Our COLLECTIONS

Infantry Regiment Lancashire - UK

ref. EK Castings Figurki WW1-2

a class="style6" href="http://www.ekcastings.com/rus/catalog.php?detail=399">Soldier Infantry Regiment. United Kingdom, 1914-18.
XX Regiment of the Lancashire Riflemen was founded in 1688 and by the beginning of the First World War managed to take part in all the important wars and conflicts of the British Empire - the Vilamite War and the War of the Spanish Succession, the Seven Years War, the War of Independence of the American Colonies, the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimea, Anglo-Boer War and many more where else. The soldiers of the regiment fought and died in Ireland, France, Holland, Portugal, Canada, in the Crimea, South Africa, India.
The fact is not particularly relevant to the subject, but worthy of mention - from June to October 1916 in the ranks of the regiment served 2nd lieutenant John Ronald Ruel Tolkien - the future author of the famous trilogy "The Lord of the Rings".
At the beginning of the Great War, the 1st Battalion was based in Karachi (modern Pakistan), arrived in the United Kingdom in January 1915, and in April of the same year landed at Cape Gelles in Gallipoli as part of the Dardanelles Allied Operation. For the unprecedented courage and valor shown during the landing of troops on April 25, 1915, six servicemen of the battalion were immediately presented to the Victoria Cross - the highest military award of the British Empire (the famous "Six Before Breakfast"), an unprecedented case in the military history of Great Britain.
After the failure of the Dardanelles operation (costing the allies 140,000 dead and wounded) in January 1916, the battalion was evacuated and, after a short respite, in March 1916 was sent to the Western Front in the Somma River area. June 29, 1916, the 8th Army Corps of the Expeditionary Troops was tasked to break through the defenses of the Germans and storm the fortified range of Grandcourt-Serre. On June 1, 1916, the 1st Lancashire battalion, acting as part of the 8th Corps, launched an offensive on the fortified German village of Beaumont-Amél in the framework of the operation. Between the positions of the battalion and the village was a rain-drenched road, which was chosen as the starting position for the throw. However, the Germans noticed the movement of the British and the battalion almost immediately fell under the heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, German snipers mowed officers. The flooded road was immediately covered by slain and agonizing people. The attack on July 1 cost the battalion of 7 dead and 14 wounded officers, 156 lower ranks died, 298 were wounded, 11 were missing and also were declared dead. The soldiers of the regiment were awarded 4 Military Crosses and 8 Military Medals.
The village of Beaumont-Amel, after many equally meaningless and bloody battles, was occupied by the Allies only in the autumn of 1917, after the German troops systematically retreated for the "Hindenburg line".
This figure depicts the sergeant of the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion, the 20th Lancashire Infantry Regiment, the 86th Brigade, and the 29th Division on the eve of the offensive on July 1, 1916.
The accessory to the regiment is indicated by the cockade on the cap (see attached photos). Stripes on the sleeves determine the rank of serviceman and belonging to the 29th Division. Special battalion and company identification marks on the back of the veteran. These signs were introduced into the British army systematically, beginning in the spring of 1916 and served the better management of rifle units in combat.
The sergeant is dressed in the typical form of the old model "Old Contemptible", equipment - linen pattern of 1908. The kit includes a cartridge belt for 150 rounds of ammunition, 303 for the Li-Enfield MKIII rifle, a sapper blade, a flask, a backpack with personal belongings.
On the soldier's chest, the medal of the South African medal for his participation in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the Military Medal deserved by him during the bloody battles in Gallipoli.