29 Facts About Territorial Force

Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription.

The Territorial Force was designed to reinforce the regular army in expeditionary operations abroad, but because of political opposition it was assigned to home defence.

Territorial Force units were initially deployed overseas to free up regular units from non-combat duties.

Territorial Force divisions began participating in offensive operations on the Western Front from June 1915 and at Gallipoli later that year.

The Territorial Force was further eroded as a separate institution when County Territorial Associations were relieved of most of their administrative responsibilities.

Related searches

Battalions of the militia and Volunteer Territorial Force had been linked with regular army regiments since 1872, and the militia was often used as a source of recruitment into the regular army.

Territorial Force's solution was the Territorial Force, financed, trained and commanded centrally by the War Office and raised, supplied and administered by local County Territorial Associations.

Territorial Force was established on 1 April 1908 by the amalgamation of the Volunteer Force and the yeomanry.

The Volunteer Force battalions became the infantry component of the Territorial Force and were more closely integrated into regular army regimental establishments they had previously been linked to; for example, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Battalions of the regular army's Gloucestershire Regiment became the regiment's 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions.

County Territorial Force Associations emphasised pride in a local territorial identity in their efforts to recruit new members, and used imagery of local scenes under attack to encourage enlistment.

Territorial Force officers were predominantly middle class, meaning that in some units there was little to separate officers from other ranks in terms of social status.

Territorial Force officers were regarded as social inferiors by the regular army's more privileged officer corps.

In 1908 and 1914, it was decided that two of the army's six expeditionary divisions should be retained in the UK for home defence, so ineffective was the Territorial Force perceived to be in the role to which it had been assigned.

In 1910, Lord Esher, pro-conscription chairman of the London County Territorial Force Association, wrote in the National Review that the country would have to choose between an under-strength voluntary auxiliary and compulsory service.

Territorial Force failed to retain large numbers of men after their initial enlistment expired, and it consistently fell short of its established strength.

Territorial Force feared that the County Territorial Associations would be unable to cope with the task of recruiting and training large numbers.

Territorial Force believed that because so few territorials had thus far volunteered for foreign service, the Territorial Force was better suited for home defence than as a means of expanding the army overseas.

The remainder of the Territorial Force was mobilised on the evening of 4 August 1914, and war stations were quickly occupied by those units with bases located nearby.

Territorial Force battalions released regular troops stationed at Aden, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Malta.

The Territorial Force competed with the New Army for recruits, and the War Office prioritised the latter for training and equipment.

Territorial Force battalions were initially allocated to line-of-communication duties for up to three weeks before being assigned to regular army brigades.

Nevertheless, the reshuffle indicated that the Territorial Force had exceeded the expectations of the military authorities, and the territorials' time with the regulars generally resulted in a strong camaraderie and mutual respect between the two.

Territorial Force's comments failed to recognise the difficulties the two divisions had faced with the loss of many of their trained men transferred to other units before their arrival at Gallipoli.

The ranks had been filled by men who, at least until direct voluntary recruitment into the Territorial Force ceased in December 1915, had chosen the force in preference to the new or regular armies.

County Territorial Force Associations experienced a steady erosion of responsibilities as the war progressed.

Related searches

Between August 1914 and December 1915, the Territorial Force had attracted nearly 726,000 recruits, approximately half the number that had volunteered for the New Army over the same period.

Demobilisation of the Territorial Force commenced in December 1918, and the debate about its reconstitution was begun.

The only purpose military authorities could find for the Territorial Force was the provision of drafts to reinforce the army in medium-scale conflicts within the empire.

Territorial Force was officially reconstituted in 1921 by the Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921 and renamed in October as the Territorial Army.