This is a list of battalions of the Durham Light Infantry, which existed as a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968.
When the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot became the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, seven pre-existing militia and volunteer battalions of County Durham were integrated into the structure of the DLI. These latter battalions had existed intermittently for some time, but had been made permanent in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France the late 1850s.[1] [2] [3] The militia, in two battalions, were more appealing to the working classes as the equipment was government funded, while the volunteers were organised as "rifle volunteer corps", independent of the British Army, financially self-supporting and composed primarily of the middle class, they underwent a number of reorganisations before reaching the form in which they were incorporated into the county regiment.[4] [5] [6]
| Battalion | Formed | Formerly | Depot/Headquarters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ||||
| 1st | 25 August 1756[7] | 2/23rd Regiment of Foot, 68th Regiment of Foot (Lambton's Regiment of Foot) (22 April 1758[8]), 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (15 August 1782[9]), 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) (late 1808[10]) | Sunderland (since 1873) | |
| 2nd | 1839[11] | 2nd Bombay European Regiment, 2nd Regiment Bombay European Light Infantry (1840[12]), 2nd European Regiment Bombay Light Infantry (14 December 1854[13]), Her Majesty's 2nd Regiment of Bombay European Light Infantry (3 November 1859[14]), 106th Regiment Bombay Light Infantry (30 July 1862[15]) | Sunderland (since 1873) | |
| Militia | ||||
| 3rd (Militia) | 1759 | 1st Durham Fusiliers[16] | Barnard Castle (since 1853) | |
| 4th (Militia) | 1853 | 2nd North Durham Militia | Durham (since 1853) | |
| Volunteers | ||||
| 1st Durham Rifle Volunteer Battalion | December 1861 | 4th Administrative Battalion Durham Rifle Volunteer Corps[17] [18] | Stockton | |
| 2nd Durham Rifle Volunteer Battalion | August 1861 | 2nd Administrative Battalion Durham Rifle Volunteer Corps | Bishop Auckland | |
| February 1861 | 3rd (The Sunderland) Durham Rifle Volunteer Corps[19] | Sunderland | ||
| 4th Durham Rifle Volunteer Battalion | August 1861 | 1st Administrative Battalion Durham Rifle Volunteer Corps | Chester-le-Street | |
| 5th Durham Rifle Volunteer Battalion | August 1861 | 3rd Administrative Battalion Durham Rifle Volunteer Corps | Gateshead | |
In December 1887 the Durham Rifle Volunteer Battalions were renamed as Volunteer Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry retaining their Administrative battalion numbers.[20] The 3rd Corps sub-title was granted in 1867, with the slight change officially registered in 1887.[21]
The Territorial Force (renamed the Territorial Army in 1920) was formed in 1908, from the volunteer infantry battalions of the county regiments, and other volunteer arms. The militia battalions transferred to the "Reserve" or the "Special Reserve". The 3rd and 4th battalions exchanged numbers that year, and were recast as the 3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) battalions in a draft finding role.[22] The reason for this apparently pointless exchange of numbers was that in the event of a mobilisation the War Office intended to use the 3rd battalion of a regiment to provide reinforcements for the regular battalions, while if a regiment had a 4th battalion it would be mobilised as a whole unit. The older unit (1st Durham Fusiliers, then the 3rd battalion) wished to remain as a fighting unit, and so exchanged numbers.[23] All volunteer battalions were renumbered to create a single numerical sequence.[24]
| Battalion | Formerly |
|---|---|
| 3rd (Reserve) | 4th (Militia) |
| 4th (Extra Reserve) | 3rd (Militia) |
| 5th | 1st Volunteer Battalion |
| 6th | 2nd Volunteer Battalion |
| 7th | 3rd Volunteer Battalion |
| 8th | 4th Volunteer Battalion |
| 9th | 5th Volunteer Battalion |
