[Sidenote: =Formation.=]
The London Rifle Brigade, formerly the 1st London Volunteer Rifle Corps
(City of London Rifle Volunteer Brigade), and now, officially, the 5th
(City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment, London Rifle Brigade,
familiarly known to its members and the public generally by the
sub-title or the abbreviation "L.R.B.," was founded July 23rd, 1859, at
a meeting convened by the Lord Mayor. It has always been intimately
associated with the City of London, its companies being under the
patronage of the various Wards.
Within a week of its formation the muster of the Regiment exceeded
1,800; two battalions were formed and headquarters were taken at No. 8,
Great Winchester Street, where they remained for 34 years, and
subsequently in Finsbury Pavement.
In 1893 the Regiment entered its present headquarters in Bunhill Row.
These were designed by the late Lieut.-Colonel Boyes, erected entirely
from regimental funds, supplemented by contributions from members of the
Brigade, from various City Companies and other friends of the Regiment,
and constitute the finest building of its kind in London.
Since the formation of the Territorial Force these headquarters have
been shared with the Post Office Rifles.
[Sidenote: =Honorary Colonel.=]
Mr. Alderman Carter was at first appointed Honorary Colonel, but in 1860
it was suggested that a military Honorary Colonel would be more
appropriate than a civilian one, and Mr. Carter (then Lord Mayor)
approached H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, who, in response to the
unanimous wish of the Regiment, accepted the appointment, which he held
until his death in 1904. During this period he rarely missed attending
the annual inspection.
[Sidenote: =Commanding Officers.=]
In 1862 a resolution was passed at a meeting "that Regimental Commanding
Officers should now and always be Officers of professional experience
and ability." This tradition has been departed from on only two
occasions prior to the war, as shown in the list given on the following
page.
NAME. FROM. TO.
G. M. Hicks (late 41st Regiment) 30/12/59 January, 1862.
G. Warde (late 51st Regiment) February, 1862 Early, 1876.
Sir A. D. Hayter, Bt. (late Early, 1876 1881.
Grenadier Guards)
W. H. Haywood (Ex London Rifle 1881 1882.
Brigade)
Lord Edward Pelham-Clinton June, 1882 1890.
(late Rifle Brigade)
H. C. Cholmondeley (late Rifle 1890 February, 1901.
Brigade)
Edward Matthey (Ex London Rifle February, 1901 4/6/01.
Brigade)
Lord Bingham (late Rifle Brigade) June, 1901 1913.
Earl Cairns (late Rifle Brigade) 1913 1915.
Norman C. King (Ex London Rifle 1915
Brigade)
_1st Battalion._
Earl Cairns 4/8/14 16/3/15.
A. S. Bates (Ex London Rifle 16/3/15 15/8/16.
Brigade)
R. H. Husey (Ex London Rifle 15/8/16
Brigade)
_2nd Battalion._
G. R. Tod (late Seaforth September, 1914
Highlanders)
_3rd Battalion._
H. C. Cholmondeley 30/11/14 1915.
Norman C. King 4/6/15
[Sidenote: =South African War.=]
Colonel Cholmondeley was appointed to command the Mounted Infantry
Section of the C.I.V., to which regiment the London Rifle Brigade
contributed 2 officers (Captain C. G. R. Matthey and Lieutenant the Hon.
Schomberg K. McDonnell) and 78 other ranks.
When the Volunteer Active Service Companies were raised, 17 members were
accepted for service with the Royal Fusiliers, and an additional 76
joined the Imperial Yeomanry and R.A.M.C.
The total death roll of the Regiment was seven.
Colonel Cholmondeley, Lieutenant E. D. Johnson (Imperial Yeomanry), and
Colour-Sergeant T. G. Beeton (C.I.V. Infantry) were mentioned in
despatches.
[Sidenote: =Honours.=]
Colonel Cholmondeley received the C.B. for his services in South Africa,
and Lieutenant the Hon. Rupert Guinness was made a C.M.G. for his work
with the Irish Hospital.
When the Coronation honours were announced in 1902, Colonel Edward
Matthey, V.D., received the C.B., a fitting award for his long services
to the Volunteer Force. Before joining the L.R.B. in 1873 as a private
he had already been 13 years in the Victoria Rifles. He retired in 1901,
having served in every rank. His interest in the Regiment has been, and
still is, without limit.
_To face page 4._
[Illustration: THE CONVENT.
_8th to 16th November, 1914._]
The work he has done for its welfare, while still serving, and since
retirement, cannot be chronicled here, but, when the full history of the
Regiment is written, Colonel Matthey's name will be found writ large on
its pages.
_To face page 5._
[Illustration: PLOEGSTEERT.
_The Brewery--The Battalion's First Bath house._]
[Sidenote: =Battle Honours.=]
In January, 1905, the Regiment was given the right to bear upon its
"Colours and appointments" the words "South Africa, 1900-1902."
[Sidenote: =Shooting.=]
The London Rifle Brigade has always been distinguished as a shooting
regiment. In the very first year of its existence its co-operation was
sought in connection with the formation of the National Rifle
Association. In 1907 it had no less than a dozen International marksmen
in its ranks.
The earliest notable individual success was that of Private J. Wyatt,
who won the Queen's Prize in 1864.
On two more occasions has the Blue Riband of the shooting world been won
by members of the Regiment--in 1902 by Lieutenant E. D. Johnson, and in
1909 by Corporal H. G. Burr.
Regimental teams have been very successful both at the National Rifle
Association and the London district meetings. At the latter the "Daily
Telegraph" Cup was won two years in succession (1897 and 1898).
[Sidenote: =School of Arms.=]
This was second to none in the Territorial Force. Its Annual
Assault-at-Arms provided as stirring a spectacle as could be witnessed
anywhere. For many years past the Brigade achieved notable successes at
the Royal Military Tournament and in the competitions of the
Metropolitan Territorial School of Arms Association.
[Sidenote: =Athletics.=]
The Battalion always took part in the various contests between the
Territorial Regiments with considerable success. The most notable of
late were the following:--The "Marathon" Race in the Territorial
Championship of the London District, 1913, when Captain Husey and the
London Rifle Brigade team won it in the record time of 1 hr. 33 min. 37
sec.; the distance was 12 miles, from Ewell to Stamford Bridge. The
national contest at Newport did not produce such a good time, the London
Rifle Brigade team winning it in 1 hr. 48 min. 14 sec.
The march to Brighton of 52 1/2 miles for a team of sixty of all ranks, in
full marching order, was accomplished in 1914 by a London Rifle Brigade
team, under Captain Husey and Lieutenant Large, in the record time of 14
hrs. 23 min. The war has not given any other battalion a chance to lower
the latter record, and it will assuredly take "some doing."