Catalogue description 5TH BATTALION, FORMERLY 2ND VOLUNTEER BATTALION

The 4th (Brixton), 8th (Carshalton), 11th (Wimbledon) and 25th (Epsom) Corps of the Surrey Rifle Volunteers, which has been grouped together in the 1st Administrative Battalion, were amalgamated as the 4th Corps and then redesignated as the 3rd Corps in 1880. In 1882 the Corps was attached to the East Surrey Regiment and in 1887, it became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, with detachments at Streatham, Sutton, Wimbledon, and Epsom. When the Territorial Army was reformed in 1908, the Battalion became the 5th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment.

During World War I, additional battalions comprising new recruits and those who opted out of service abroad were raised and these were numbered 2/5th and 3/5th Battalions, whilst the original unit became known as the 1/5th. It embarked for India in 1914. Drafts were sent to Mesopotamia, and the Battalion itself was sent there in 1917. After the war, the Battalion served in the Army of Occupation of Mesopotamia. It returned to England in 1920, where it was reformed.

In 1938, the Battalion was converted to artillery and became the 57th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA. The Battalion now comprised 4 Batteries: 225th, 226th, 227th and 228th. In 1939, when the Territorial Army was doubled in size, a second unit was raised and became the 67th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA. During the war, the 57th served first in France with the Expeditionary Force, 1940. It then underwent a period of home service before being posted to the Middle East in 1942, where it joined the 8th Army. It then went on to take part in the Salerno landings, 1943, and to fight in Italy.

After the war, both the 57th and 67th Battalions were disbanded and in 1947 a new unit, the 381st Anti-Tank Regiment, RA, was formed based on the drill halls and connections of the former units. In 1961, it was merged with 3 other artillery units to form the 263rd (Surrey Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regiment, RA. In 1967, it became the Surrey Yeomanry (Queen Mary's Regiment), RA, and was converted to Infantry in 1971. It eventually formed part of the 6th and 7th Volunteer Battalions of the Queen's Regiment.

For papers of the 67th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA, see also ESR/9/-.