The Durham Light Infantry would send 22 battalions overseas and lose 12006 other ranks during the course of the war.[25] The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions of progressively lower fitness men.[26] Many new battalions, technically of the Regular Army, were formed as part of Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener's appeal for an initial 100,000 men volunteers in August 1914, referred to as the New Army or Kitchener's Army. The 18th and 20th Service battalions, were referred to as "Pals" because they were predominantly composed of colleagues, the 19th battalion was originally a Bantam battalion.[27] The Volunteer Training Corps were raised with overage or reserved occupation men early in the war, and were initially self-organised into many small corps, with a wide variety of names, such as the Darlington Civilian Rifle Club, formed on 12 September 1914 which had amembership of 260 by December that year.[28] Recognition of the corps by the authorities brought regulation and as the war continued the small corps were formed into battalion sized units of the county Volunteer Regiment. In 1918 these were linked to county regiments.[29]
| Battalion | Date Formed | Service | Fate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ||||
| 1st | 22 April 1756 | India (NWF), Afghanistan | One of eight out of the 52 regular Army infantry battalions ordered to stay in India.[30] | |
| 2nd | 1839 | Western Front, Army of Occupation | Attached to 18th Brigade, 6th Division throughout the war. Battle patch, a shield in regimental colours painted on the helmet from August 1918.[31] | |
| Reserve and Special Reserve | ||||
| 3rd (Reserve) | 1853 | Britain | Not embodied, used as a source of replacements for the Regular battalions. | |
| 4th (Extra Reserve) | 1759 | Britain | Used as a source of replacements for the Regular battalions. | |
| Territorial Force | ||||
| 1/5th | 1861 | Western Front | Reduced to cadre strength 15 June 1918 | Attached to 150th (York and Durham) Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until February 1918, then with 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade. Battle-patch, a slate blue square on the upper arm.[32] |
| 1/6th | 1861 | Western Front | Reduced to cadre strength 15 June 1918 | Attached to 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until June 1918. Battle-patch, a red diamond on the upper arm, and helmet.[33] |
| 1/7th | 1861 | Western Front. | Demobilised June 1919 | Attached to 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until it became the division's pioneer battalion in May 1915. Transferred to 8th Division and absorbed the 22nd Battalion 23 June 1918 |
| 1/8th | 1861 | Western Front | Reduced to cadre strength 15 June 1918 | Attached to 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until June 1918. Battle-patch, a slate blue coloured diamond on the upper arm. |
| 1/9th | 1861 | Western Front, Army of Occupation. | Attached to 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until it became the pioneer battalion for the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division in February 1918. Battle-patch (while in 50th Div), a green diamond on the upper arm.[34] | |
| 2/5th | Stockton and Darlington, September 1914 | Britain, Salonika. | Disbanded October 1919 | Part of 189th (2nd York and Durham) Brigade, 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division until July 1916. Transferred to 228th Brigade, 28th Division when in Salonika. |
| 2/6th | Gateshead, 26 September 1914 | Britain, Western Front | Disbanded post war | Part of 190th (2nd Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division until July 1916. Went to France with the 177th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division in May 1918. |
| 2/7th[35] | Sunderland, 16 September 1914 | Britain, Russia | Disbanded 1919 | Part of 190th (2nd Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division until July 1916. North Russia Intervention 1918–19 |
| 2/8th | Durham, October 1914 | Britain | Disbanded December 1917 | Part of 190th (2nd Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division until July 1916. |
| 2/9th | Gateshead, 11 September 1914 | Britain, Salonika | Disbanded January 1920 | Part of 190th (2nd Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division. Part of the Army Troops in Salonika. |
| 3/5th | April 1915 | Britain | Disbanded post-war | Re-designated as 5th (Reserve) Battalion on 8 April 1916; absorbed 3/6th, 3/7th, 3/8th and 3/9th battalions on 1 September 1916 |
| 3/6th | April 1915 | Britain | Absorbed into 5th (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916 | Redesignated as 6th (Reserve) Battalion on 8 April 1916 |
