The 8th ( Irish ) Battalion
King's Liverpool Regiment
Originally corps were to consist of approximately 100 all ranks under the command of a Captain, with some localities having subdivisions of thirty men under a Lieutenant. The purpose of the Rifle Corps was to harass the invading enemy's flanks, while the Artillery Corps were to man coastal guns and forts. Although not mentioned in the circular letter, Engineer Corps were also formed, principally to place underwater mines for port defences. Stretcher-bearers attched to rifle corps subsequently formed volunteer medical detachments affiliated to the Army Medical Corps. In a handful of counties, units of Light Horse or mounted rifles were formed.
Two volunteer units whose services had been accepted by Queen Victoria during the early 1850s became two senior rifle corps of the new force. These were the 1st Rifle Volunteer Corps who became the 1st Devonshire Rifle Volunteers and the Victoria Rifles ( decended from the Duke of Cumberland's Sharpshooters, formed in 1803 ) who became the 1st Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. An order of precedence was established for ninety-two other counties, depending upon the date of establishment of the first corps in the county. The most senior artillery corps was the 1st Northumberland formed at Tynemouth on August 2nd 1859.
Initially there were attempts at class distinction with the middle class seeing the formation of rifle units as a contrast with the strict class divide between the officers and the gentry and the other ranks of the working class and farm labourers of the militia and the standing army. Some also compared the initiative, small unit tactics and marksmanship principles of rifle regiments of the Napoleonic Wars compared with linear tactics of the standing army. Many units initially favoured green and grey riflemen uniforms as opposed to the scarlet of the army and militia. In turn the army was glad not to have amateur volunteers wear the scarlet of the regulars. The provisions of the volunteers having to purchase their own rifles and uniforms was felt by some to exclude the lower classes.
The large number of small idependent corps proved difficult to administer, and by 1861, most had been formed into battalion sized units either by ' consolidation ' increasing an existing corps to battalion size ( usually in large urban areas ) or by forming administrative battalions or brigades by the grouping of smaller corps ( in rural areas). An official book of Drill and Rifle instructions for the Corps of Rifle Volunteers and Volunteer Regulations were published in 1859 and 1861 respectively.
In 1862, a royal commission chaired by Viscount Eversley was appointed ' to inquire into the condition of the volunteer force in Great Britain and into the probability of its continuance at its existing strength' according to the report, as of 1st April 1862, the Volunteer Force had a strength of 162, 681 men consisting of :
Two volunteer units whose services had been accepted by Queen Victoria during the early 1850s became two senior rifle corps of the new force. These were the 1st Rifle Volunteer Corps who became the 1st Devonshire Rifle Volunteers and the Victoria Rifles ( decended from the Duke of Cumberland's Sharpshooters, formed in 1803 ) who became the 1st Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. An order of precedence was established for ninety-two other counties, depending upon the date of establishment of the first corps in the county. The most senior artillery corps was the 1st Northumberland formed at Tynemouth on August 2nd 1859.
Initially there were attempts at class distinction with the middle class seeing the formation of rifle units as a contrast with the strict class divide between the officers and the gentry and the other ranks of the working class and farm labourers of the militia and the standing army. Some also compared the initiative, small unit tactics and marksmanship principles of rifle regiments of the Napoleonic Wars compared with linear tactics of the standing army. Many units initially favoured green and grey riflemen uniforms as opposed to the scarlet of the army and militia. In turn the army was glad not to have amateur volunteers wear the scarlet of the regulars. The provisions of the volunteers having to purchase their own rifles and uniforms was felt by some to exclude the lower classes.
The large number of small idependent corps proved difficult to administer, and by 1861, most had been formed into battalion sized units either by ' consolidation ' increasing an existing corps to battalion size ( usually in large urban areas ) or by forming administrative battalions or brigades by the grouping of smaller corps ( in rural areas). An official book of Drill and Rifle instructions for the Corps of Rifle Volunteers and Volunteer Regulations were published in 1859 and 1861 respectively.
In 1862, a royal commission chaired by Viscount Eversley was appointed ' to inquire into the condition of the volunteer force in Great Britain and into the probability of its continuance at its existing strength' according to the report, as of 1st April 1862, the Volunteer Force had a strength of 162, 681 men consisting of :
662 Light Horse
24,363 Artillery
2,904 Engineers
656 Mounted Rifles
134,096 volunteers, of whom 48,796 were in 86 consolidated Battalions and 75,535 in 134 administrative Battalions.
