The Devonshire Regiment In the First World War

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In August 1914, on the outbreak of the First World War, the Devonshire Regiment had two Regular battalions, one Special Reserve battalion and three battalions of Territorials (part-time volunteers).  During the war they expanded and incorporated the two Devon Yeomanry regiments to form twenty-four battalions and a single company, which served within the 1st Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in North Russia in 1919.

Ten battalions of the Devon Regiment fought in France and Belgium, Mesopotamia, Salonika, Macedonia, Egypt, Palestine, Italy and in North Russia.  They lost more than 6,000 men killed and about three times that number wounded.  Some were Regular soldiers, some Territorials.  Most were volunteers and conscripts.  Many came from Devon but many did not.  Between them they won sixty new battle honours, two Victoria Crosses and 1265 other gallantry awards and mentions in Despatches. All wore the Devonshire Regiment star and helped to earn Devon’s county regiment a reputation second to none.

A brief history of each unit can be found by clicking on its title.

Read about some of the men who fought with the Devonshire Regiment in the First World War:

Lance Corporal George Onions VC, 1st Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Private Theodore Veale VC, 8th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Brevet Colonel Percy Reginald Worrall, CBE, DSO, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Captain Claude Alexander Lafone DSO, 2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Captain Duncan Lenox Martin 9th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Captain Sir Harold Roper CBE MC, 8th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment

Lieutenant Harold Leslie Rayner , 9th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Colour Sergeant Thomas Knightley, 8th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Regimental Sergeant Major Frank Herbert Radford DCM, 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment

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