| 3/7th | April 1915 | Britain | Absorbed into 5th (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916 | Redesignated as 7th (Reserve) Battalion on 8 April 1916 |
| 3/8th | April 1915 | Britain | Absorbed into 5th (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916 | Redesignated as 8th (Reserve) Battalion on 8 April 1916 |
| 3/9th | April 1915 | Britain | Absorbed into 5th (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916 | Redesignated as 9th (Reserve) Battalion on 8 April 1916 |
| 26th | Clacton, 1 January 1917 by redesignation of 23rd Provisional Battalion, T.F. | Britain | Disbanded post-war | 23rd Provisional Battalion, T.F. was formed in 1915 by Home Service personnel of 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th DLI T.F. battalions |
| 27th | St. Osyth, 1 January 1917 by redesignation of 25th Provisional Battalion, T.F. | Britain | Disbanded post-war | 25th Provisional Battalion, T.F. was formed in 1915 by Home Service personnel of 5th DLI and 4th East Yorkshire T.F. battalions. |
| New Army | ||||
| 10th (Service) | September 1914 | Western Front | Disbanded in February 1918 as part of the Army reorganisation, reinforcing other D.L.I battalions. | Part of 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division until disbanded. Nicknamed "The Shiny Tenth". Battle-patch, a silhouette of a regimental cap badge in red.[36] |
| 11th (Service) | September 1914 | Western Front | Disbanded post war | Part of 60th Brigade, 20th (Light) Division until converted into the division's pioneer battalion in January 1915. |
| 12th (Service) | September 1914 | Western Front, Italy | Disbanded post war | Part of the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division throughout the war. Battle-patch, a green rectangle with a central red horizontal stripe and a central green circle, worn on the sleeve.[37] |
| 13th (Service) | September 1914 | Western Front, Italy | Disbanded post war | Part of the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division until September 1918 when it returned to the Western Front from Italy with the 74th Brigade, 25th Division. Battle-patch (while in 23rd Div), a diamond divided into red and green triangular halves, orientation showed company, worn on the sleeve. |
| 14th (Service) | September 1914 | Western Front | Disbanded February 1918 as part of the Army reorganisation, reinforcing other D.L.I battalions. | Part of the 64th Brigade, 21st Division until September 1915 then joined the 2nd Battalion in 18th Brigade, 6th Infantry Division until disbandment. Battle patch (while in the 6th Division) a dark green triangle.[38] |
| 15th (Service) | September 1914 | Western Front | Disbanded post war | Part of the 64th Brigade, 21st Division throughout the war. Battle-patch, a green inverted triangle on the sleeve and back collar, from 1918 a yellow bugle replaced the square on the back collar.[39] [40] |
| 16th (Reserve) | October 1914 | Britain | Became 1st Training Reserve Battalion in 1st Reserve Brigade, September 1916. | |
| 17th (Reserve) | Barnard Castle October 1914 | Britain | Became 2nd Training Reserve Battalion in 1st Reserve Brigade, September 1916 | Returned to the regiment as the 53rd (Young Soldiers) Battalion. |
| 18th (Service) (1st County) | 24 September 1914 | Suez, Western Front | Disbanded post war | A Pals battalion. Part of the 93rd Brigade, 31st Division throughout the war. Battle-patch, a red horizontal rectangle on a green rectangle on the sleeve, brigade patch a white and red square divided diagonally on the back.[41] |
| 19th (Service) (2nd County) | West Hartlepool, 3 March 1915 | Western Front | Disbanded post war | A Bantam battalion. Part of the 106th Brigade, 35th Division, moving to the 104th Brigade in February 1918. It ceased to be a Bantam unit in January 1917. Battle patch, the cap badge stencilled in white on the front of the helmet.[42] |
| 20th (Service) (Wearside) | Sunderland June 1915 | Western Front, Italy, Army of Occupation | Disbanded post war | A Pals battalion. Part of the 123rd Brigade, 41st Division, moving to the 124th Brigade in March 1918. Battle-patch, a red inverted triangle under an upper segment of an annulus.[43] |
| 21st (Reserve) | Cocken Hall 29 July 1915 | Britain | Disbanded post war | Formed as local reserve battalion from depot companies of 18th and 20th Battalions. Became 87th Training Reserve Battalion in 20th Reserve Brigade, September 1916[44] |
