Bolton Rifles


The Bolton Rifles, later the 5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 until 1967. It served on the Western Front during the First World War, and in the Far East during the Second World War, when one battalion was captured at the Fall of Singapore.

Volunteer Force

The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. One such unit was the 3rd Sub-Division of Lancashire Rifle Volunteers formed at Bolton, Lancashire, on 2 December 1859 following meetings at Little Bolton Town Hall on 13 July and 15 November. Generally known locally as The Bolton Rifles, it was named the 27th Lancashire RVC in February 1860, by which time it consisted of four companies commanded by Major William Gray, MP with a headquarters at a rented house in Crook Street. It had increased to six companies headquartered in Bridge Street by 1861, when Gray was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and eight by 1863, headquartered at the old workhouse in Fletcher Street. The smaller 82nd Lancashire RVC was attached to it. The Bolton Rifles' uniform was originally light grey with green facings and a grey cap, later changing to scarlet with green facings and regulation spiked helmet.
Under the scheme of 'localisation' introduced by the Cardwell Reforms, Regular infantry battalions became linked in pairs assigned to particular counties or localities, and the county Militia and Volunteers were affiliated to them. From 1873 the 27th Lancashire RVC, with the attached 82nd, was assigned to 'Sub-District No 12', headquartered in Preston and brigaded with the 47th Foot, the 81st Foot, the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia, and the 6th Administrative Battalion of Lancashire RVCs at Preston. In 1876 it fully absorbed the 82nd Lancashire RVC.
The 27th was renumbered as the 14th Lancashire RVC in 1880, and in 1883 it became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment formed from the 47th and 81st Foot and 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia under the Childers Reforms. At the same time it absorbed L and M Companies from the 1st VB of the Manchester Regiment; these had originally been the 76th Lancashire RVC. The new battalion adopted the scarlet uniform with white facings of the Loyals.
The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 introduced a Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training. The Volunteer Battalions of the Loyals were assigned to the Mersey Brigade, which was later split up and the Loyals reassigned to the Northern Counties Brigade based in Preston. In 1902 this was also split, the Loyals staying with the new North East Lancashire Brigade based in Preston. Finally, in 1906 the brigade was entitled the North Lancashire Brigade and two battalions of the King's Own were brigaded with the Loyals.
During the Second Boer War the battalion formed a service company of six officers and 172 volunteers to serve alongside the Regulars, earning the Battle honour South Africa 1900–1902.

Territorial Force

When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the battalion became the 5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment:
  • HQ at Bolton
  • A, B, C & E Companies at Bolton
  • D Company at Farnworth
  • F Company at Astley Bridge
  • H Company at Little Hulton
The North Lancashire Brigade now formed part of the West Lancashire Division of the TF.

World War I

Mobilisation

Annual training for the West Lancashire Division had just begun at Kirkby Lonsdale when war was declared on 4 August 1914, and all units at once returned to their headquarters for mobilisation. On 10 August the TF was invited to volunteer for Overseas Service and all the units of the West Lancashire Division did so. Following this the War Office issued instructions on 15 August to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas.
The 2/5th Bn Loyals was formed at Bolton in October 1914 and became part of the 2/1st North Lancashire Bde in the 2nd West Lancashire Division. A 3/5th Bn was raised in 1915 to provide drafts to the other battalions when they were serving overseas and the Loyals even formed a 4/5th Bn, which served on the Western Front.

1/5th Loyals

The 1/5th Bn mobilised in Bolton and moved to Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire, where it guarded the railway line from Wootton Bassett to Avonmouth Docks. In November it moved to Sevenoaks in Kent and prepared for overseas service.

