4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment had been the 1st Volunteer Battalion, originally raised in 1859. The battalion was headquartered at Oxford Street, Leicester and its eight companies drew men from the following areas: 

A Company: Leicester 

B Company: Leicester, with a drill station at Anstey 

C Company: Leicester, with a drill station at Syston 

D, E, F & G Companies: Leicester 

H Company: Wigston 

By August 1914 the battalion formed part of the Lincoln & Leicester Brigade in the North Midland Division. Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. Numbers issued from about 1912 appear with the 4/ prefix: 

507 joined on the 17th June 1908 

826 joined on the 28th April 1909 

1138 joined on the 6th May 1910 

1313 joined on the 13th January 1911 

4/1477 joined on the 15th January 1912 

1773 joined on the 14th April 1913 

4/1958 joined on the 9th March 1914 

2046 joined on the 7th August 1914 

A reserve or ‘second-line’ battalion was formed at Leicester in September 1914, the original 4th Battalion now becoming the 1/4th Battalion and the new reserve battalion becoming the 2/4th Battalion. A 3/4th Battalion would be formed in 1915. The 2/4th Battalion would serve overseas from February 1917 but the 3/4th never did so, becoming the 4th Reserve Battalion in April 1916. 

Use the regimental numbers above to estimate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example, if your man had the number 2000 and lived in Wigston, he would have joined this battalion after March 1914 and probably served with H Company. 

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