| 22nd (Service) (3rd County Pioneers) | 1 October 1915 | Western Front | Merged with 1/7th pioneer Battalion (50th (Northumbrian) Division) 23 June 1918 | A Pals battalion; 3rd County Battalion. Arrived in France unbrigaded with the 19th (Western) Division in July 1915, then attached to 8th Division as divisional pioneers until June 1918. Battle patch, two circles, red and green side by side.[45] |
| 23rd (Reserve) | Catterick, October 1915 | Britain | Absorbed in Reserve Battalions of 20th Reserve Brigade on 1 September 191 at Hornsea | Formed as local reserve battalion from depot companies of 19th Battalion |
| 29th (Service) | Brookwood, Surrey, 19 June 1918 | Western Front | Disbanded post war | Formed from a cadre of the 2/7th Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and included drafts from the 26th and 27th Battalions. Part of 41st Brigade, 14th (Light) Division from July 1918. |
| Others | ||||
| 25th (Works) | May 1916 | Britain | Disbanded post war | Part of Northern Command. |
| 28th (Home Service) | April 1918 | Britain | Disbanded post war | |
| 51st (Graduated) | October 1917 | Army of Occupation 1919 | Disbanded post war | Originally the 11th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, before becoming the 4th Training Reserve Battalion, and then the 258th Battalion in 215th Brigade of the 72nd (Home Service) Division; became a service battalion in 1919 |
| 52nd (Graduated) | October 1917 | Army of Occupation 1919 | Disbanded post war | Originally the 31st (Reserve) Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, before becoming the 86th Training Reserve Battalion, and then the 273rd Battalion, of the 220th Brigade of the 73rd (Home Service) Division. |
| 53rd (Young Soldier) | October 1917 | Army of Occupation 1919 | Disbanded post war | It was previously the 17th (Service) Battalion of the D.L.I. |
| Volunteer Corps of the Durham Volunteer Regiment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Battalion | Location | Fate | |
| 1st Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed 9 August 1916, became the 1st Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Gateshead | Disbanded post war | By August 1918 it had a strength of 256 officers and 10,408 N.C.O.s and men.[46] |
| 2nd Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed 9 August 1916, became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Sunderland | Disbanded post war | |
| 3rd Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed 9 August 1916, became the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Bishop Auckland | Disbanded post war | |
| 4th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed 9 August 1916, became the 4th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Darlington | Disbanded post war | |
| 5th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed December 1916, became the 5th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Stockton | Disbanded post war | |
| 6th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed December 1916, became the 6th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Hartlepool | Disbanded post war | |
| 7th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed March 1917, became the 7th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Sunderland | Disbanded post war | |
| 8th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, formed March 1917 | Houghton le Spring | Disbanded between February and August 1918 | |
| 9th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed August 1918, became the 9th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Birtley | Disbanded post war | |
| 10th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed August 1918, became the 10th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | West Hartlepool | Disbanded post war | |
| 11th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed August 1918, became the 11th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Sunderland | Disbanded post war | |
| 12th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment formed August 1918, became the 8th Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry | Houghton le Spring | Disbanded post war | |
