The Surrey Rifle Volunteers
1859 - 1908

Sandfield Terrace 1900. Local Volunteers from A & B Corps 2nd Vol Bn who served with the 2nd Bn The Queen’s Royal (West Surrey) Regiment in South Africa, 1900 - 1901. Enlarge Image

Recruited by voluntary service, the Volunteers were exempted from liability to serve in the Militia or other forces. Volunteer units which had been raised for home defence in the Napoleonic Wars were disbanded after 1815. However, in view of our uneasy relations with France and the defenceless state of the country, they were revived in 1859 when the Volunteer Force was established. They consisted chiefly of rifle volunteers and 26 of these Corps were in Surrey. By 1880, as the result of amalgamations, this number was reduced to eight Corps. Two years later four were allocated to The Queen’s and four to The East Surrey Regiment.

With the exception of the 1st Corps, all became Volunteer battalions of their parent Regiments - namely the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Volunteer Battalions of The Queen’s in 1883, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Volunteer Battalions of The East Surrey Regiment four years later.

During the South African War, companies from the Volunteer battalions saw active service with the Regular battalions of The Queen’s and the East Surreys fighting there.

Volunteer Corps linked to The Queen's ( Royal West Surrey) Regiment in 1882

Volunteer Corps linked to The East Surrey Regiment in 1882