The Boer War and The Great War

Find out about The Boer War 1899-1902, and after and The Great War 1914-1918

The Boer War, 1899-1902, and after
The Great War, 1914-1918
The Great War-Regular Battalions
The Great War- Territorial Force Battalions, 161 (Essex) Brigade
The Great War-Service Battalions- Kitchener's Army

The Boer War, 1899-1902, and after

Both regular Battalions, the 3rd (Militia) Battalion and elements of the Volunteer Battalions, served in the South African War (1899-1902), the Regiment gaining the battle honour "South Africa, 1889-1902", while the 1st Battalion was awarded in addition the honours "Relief of Kimberley" and "Paardeberg" for its part in those engagements. At Paardeberg, Lieutenant F.N. Parsons gained the fourth Victoria Cross to be awarded to the Regiment.

From 1902 to 1914 the 1st Battalion served in India, Burma and Mauritius, while the 2nd Battalion remained on home service. In 1908 further large-scale reforms resulted in the reorganization of the Volunteers into the Territorial Force and the Militia into the Special Reserve. At the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914 the Regiment consisted of: 1st Essex (Mauritius and Durban), 2nd Essex (Chatham), 3rd S.R. Battalion (Warley), 4th (T.F.) Essex (Ilford), 5th (T.F.) Essex (Chelmsford), 6th (T.F.) Essex (West Ham), 7th (T.F.) Essex (Walthamstow) and 8th (Cyclist) (T.F.) Essex (Colchester).

The Great War, 1914-1918

Very great expansion of the army was necessary to meet the German menace, and this was arrived at by the expansion of the Territorial Force and the raising of Service battalions. In all, thirty-one battalions of The Essex Regiment were formed, eleven serving overseas with great distinction. In all, no fewer than seventy battle honours were won, ten selected honours being borne on the Queen's Colour.

The Great War - Regular Battalions

The 1st Battalion served on the Gallipoli Peninsula and in France and Belgium. As part of the immortal 29th Division it took part in the initial landing on the Peninsula and in all the hard-fought battles that followed. Its record on the Western Front was equally glorious. Of the ten honours emblazoned on the Queen's Colour the 44th shares with other battalions of the Regiment "Gallipoli", "Somme", "Arras", "Ypres, 1917" and "Cambrai".

The 2nd Battalion was the first in action, moving to France with the 4 Division of the original B.E.F. and taking part in the Retreat from Mons and the Battle of the Marne. Its record throughout the war was unsurpassed. Of the honours on the Queen's Colour, "Le Cateau", "The Marne" and "Ypres, 1915" were gained by the "Pompadours", who also share with other battalions "Ypres, 1917", "Somme, 1916, '18" and "Arras, 1917, '18".th

The Great War - Territorial Force Battalions, 161 (Essex) Brigade

The 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Territorial Battalions served with distinction on Gallipoli and in Egypt and Palestine, taking part in many hard-fought engagements with the Turks and gaining ten battle honours for the Regiment. Of the Honours, "Gaza" was won by these Territorial Battalions, who also share "Gallipoli" with the 1st Battalion.

The Great War-Service Battalions- Kitchener's Army

The 9th, 10th, 11th and 13th Special Services Battalions all served in France and Flanders. They claim a worthy share in four of the ten honours carried on the Colours - "Somme, 1916, '18", "Arras, 1917, '18", "Cambrai, 1917, '18" and "Ypres, 1917", while the 9th and 11th Battalions added the honours "Loos" and "Selle" to the Colours. Lieutenant F.B. Wearne of the 11th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross for his conspicuous valour. The 15th Essex also served on the Western Front during the concluding months of the war.

Some 9000 officers and men of the Essex Regiment died in the 1914-18 War, many having no known grave.