24,363 Artillery
2,904 Engineers
656 Mounted Rifles
134,096 volunteers, of whom 48,796 were in 86 consolidated Battalions and 75,535 in 134 administrative Battalions.
history of the Liverpool irish 1860-1914
Poverty and famine had driven many Irish to Liverpool, whether as settlers or transmigrants. By 1851, it was estimated that 22.3 percent ( 83,813 ) of the city's populace was Irish-born. The volunteer movement galvanised the populace of Lancashire, which organised corps of varying sizes; the most senior being the 1st Lancashire
( Liverpool ) Rifle Volunteer Corps, formed by Captain Nathaniel Bousfield in June 1859. An advertisement published in the Liverpool Daily Post on 5th December 1859 appealed to interested parties within Liverpool's Irish community to assemble at the London, Clayton Square. Those who attended the meeting determined an Irish Corps would be viable. By January, the corps had quickly developed into a coherent body and arranged its first drill at the Concert Hall, Lord Nelson Street. Shortly after its official constitution on 25th April, the 64th Corps, for a brief period, became incorporated into the 2nd Administrative Battalion, formed to organise other volunteer units in the county. The " Liverpool Irish " designation was formally granted to the corps in 1864.
James Gunning Plunkett, a youg Lieutenant in the 5th Regiment of the Royal Lancashire Militia, became the corps first commanding officer when appointed Captain-Commandant in 1860. He resigned in 1861 and was succeeded by Captain Peter Silvester Bidwell ( or Bidwell ) who attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1863 and held command for almost 23 years. A Catholic importer of corn and Liberal, Bidwill and the corps were subject to accusations of Irish Republican sympathy and even provision of military training to nationalists. Conversely Bidwill, was an avowed opponent of home rule in Ireland and refuted the accusations expressed during his tenure of command. Some members were indeed aligned with the movement and associated with the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In his autobiography " The Life Story of an Old Rebel " nationalist John Denvir claimed volunteers from Ireland had insisted they joined the 64th with the intent of learning and perfecting themselves in the use of arms. Nevertheless, nationalist organisations based in Liverpool endeavoured to discourage prospective volunteers and condemned those who joined the corps.
Under the localisation scheme implemented during the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, the Liverpool Irish became the 5th ( Irish ) Volunteer Battalion of the King's ( Liverpool Regiment ). During the second Boer War, instead of being mobilised intact, the Battalion provided drafts for the Imperial Yeomanry and King's, and had a service company of 204 volunteers attached to the 1st Royal Irish Regiment. After some ten months in South Africa, the service company returned to Britain in November 1900, having fought at Belfast, Bethleham, Klip Flat Drift, Lyndenburg, Sand River Drift, and Slabbert's Nek.
THE BATTLE OF BERGENDAL: Also known as the Battle of Belfast, was the last set-piece battle of the Second Anglo-Boer War. It lasted from the 21st to 27th August 1900 and took place on the farm Bergandal, near the town of Belfast. The 5,000 Boers were under the command of General Louis Botha and the 20,000 British Empire forces led by General Sir Redvers Buller.
Advancing from the direction of Pretoria, the main aim of Buller's force were to occupy the temporary South African Republic ( ZAR ) government seat of Machadodorp. Their line of advance would lead right across the farm Bergendal where the ZARPs members of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republic Politie or South African Republic Police-were positioned. There were several other clashes during the battle, but its climax occured on 27th August, when 74 men of the Johannesburg section of the ZARPs faced an attack on foot by 1,500 men of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Devon Regiment and Gordon Highlanders after a heavy bombardment. despite a tenacious defence by the ZARPs of the 'Kopje ' ( Knoll ) where they had dug in, they were eventually defeated
( Liverpool ) Rifle Volunteer Corps, formed by Captain Nathaniel Bousfield in June 1859. An advertisement published in the Liverpool Daily Post on 5th December 1859 appealed to interested parties within Liverpool's Irish community to assemble at the London, Clayton Square. Those who attended the meeting determined an Irish Corps would be viable. By January, the corps had quickly developed into a coherent body and arranged its first drill at the Concert Hall, Lord Nelson Street. Shortly after its official constitution on 25th April, the 64th Corps, for a brief period, became incorporated into the 2nd Administrative Battalion, formed to organise other volunteer units in the county. The " Liverpool Irish " designation was formally granted to the corps in 1864.
