Somerset Light Infantry .28Prince Albert.27s.29 Somerset Light Infantry

1 somerset light infantry (prince albert s)

1.1 second world war

1.1.1 regular army
1.1.2 territorial army
1.1.3 hostilities-only


1.2 post war amalgamation

somerset light infantry (prince albert s)
second world war

altogether, somerset light infantry raised 11 battalions service during second world war, 6 of saw service overseas. in addition regular army 1st , 2nd battalions, existing 4th , 5th territorial army battalions both formed 2nd line duplicate units in 1939 prior war being declared: 6th , 7th battalions, both part of 45th (wessex) division on outbreak of war. 8th (home defence) battalion, formed in 1939, renumbered 30th battalion in 1941. 9th, 10th, 11th (holding) , 50th (holding) battalions formed in 1940, although latter 2 had ceased exist end of year.

regular army

the 1st battalion, somerset light infantry, commanded lieutenant colonel john harding, stationed in british india @ outbreak of war , remain in far east throughout conflict. battalion fought in burma campaign 114th indian infantry brigade part of 7th indian infantry division, part of british fourteenth army, led bill slim. john waddy served battalion in stages of war.

the 2nd battalion serving 2nd gibraltar brigade part of garrison there, upon outbreak of war in 1939. on 1 december 1943 brigade redesignated 28th infantry brigade, included 2nd king s regiment (liverpool) , 1st argyll , sutherland highlanders (later 2/4th royal hampshire regiment). on 24 december brigade became attached british 4th infantry division. 2nd somersets, rest of division, arrived in italy in march 1944 , served in italian campaign part of british eighth army in many battles such of monte cassino, 1 of worst battles of italian campaign, in 1944, played important role alongside 2nd king s , fought in operation diadem , on gothic line august–september 1944. in november 4th division, rest of iii corps, sent greece calm greek civil war, caused after german army withdrew country.

territorial army

the regiment had 4 territorial battalions, although 2 serve overseas. throughout war 4th battalion, somerset light infantry serving 129th brigade, alongside 4th , 5th wiltshire regiment, part of 43rd (wessex) infantry division, , spent of existence in united kingdom in kent under xii corps of southern command.

the 7th battalion, had been created on 24 august 1939 2nd line duplicate of 5th, serving alongside both 5th , 6th battalions in 135th brigade, of 45th division. on 11 september 1942 battalion transferred 214th infantry brigade, included 5th duke of cornwall s light infantry , 9th somersets (later replaced 1st worcestershire regiment).

both 4th , 7th battalions served in north west europe campaign after normandy landings on 6 june 1944, d-day. division fought in battle of normandy, particularly during battle caen in operation epsom in late june, @ battle hill 112 (operation jupiter). during battle 4th somersets, out of strength of 845, suffered 556 casualties, , between 26 june , 14 july 4th sli received 19 reinforcement officers , 479 ors replacements. battalion became involved in trench warfare similar of great war. later played large part in disastrous operation market garden. later played small role in battle of bulge , took part in operation plunder, crossing of river rhine allies.

hostilities-only

the other battalion see active service 10th battalion, raised in 1940, converted in 1942 7th parachute battalion, , part of parachute regiment, part of british army s airborne forces. assigned 3rd parachute brigade, part of 1st airborne division, later assigned newly-raised 5th parachute brigade, part of 6th airborne division had been raised. 7th parachute battalion see first combat during operation tonga, british airborne landings in normandy, night before june 6, 1944, d-day. go on serve throughout battle of normandy normal infantrymen, battalion played part in battle of bulge in december 1944 , again in operation varsity in march 1945, largest airborne drop of war, including both 6th airborne , 17th airborne division, on 16,000 airborne troops being involved.

the sli had responsibility defending local airfields, including rnas charlton horethorne, prepared trenches, hardpoints , machine gun positions.

the 30th battalion, of 43rd infantry brigade, formed part of british first army, , served in tunisia , italy.

post war amalgamation

allan francis john harding, 1st baron harding of petherton. colonel of somerset light infantry 1953–1959.



lieutenant david mcmurtrie s jungle service dress of 1st battalion somerset light infantry used in malayan emergency.

the 1st battalion last british infantry battalion leave india after independence, departing on 28 february 1948. during final ceremony, battalion marched through bombay (now mumbai) , received guard of honour newly formed indian army @ gateway of india. 2nd battalion ended war in greece, subsequently forming part of allied occupation force of austria. 2 regular battalions returned united kingdom amalgamated single 1st battalion on 28 june 1948 - part of general reduction in size of infantry following indian independence.

the reconstituted 1st battalion stationed in germany part of british army of rhine 1951–1953. 1952–1955, formed part of british forces fighting in malayan emergency, took part in jungle warfare. in final years, battalion involved in number of conflicts: anti-tank platoon formed part of anglo-french force intervened in suez crisis of 1956. majority of battalion in cyprus, nationalist uprising against british rule had broken out. in 1957, returned germany.

in 1947, territorial army reconstituted , 4th , 6th battalion reformed infantry battalions; 5th battalion reformed unit of royal artillery. 3 years later, 4th battalion absorbed 2 other units.