WAR HISTORY OF THE FIRST BATTALION QUEEN’S WESTMINSTER RIFLES. 1914-1918

With the formation of the Territorials in 1908 the Westminsters became 16th (County of London) Battalion, London Regt (Queen’s Westminster Rifles). It was in the 2nd London Division at the outbreak of war, but left the division and landed in France on 3 Nov 1914; shortly after it was posted to 18th Brigade, 6th Division (regular) till Feb 1916 when it joined 169th Brigade of the 56th (1st London) Division which was then re-forming in France, and with which it remained to the end of the war.
For the first six months the battalion was in the Armentieres sector before moving up to the Salient at the end of May 1915. The next eight months were spent in the Ypres Salient during which time they occupied practically every portion of the northern half from the Ypres-Roulers railway to about a mile NW of Wieltje, as clearly shown on an excellent, accompanying map. Then it was down to the Somme front where, with 48th, their division took part in the disastrous attack on Gommecourt on 1 July which, according to the battalion history, cost them 600 casualties out of the 750 who went into action. Subsequently they were in action in other Somme battles, in the Arras offensive of 1917, in Third Ypres, at Cambrai, Canal du Nord and the advance to Victory. In fact they had a very full war. The battalion was awarded 24 battle honours and the roll of honour lists 1,219 dead of all ranks. As a single-battalion history this contains plenty of detail and the supporting maps are excellent in their clarity and the amount of tactical detail. Most useful is the appendix containing an itinerary showing battalion locations and periods spent in the line. There is a list of honours and awards and a list of all the officers who served with the battalion overseas. The author was the battalion 2IC, who embarked with it in November 1914 as a company commander.