James Gunning Plunkett, a youg Lieutenant in the 5th Regiment of the Royal Lancashire Militia, became the corps first commanding officer when appointed Captain-Commandant in 1860. He resigned in 1861 and was succeeded by Captain Peter Silvester Bidwell ( or Bidwell ) who attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1863 and held command for almost 23 years. A Catholic importer of corn and Liberal, Bidwill and the corps were subject to accusations of Irish Republican sympathy and even provision of military training to nationalists. Conversely Bidwill, was an avowed opponent of home rule in Ireland and refuted the accusations expressed during his tenure of command. Some members were indeed aligned with the movement and associated with the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In his autobiography " The Life Story of an Old Rebel " nationalist John Denvir claimed volunteers from Ireland had insisted they joined the 64th with the intent of learning and perfecting themselves in the use of arms. Nevertheless, nationalist organisations based in Liverpool endeavoured to discourage prospective volunteers and condemned those who joined the corps.
Under the localisation scheme implemented during the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, the Liverpool Irish became the 5th ( Irish ) Volunteer Battalion of the King's ( Liverpool Regiment ). During the second Boer War, instead of being mobilised intact, the Battalion provided drafts for the Imperial Yeomanry and King's, and had a service company of 204 volunteers attached to the 1st Royal Irish Regiment. After some ten months in South Africa, the service company returned to Britain in November 1900, having fought at Belfast, Bethleham, Klip Flat Drift, Lyndenburg, Sand River Drift, and Slabbert's Nek.
THE BATTLE OF BERGENDAL: Also known as the Battle of Belfast, was the last set-piece battle of the Second Anglo-Boer War. It lasted from the 21st to 27th August 1900 and took place on the farm Bergandal, near the town of Belfast. The 5,000 Boers were under the command of General Louis Botha and the 20,000 British Empire forces led by General Sir Redvers Buller.
Advancing from the direction of Pretoria, the main aim of Buller's force were to occupy the temporary South African Republic ( ZAR ) government seat of Machadodorp. Their line of advance would lead right across the farm Bergendal where the ZARPs members of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republic Politie or South African Republic Police-were positioned. There were several other clashes during the battle, but its climax occured on 27th August, when 74 men of the Johannesburg section of the ZARPs faced an attack on foot by 1,500 men of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Devon Regiment and Gordon Highlanders after a heavy bombardment. despite a tenacious defence by the ZARPs of the 'Kopje ' ( Knoll ) where they had dug in, they were eventually defeated
British Infantry on the march in South Africa
Twenty of the ZARPs force had been killed and nineteen ( including their leader, Commandant Oosthuizen ) were taken prisoner. The rest of the ZARPs force escaped and joined the other retreating Boer Commandos.
As a result of this defeat, the Boer line of defence was breached and on the 28th August Buller's troops marched into Machadodorp. The ZARP government, meanwhile had decamped to Nelspruit. A few days later, on 1st September, Lord Roberts ( an Irishman ) proclaimed the entire Transvaal British territory.
However, the capture of Machadodorp and Robert's proclamation did not end the war. Although the British had won the battle Botha's main force had managed to stay intact. The Boer Commandos subsequently dispersed to Lydenburg and Barberton and the next phase of the war - guerrilla - warfare - started. This second phase would last even longer than the first phase and peace would only be declared at the end of May 1902.
On returning to Liverpool the company marched to St George's Hall to be greeted by the Lord Mayor and relatives. The contribution by the Liverpool Irish was recognised with a single battle honour......
" South Africa 1900-02 "
As a result of this defeat, the Boer line of defence was breached and on the 28th August Buller's troops marched into Machadodorp. The ZARP government, meanwhile had decamped to Nelspruit. A few days later, on 1st September, Lord Roberts ( an Irishman ) proclaimed the entire Transvaal British territory.
However, the capture of Machadodorp and Robert's proclamation did not end the war. Although the British had won the battle Botha's main force had managed to stay intact. The Boer Commandos subsequently dispersed to Lydenburg and Barberton and the next phase of the war - guerrilla - warfare - started. This second phase would last even longer than the first phase and peace would only be declared at the end of May 1902.
On returning to Liverpool the company marched to St George's Hall to be greeted by the Lord Mayor and relatives. The contribution by the Liverpool Irish was recognised with a single battle honour......
" South Africa 1900-02 "