6th Division

Many units from the West Lancashire Division went to France to provide reinforcements for the British Expeditionary Force, and the 1/5th Loyals was one of these, disembarking at Le Havre on 13 February 1915. Two days later it joined the Regulars of the 16th Brigade in 6th Division at Armentières. Parties went into the line on 22 February for instruction by experienced units, and the battalion suffered its first casualties on 27 February.
In mid-March 16 Brigade moved north to the Ypres Salient but 1/5th Loyals remained in the Armentières sector, temporarily attached to 17th Brigade and taking turns in holding the line. At the beginning of June the remainder of 6th Division moved to Ypres, where the casualties suffered in line-holding rose.

50th Division

But on 11 June 1916 the 1/5th Loyals left 6th Division and moved to Vlamertinge, where it joined 151st Brigade in 50th Division. It was held in reserve at Hooge for the second British attack on Bellewaarde of 16 June. During the night of 16/17 June the battalion was ordered up to Sanctuary Wood to reinforce 5th Bn Border Regiment of 149th Brigade, although it was not heavily engaged.
1/5th Loyals remained with 50th Division holding trenches in the Ypres area until November 1915, when it was sent for training. It temporarily joined 26th Bde in 9th Division on 21 December 1915.

55th Division

At the beginning of 1916 the West Lancashire Division was reformed in France as the 55th Division and the 1/5th Loyals returned to it on 8 January 1916 at Hallencourt near Abbeville, joining the 166th. In February the division relieved a French division in the line south of Arras. During the early summer the division carried out a number of trench raids to divert attention from the Somme sector where a great offensive was being prepared.

Guillemont

On 25 July the 55th Division was relieved and travelled south to join in the Somme offensive. It moved into the line opposite Guillemont on 30 July and prepared to attack on 8 August. 164th Brigade made the initial attack, and 1/5th Loyals moved out early on to support it. B and C Companies were sent on to occupy trenches running north between the Trones–Guillemont road and Railway Support Trench, C Company then continuing to join 1/8th Bn King's Liverpool Regiment in the front line. Soon afterwards A and D Companies were ordered up to join 2/5th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. However, the attack had failed with heavy casualties and the division was ordered to repeat it the following day. This time 1/5th Loyals and the 1/10th King's Liverpool were to lead. There was no preliminary bombardment, only a short covering barrage beginning at 04:20. The Liverpool Scottish followed this barrage closely and got as far as the enemy wire, which was uncut. But because of the late arrival of the orders and the crowded trenches on the way up, the 1/5th Loyals could not get into position until after 05:00, long after the barrage had ended. Nevertheless, the battalion 'made a most gallant assault' at 05:25; unable to reach the enemy trenches they were forced back to their starting point. Every officer with the right hand companies became a casualty. Battalion losses totalled 33 killed, 85 wounded and 20 missing.
During August the battalion received a draft of reinforcements and returned to the line on 5 September, but it took no direct part in the division's battles of that month except to hold reserve trenches. At the end of the month the division moved to the Ypres area, where the battalion occupied a reserve line on the Yser Canal, suffering numerous casualties from artillery fire. Thereafter it took its turns in holding the front line, the only notable action being a large raid carried out in January 1917, which was only partially successful and resulted in heavy losses in proportion to the numbers engaged: 8 killed, 50 wounded and 2 missing from a party of 144.

Pilckem Ridge

The battalion remained in the Salient during the early months of 1917, carrying out diversionary activities during the Battle of Messines. 55th Division was then involved on the opening day of the Third Ypres Offensive.
The 55th Division attacked with 166th Bde on the left, 1/5th Loyals and 1/5th King's Own leading. At 05:30 the battalion went 'over the top', attacked the opposing German trench on a frontage of 350 yards and penetrated 400 yards into the German position. The First and Second Objectives were taken, and 164th Bde passed through to take the third objective, the Gheluvelt–Langemarck Line. The Germans counter-attacked at 14:35 once the protective artillery barrage had ended and before the line could be consolidated. The division was forced to fall back to the second objective, where it established a strong position. Casualties among 1/5th Loyals up to the time it was relieved amounted to 158 all ranks killed, wounded and missing. The division was withdrawn for rest and retraining at St Omer.