By late 1920, all of the regiment's war-raised battalions had disbanded, with many of their Colours laid up in Durham Cathedral.[47] Territorial Force battalions were reformed in 1921, renamed the Territorial Army later in the year.[48]
| Battalion | Date Formed/Reformed | Service | Fate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | |||||
| 1st | 22 April 1756 | Germany, Egypt, Britain, China[49] | |||
| 2nd | 1839 | Russia, Turkey, India, China, Britain[50] | |||
| Reserve and Special Reserve | |||||
| 3rd (Reserve) | Not reformed | ||||
| 4th (Extra Reserve) | Not reformed | ||||
| Territorial Army | |||||
| 5th | Reformed 1920 | Transferred to the Royal Engineers in 1938 and converted into a searchlight (S/L) battalion, becoming Royal Artillery in August 1940.[51] | Split in 1938, forming the 1/5th and 2/5th battalions, became respectively the 54th and 55th (D.L.I.) Searchlight Regiments, the 54th with an attached ATS company.[52] The 55th (S/L) Regiment became the 113th (D.L.I.) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in January 1942.[53] Both regiments deployed to North West Europe in 1944 as part of 21st Army Group. The 113th L.A.A. Regiment would help liberate Bergen-Belsen and aid the survivors. The 113th L.A.A. regiment ended the War around Hanover, the 54th (S/L) Regiment ended the War in Antwerp.[54] [55] | ||
| 6th | Reformed 1920 | ||||
| 7th | Reformed 1920 | Transferred to the Royal Engineers in 1936 and converted into a searchlight (S/L) battalion, becoming Royal Artillery in August 1940.[56] | Initially the 47th (D.L.I.) A.A. Battalion R.E. (T.A.), on joining the Royal Artillery it became the 47th (D.L.I.) S/L Regiment R.A. (T.A.). In January 1942 it was renamed the 112th (D.L.I.) L.A.A. Regiment R.A. (T.A.),[57] and deployed to North West Europe in 1944 as part of XII Corps, with one battery converting to use the Land Mattress in March 1945. It ended the War in Hamburg[58] | ||
| 8th | Reformed 1920 | ||||
| 9th | Reformed 1920 | ||||
The regiment's expansion during the Second World War was modest compared to 1914–18. Existing territorial battalions formed duplicates as in WWI (using whole rather than fractional numbers), while National Defence Companies were used to create a new "Home Defence" battalion. Hostilities-only battalions were raised after the evacuation of Dunkirk.[59] In addition to this, 26 battalions of the Home Guard were affiliated to the regiment, wearing its cap badge,[60] and also by 1944 one Heavy Anti Aircraft (HAA) battery, and four rocket batteries (Z Battery).[61] Due to the daytime (or shift working) occupations of these men, the batteries required eight times the manpower of an equivalent regular battery.[62] A number of Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) troops were formed from the local battalions to defend specific points, such as factories.[63]
| Battalion | Date formed/Reformed | Served | Fate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | |||||
| 1st | 25 August 1756 | North Africa, Syria, Mediterranean, Italy | Part of (in order) the 22nd Infantry Brigade,[64] 22nd Guards Brigade (with 6th Indian Infantry Division a short while),[65] 23rd Infantry Brigade, (itself variously under British Troops in Egypt, 4th and 6th Indian Infantry Divisions, I Corps (Australia) and 70th Division while the battalion was with it),[66] 233rd and 234th Brigades in Malta Command,[67] Middle East Command,[68] and finally 10th Indian Infantry Brigade of the 10th Indian Infantry Division.[69] Ended the War near Ferrara, Italy.[70] | ||
| 2nd | 1839 | France, Burma | Part of 6th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division throughout the War. Ended the War in Rangoon, Burma.[71] | ||
| Supplementary Reserve | |||||
| 3rd | Not Reformed | ||||
| 4th | Not reformed | ||||
| Territorial Army | |||||
| 6th | 1861 | France, Britain, Syria, Iraq, North Africa, Sicily, North West Europe | Reduced to training cadre December 1944 and returned to the UK.[72] | Spent the war with 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division.Distinguishing marks: Blackened cap badge on a red square. "Semi-official" shoulder title colours of red letters on a green background.[73] A 'Blue Durham flash' on the shoulder.[74] | |
| 8th | 1861 | France, Britain, Syria, Iraq, North Africa, Sicily, North West Europe | Reduced to training cadre December 1944 and returned to the UK. Disbanded 16 January 1946 at Harrogate.[75] | Spent the war with 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division.Distinguishing mark: Cap badge on a dark green circle. A 'Blue Durham flash' on the shoulder. | |
