HISTORY of the OLD 2/4th (CITY OF LONDON) BATTALION THE LONDON REGIMENT ROYAL FUSILIERS

This second line TF battalion was formed in September 1914 on the departure of the first line battalion, 1/4th, for Malta. In the last week of December 1914 the 2/4th battalion sailed for Malta where it relieved 1/4th which went to France. The battalion served on Malta till August 1915 when it moved to Alexandria, and shortly after (October 1915) headed for Mudros and then Gallipoli where it arrived in October 1915. In January 1916 it left Gallipoli and made its way to Rouen, via Alexandria, and there, in June 1916, the battalion was disbanded. At this point the third line battalion (3/4th), which had been raised in January 1915 and was still in England, was re-designated 2/4th, under which title it went to France in January 1917. In effect, then, the 2/4th lived on but to emphasize the fact that this history is concerned only with the original battalion the book title refers to the ‘Old 2/4th.’
This history is narrated in diary form with entries for nearly every day from 23 September 1914 till disbandment at Rouen and every conceivable event affecting the battalion is included – social and military. Thus: ‘September 14th 1915. The Regimental band played at the Greek Hospital at 4 p.m.’
Casualties, arrivals, departures, ration scales, extracts from orders, periods in the front line, contents of gift parcels, even observations of bird life on Gallipoli – all feature. There is no Roll of Honour nor list of Honours and Awards, all these are noted in the text and the last ninety pages contain the service records of every officer and man of the battalion where such information can be found, including details of any wounds received. This is a boon to medallists and genealogists. For some reason L/Cpl Stotter, wounded on Gallipoli, appears among the other ranks as a Lieut in the records of service, obviously a slip-up. And the unfortunate Pte Bonnett, wounded at the same time, does not feature in the record of service pages, at least not under that name.