WAR HISTORY OF THE 4TH BATTALION THE LONDON REGIMENT (ROYAL FUSILIERS). 1914-1919

At the beginning of the war the 4th Londons were part of the 1st London Brigade, 1st London Division. The brigade’s task on mobilization was guarding the railway between Waterloo and Southampton. However, within a month of the declaration of war the brigade was despatched to Malta to replace the regular battalions called back to the UK. In January 1915 the battalion left Malta for France where it joined the Ferozepore Brigade of the 3rd Indian (Lahore) Division with which it fought its first major action, at Neuve Chapelle in March. The Indian Corps left France in December 1915 and in February the following year the battalion joined 168th Brigade in the reformed 1st London Division (now numbered 56th) with which it remained, on the Western Front, for the rest of the war. In September 1914 the second line battalion, 2/4th, was formed (the original 4th Battalion now became 1/4th) and in December it went to Malta to relieve 1/4th which was going to France. After eight months the battalion sailed to Alexandria and from there it went to Gallipoli (October 1915) where it was attached to the RN Division. The battalion left Gallipoli in January 1916 and went back to Egypt for four months before moving to France (Rouen) where it was disbanded in June 1916. The third line battalion, 3/4th, had been formed in January 1915 and when 2/4th was disbanded, 3/4th was redesignated 2/4th and under that title landed in France in January 1917 with 173rd Brigade, 58th Division. The battalion fought with that division till September 1918 when it was broken up and personnel transferred to the 2/2nd Battalion. Finally there was a fourth line battalion, 4/4th, which remained in UK as a drafting unit for the overseas battalions.
This is a good, solid history which describes very well the doings of the active service battalions with plenty of detaiI. It follows the progress of the war from mobilization to armistice with each chapter covering a specific period and a specific battalion, clearly indicated in the contents list. Thus Chapter IV is the 1/4th in the Second Battle of Ypres, Chapter VII is The 2/4th in Malta, Gallipoli and Egypt. and so on. There is no Roll of Honour though there is a list of Honours and Awards, including foreign decorations, as well as a list of officers and men of other regiments who won their awards serving with the 4th Londons..