| 9th | 1861 | France, Britain, Syria, Iraq, North Africa, Sicily, North West Europe | Disbanded 16 October 1946 in Germany at Hemer.[76] | Spent the war with 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division until transferred to 131st Brigade of the 7th Armoured Division in December 1944. Ended the War in Hamburg.[77] Distinguishing mark: a 'Blue Durham flash' on the shoulder while with 151st Brigade. | |
| 10th[78] | September 1939 | France, Britain, Iceland, North West Europe | Disbanded September 1944.[79] | 2nd line territorial of the 6th battalion. Spent the War with 70th Brigade, first with 23rd (Northumbrian) Division until June 1940, then 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. Disbanded (as a junior, 2nd line unit) to maintain the fighting strength of other infantry battalions in the Second Army. | |
| 11th | September 1939 | France, Britain, Iceland, North West Europe. | Disbanded September 1944 | 2nd line territorial of the 8th battalion. History same as the 10th. | |
| 12th | September 1939 | France, Britain, Iceland, North West Europe | Renamed the 1st Battalion, Tyneside Scottish of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in January 1940.[80] | 2nd line territorial of the 9th battalion.Wore a green lanyard signalling its DLI origin | |
| Hostilities only | |||||
| 1/13th (Home Defence)[81] | December 1939 from No 41 National Defence Company | Britain | Disbanded November 1941 by renumbering as 30th DLI | ||
| 2/13th (Home Defence) | September 1940 from 13th Battalion | Britain | Disbanded December 1940 by renumbering as 18th DLI (1) | ||
| 14th | June 1940 | Britain | Disbanded 1945 | Brigaded in the 206th Independent Infantry Brigade with the 16th and 17th battalions until September 1942, at times part of Scottish Command, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, 56th (London) Infantry Division and 46th Infantry Division it transferred to the 209th Independent Infantry Brigade as part of the 77th Infantry Division where its role changed in September 1943 to being reception centre for returning PoWs and convalescents. It ended the war in this role in Durham City in the 134th Infantry Brigade | |
| 15th | October 1940 from 50th (Holding) battalion | Britain | Converted into the 155th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps in November 1941. | From March to November 1941 it was part of 217th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) of the Durham and North Riding County Division.[82] As the 155th Regiment it was assigned to 35th Army Tank Brigade, 79th Armoured Division it was trained and equipped with Churchills, Rams Shermans and then Canal Defence Light tanks.[83] It left that division when designated as a training unit in April 1944. It was disbanded in May 1945.[84] | |
| 16th[85] | June 1940 | Britain, North Africa, Italy, Greece | Disbanded January–February 1946 in Vienna | Brigaded in the 206th Independent Infantry Brigade with the 14th and 17th battalions until December 1940, then spent the rest of the war with 139th Infantry Brigade, 46th Infantry Division.Distinguishing mark: Cap badge on a dark square background[86] | |
| 17th | June 1940 at Shrewsbury | Britain | Disbanded September 1943 | Brigaded in the 206th Independent Infantry Brigade until September In September 1942 the battalion became part of 164th Infantry Brigade of the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division until September 1943.[87] The battalion had provided ~1900 trained officers and other ranks as replacements by the time of its disbandment.[88] | |
| 18th (1) | December 1940 formed from the 2/13th battalion. | Britain | Disbanded November 1941 by renumbering as 30th DLI. | ||
| 18th (2)[89] | March 1943, Geneifa, Egypt | Italy, France | Disbanded August 1945, Calais. | Formed the infantry component of a Beach Brick supporting amphibious landings. Served under Middle East Command,[90] the U.S. Fifth Army,[91] Second British Army, and 21st Army Group lines of communications.[92] | |
| 30th (Home Defence) | November 1941 by the merger of 1/13th and 18th (1) battalions | Britain | Disbanded November 1942 | Gradually exchanged cat 'B' fitness men for 'A1' and became field force battalion from June 1942 | |
