The Jersey Militia 1900-1942

The Jersey Militia 1900-1942

By Major F. A. L. De Gruchy, F.R.S.A.
[Jersey Life, 1966]

In 1905 the Militia was placed under the Army Act and was reorganised as a Regiment of Artillery, in two field-batteries and two garrison-companies, a company of engineers, a medical company and three battalions of infantry. The field-batteries had 15-pounder guns, one garrison-company manned 4.7 quick firing weapons on travelling carriages and training was modernized, the cost to the States being £5,000 per annum. The Militia was mobilized in 1914 and manned posts all-round the Island.

On March 2, 1915, the Jersey Overseas Contingent under Captain (later Major) W. A. Stocker left the Island to be incorporated in the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.

In 1917, the danger of invasion being considered over, the Militia was disbanded and the Military Service Act made applicable to the Island. Under this most of the fit men were drafted to various units of the British Army and the role of the Militia was taken over by the Royal Jersey Garrison Battalion which consisted of two companies, one stationed at Fort Regent and the other at St. Peter’s Barracks with a detachment at the Prisoner of War Camp at Blanches Banques.

The Battalion consisted of men who were not immediately medically suitable for active service, but gradually as men became fit, or the standard was reduced, more local men were drafted to British units and replaced by unfit men from the various theatres of war who were fit for garrison-duty. The Battalion was disbanded in 1919 or 1920. In all, between 1914-18, 6,292 men served overseas, 808 died in action or of wounds and disease and 212'decorations were won.

After World War I the policy of Jersey was made to coincide with the disarmament policy of the United Kingdom and on December 24, 1921, a new law reduced the Militia strength to one regiment of infantry and a battery of artillery. In 1925 new Colours were presented and the old ones laid up in the Parish Churches of St. Mary and St. Martin.

In 1929 another law made Militia service voluntary and the strength was reduced to 260 infantry- men whilst the States had to bear all the costs; the establishment was a head- quarters-company, a rifle-company and a machine-gun company, all volunteers being enrolled for Home Defence only.

The Militia was mobilized on September 1, 1939 with headquarters at Fort Regent and posts such as the Airport and other vital points were manned. After the evacuation from France, on June 18/19, orders were received for the de-militarization of the Island and Lieut.-Col. H. M. Vatcher, M.C., sought the permission of the Lieut.-Governor, Major General I. M. Harrison to take his force to England. On ' June 20th, he embarked with 11 officers t and 193 other ranks in the 5.8. ‘Hodder’, a potato steamer. Next day they disembarked at Southampton and were stationed, for a time, in the Isle of Wight where they experienced their baptism of fire in an air-raid.

Eventually the Militia became the nucleus of the 11th Royal Militia, Island of Jersey Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment and did excellent work in England until 1941 when the policy was adopted of drafting the personnel into other regiments. There remained with the Hampshires a small cadre of Warrant and Non-commissioned Officers of the Militia, these being the backbone of the Battalion. Losses of the Militia in World War II were 8 killed in action, 60 wounded and 4 taken prisoner.

Of the original 195 other ranks who left Jersey in 1940, 15 obtained commissions and 70 were promoted to higher rank. The Militia Colours were laid up in 1942 in the Bishop’s Chapel at Wolversey Castle.

After the war, on February 14, 1946. the War Office wrote to the Lieut- Governor, Sir Edward Grassett, recommending that the Militia be disbanded, the letter containing the following sentence :—

“The battalion has given splendid service in whatever role it has been called upon to perform.”

Thus ended the story of the Royal Militia, Island of Jersey—for a resolution for its reinstitution, proposed by the writer when Deputy of St. Ouen was defeated in the States on April 6, 1954. On January 10 of that year the Militia Colours were finally laid up in St. Helier’s Parish Church, the Dean officiating and the Lieut.-Governor, Admiral Sir Gresham Nicholson and Lieut.-Colonel Vatcher reading the Lessons.

Postscript

In 1987, it was re-formed as a Territorial Army regiment, the Jersey Field Squadron (The Royal Militia Island of Jersey), 111th Regiment, Royal Engineers, later 73rd Regiment, Royal Engineers. In 2007, it came under the operational command of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia).