Thread: Military Awards
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Old 30-07-2014, 05:30 PM
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Coquet Coquet is offline
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One of the books I use for sorting out the transitions between the old Volunteer Force and the new Territorial Force (1908 on) is Ray Westlake's "The Territorial Battalions, A Pictorial History 1859-1985"

But he's not clear on this one. In the Northumberland Fusiliers part of the book he states:

Quote:
8th Battalion
An 8th (Cyclist) Battalion was intended for the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1908, but this unit shortly after formation became the Northern Cyclist Battalion. The next 8th Bn. a motor-cycle battalion, was formed in 1939 as a duplicate unit of the 4th Battalion. In April 1941, it became 3rd Battalion Reconnaissance Corps. and Later 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment. Royal Armoured Corps. The battalion returned to the Northumberland's in 1946 and was disbanded in the following year.
Which is wrong for a start as we know there was an 8th Battalion in Kitchener's Army during WW1.

Then, in a separate section on the "Cyclists" he says:


Quote:
The Northern Cyclist Battalion
Formed in 1908 at Sunderland as the 8th (Cyclist) Battalion. Northumberland Fusiliers. the battalion became the Northern Cyclist Battalion in 1910 and served as three battalions throughout the UK during the First World War. The battalion was re-formed in 1920 as 3rd (later 55th) Medium Brigade. Royal Garrison Artillery.
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