| 70th (Young Soldiers) | December 1940 | Britain | Disbanded August 1943, Tow Law | Served as demonstration battalion for G.H.Q. Battle School. Over 400 officers and men sent overseas, intended for the 151st Brigade, over 150 however reached the 16th Battalion D.L.I. and the 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment of the 138th Brigade, both in 46th division then in Italy. After their first actions in Italy the C.O. of Lincolns said "...If we received drafts like this every time, the war would soon be over.".[93] | |
| Home Guard[94] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battalion | Headquarters | Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) | Battalion | Headquarters | Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) | |
| 1st | Blaydon | DHM 1 | 2nd | Chester le Street | DHM 2 | |
| 3rd | Lanchester | DHM 3 | 4th | Consett | DHM 4 | |
| 5th | Hamsterley | DHM 5 | 6th | Stanley | DHM 6 | |
| 7th | Boldon | DHM 7 | 8th | South Shields | DHM 8 | |
| 9th | Sunderland | DHM 9 | 10th | Gateshead | DHM 10 | |
| 11th | Durham | DHM 11 | 12th | Castle Eden | DHM 12 | |
| 13th | South Hylton | DHM 13 | 14th | Houghten le Spring | DHM 14 | |
| 15th | Bishop Auckland | DHM 15 | 16th | Weardale | DHM 16 | |
| 17th | Barnard Castle | DHM 17 | 18th | West Hartlepool | DHM 18 | |
| 19th | Stockton on Tees | DHM 19 | 20th | Darlington | DHM 20 | |
| 21st | Gateshead | DHM 21 | 22nd | Weatly Hill | DHM 22 | |
| 23rd | Washington | DHM 23 | 24th | Sunderland | DHM 24 | |
| 25th | Jarrow | DHM 25 | 26th | Seaham | DHM 26 | |
| Home Guard Anti-Aircraft units | ||||||
| Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) | Headquarters or Location | AA Formation and Designation | Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) | Headquarters or Location | AA Formation and Designation | |
| DHM 71 | Gateshead | 71st Battery, 8th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Home Guard) (HAA) | DHM 101 | South Shields | 110th Battery, 8th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Home Guard) (Z battery) | |
| DHM 102 | Stockton-on-Tees | 117th Battery, 11th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Home Guard) (Z battery) | DHM 103 | Sunderland | 213th Battery, 8th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Home Guard) (Z battery) | |
| DHM 104 | Durham | 228th Battery, 11th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Home Guard) (Z battery) | DHM 18[95] | Hartlepool, (British Periclase Ltd) | A Troop LAA | |
| DHM 19 | Billingham on Tees, (ICI Ltd) | B, D Troops LAA | DHM 19 | Middlesbrough | C Troop, 11th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Home Guard) (LAA) | |
| DHM 20 | Aycliffe, (Royal Ordnance Factory) | E, F Troops LAA | DHM 23 | Washington, (Washington Chemical Co.) | G Troop LAA | |
In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced with all regiments being reduced to one battalion. The D.L.I. was one of only seven regiments to re-raise its second battalion in the early 1950s.[96] [97] After a long period of suspended animation the Militia battalions were finally disbanded in 1953.
| Battalion | Service | Fate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ||||
| 1st | Germany, Korea, Cyprus, Borneo | Amalgamated with other light infantry regiments to form The Light Infantry in 1968 | Colours laid up in Durham Cathedral 12 December 1968.[98] | |
| 2nd | Germany | Amalgamated with 1st battalion, September 1948 | Reformed 1952, re-amalgamated with the 1st battalion in 1955. | |
| Supplementary Reserve | ||||
| 3rd | Disbanded 1953 | |||
| 4th | Disbanded 1953 | Colours laid up in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Barnard Castle, 16 December 1956. | ||
| Territorial Army | ||||
| 6th | Amalgamated with the 8th battalion on 26 February 1967 to form the 6th/8th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry. Disbanded and reformed on 1 April 1967 as D Company, The Light Infantry Volunteers and the 6th/8th (Territorial) Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, the latter as part of the TAVR III.[99] | Re-raised in March 1947. | ||
| 8th | Same as the 6th battalion. | Re-raised in March 1947. | ||
| 9th | Re-raised and disbanded 1947, by renaming as the 17th battalion (T.A.) the Parachute Regiment. | Colours laid up in the parish church of St Mary, Gateshead, 5 November 1949.[100] | ||