Durham Light Infantry, 19th Battalion (Durham Bantams)
New Army Service battalion
Before the First World War began in August 1914, the Durham Light Infantry, County Durham’s own infantry regiment, was made up of nine battalions each of about 1,000 men. There were two Regular battalions of full-time professional soldiers, many of whom came from outside the North East of England; two Reserve battalions of part-time volunteers and ex-Regular soldiers; and five Territorial Force battalions of part-time volunteers centred on key County towns. There was also a Depot or headquarters shared with the Northumberland Fusiliers at Fenham Barracks in Newcastle upon Tyne.
By the end of the war in November 1918, the DLI had grown to 43 battalions, as new Reserve, Service, Territorial, Young Soldier, and other battalions were formed. Of these 43 battalions, 22 served in war zones from the Western Front to the North West Frontier of India.
——————–
As the first enthusiastic rush to enlist in Kitchener’s New Army slowed, the War Office agreed to reduce the minimum height for recruits by 3 inches (7.5cm) to 5 foot (152cm). The result was the formation of Bantam battalions. In County Durham, a Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, formed in December 1914 to encourage more volunteering, agreed to raise a Bantam battalion. And, on 13 January 1915, the War Office gave permission for a Durham Bantam battalion. This was to be known as the 19th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry (2nd County).
In early March 1915, the first Durham Bantams assembled in West Hartlepool before moving to Cocken Hall over 1,000 strong in May, after the 18th Battalion DLI had moved out. A month later, however, 19 DLI moved again to Masham in North Yorkshire, as part of the 106th Brigade of the newly-formed 35th Division.
Training was completed on Salisbury Plain before 19 DLI sailed from Southampton on 31 January 1916. However, on 11 February, before the Bantams entered the trenches near Neuve Chapelle for the first time, the battalion along with the rest of 106 Brigade was inspected by Lord Kitchener.
On 1 July 1916, the 19th Battalion moved south by rail to join the Somme battle. In the trenches near Longueval, however, the Bantams did little fighting as the battalion was ordered to dig new communication and reserve trenches. Never-ending shell fire, however, caused many casualties.
At the end of August 1916, the 35th Division, including the Durham Bantams, left the Somme for the front at Arras. There daily shelling and gas reduced the battalion’s numbers and too many of the replacement Bantams from home were physically unfit for front line duty. Then, on 26 November, a German raiding party attacked the front line at Arras held by the 19th Battalion. In the aftermath of the raid, seven Durham Bantams were court martialled. Three were executed.
This marked the end of the 35th Division as a Bantam division. During December, each Bantam was physically examined and, if found unfit, was sent to other units, for example the Labour Corps. The gaps were then filled with non-Bantams.
In late 1917, the 19th Battalion was at Passchendaele and in March 1918 joined the general British retreat on the Somme in the face of the German onslaught. By September 1918, however, the battalion had joined the hard-fought British advance in Belgium and were the first British troops to enter Courtrai.
After more fighting in late October, the 19th Battalion, with few of the original Bantams still within its ranks, was in billets at Everbecq on 11 November 1918. By March 1919, the 19th Battalion DLI had ceased to exist.
Contributed by Durham County Record Office
