Territorial Battalions of
The East Surrey Regiment

2nd Volunteer Battalion became 5th Bn The East Surrey Regiment (TA)
3rd Volunteer Battalion became 6th Bn The East Surrey Regiment (TA)
4th Volunteer Battalion became 23rd (County of London) Bn The London Regiment

The only Volunteer Corps which had not become a Volunteer Battalion, that is the 1st (South London) Corps East Surrey Regiment, now assumed the title of the 21st (County of London) Bn The London Regiment First Surrey Rifles. So, in 1908, the original eight Corps of Surrey Rifle Volunteers had become two Queen’s Territorial battalions, two East Surrey Territorial battalions and four County of London Regiments.

In 1914, the 4th and 5th Queen’s and the 5th and 6th East Surreys formed 2nd and 3rd line battalions whose role was recruiting and training reinforcements. Although originally intended for home defence only, Territorial battalions of our Regiments served in India, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Palestine and on the Western Front. The 4th Queen’s, in particular, had all three battalions in the field. The Territorial Army was formed in 1921 from the Territorial Force.

The first of the eight original Volunteer Corps to leave the Regiment was the 21st London Regiment First Surrey Rifles, which in 1935 became an Anti-Aircraft Battalion. Three years later, the 4th Bn The Queen’s became a Searchlight Regiment and the 5th Bn The East Surrey Regiment became an Anti-Tank Regiment. The Territorial units then consisted of the 5th, 6th (formerly 22nd London Regiment) and 7th Queen’s (formerly 24th London Regiment) and the 6th Surreys. In 1939 each Territorial battalion formed a 2nd battalion for the duration of the War, all of whom were to see active service. The six Territorial battalions of The Queen’s were formed into two complete Queen’s brigades. In 1947, the 7th Queen’s left the Regimental family to become a Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment.

The Territorial element of the Regiment was thus reduced to the 5th and 6th Queen’s and, on the East Surrey side, the 6th Surreys and the 23rd London Regiment. The last named unit had become a battalion of the Royal Tank Corps in 1937, but had reverted to infantry in 1956.

The amalgamation of The Queen’s Royal Regiment and The East Surrey Regiment in 1959 rendered the titles of the Territorial battalions obsolete. So in 1961, the 5th and 6th Bns The Queen’s Royal Regiment amalgamated to form the 3rd Bn The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment. At the same time, the 6th Bn The East Surrey Regiment came together with the 23rd London to become the 4th Bn The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment.

A similar reorganisation took place in 1967 after the formation of The Queen’s Regiment. The 3rd and 4th Bns The Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment amalgamated to become the 6th Territorial Bn The Queen’s Regiment. Four years later this unit became the 6th Volunteer Battalion, and today, as a result of amalgamation with the 7th Volunteer Battalion, became the 6/7th Volunteer Bn The Queen’s Regiment.