Queen Victoria's Rifles

The Queen Victoria's Rifles was the designation of the 9th Battalion the London Regiment, a Territorial unit of the British Army. This was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, Queen Victoria's Rifles were one of twenty eight units brought together in this way.

Early history

The Queen Victoria’s Rifles could trace their origins back to the old volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic Wars when the Duke of Cumberland’s Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of Riflemen on September 5, 1803.

Many transformations occurred over the next century until the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act came into effect on April 1, 1908 and the old volunteer regiments were reorganised into the new Territorial Force. In this way the QVRs were formed by the amalgamation of:

• 1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George’s) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 4th Volunteer Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC)
• 19th Middlesex (St Giles and St George’s, Bloomsbury) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 6th Volunteer Battalion, The Rifle Brigade

World War I

The QVRs arrived in Le Havre on November 5 1914, one of the first Territorial battalions to serve in France; they were attached to the 5th Division.

On April 17 1915, an attack was mounted on Hill 60 by the 13th Infantry Brigade which included:

• 2nd King’s Own Scottish Borderers
• 2nd Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment
• 1st Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
• 2nd King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and the
• Queen Victoria’s Rifles (9th London Regiment)

The Hill was a small promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient that afforded good views for the Germans across the British lines and in to Ypres. It was therefore of great tactical significance to both sides who "fought with great gallantry".

Prior to the attack, the hill had been undermined for days with five galleries being driven under the German positions. The plan was to detonate large mines under the hill to destroy the enemy and their positions, then the 13th Infantry Brigade would occupy the area. The Hill was captured on April 17 and on April 20, two and a half companies of the QVRs were ordered up to the front line as the enemy made a counter-attack.

At dawn on 21 April, the Germans began bombarding the QVRs with hand grenades. Casualties were heavy, including two officers, Major Lees and Lieutenant Summerhays who were killed. It was then that Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley left a position of safety to take command of the soldiers on the Hill. Only 40 QVRs were left in the front line, but by rallying the troops with encouragement and letting the men know that reinforcements were on the way, Woolley helped repulse the counter-attack by throwing bombs (grenades) at the advancing Germans. For his gallantry Lieutenant Woolley was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first to be won by the Territorial Force.

The QVRs remained in France for the rest of the war. Their losses are remembered at Hill 60 by the QVR memorial and at the nearby QVR café and museum.

Post-World War I

Between the wars, the QVR was affiliated to the KRRC and re-constituted as two motorized battalions.

At the outbreak of World War II, 1/QVR and 2/QVR were formally made part of the KRRC, becoming the 7th and 8th KRRC Battalions respectively. The 7th KRRC (1st Queen Victoria's Rifles) as part of 30th Infantry Brigade fought in the desperate operation at Calais between 23 and 26 May 1940, which bought valuable time for the main Battle of Dunkirk. All were either killed or captured and the battalion had to reconstitute from scratch.

Both battalions served with distinction throughout the rest of the war.

Queen Victoria's Rifles were merged with The Queen's Westminsters to form the Queen's Royal Rifles on May 1 1961.

Sources

• Keeson C. A. C. (1923) The History and Records of the Queen Victoria’s Rifles 1792- 1922. Constable and Company Ltd. London
• QVR at www.regiments.org