Durham Light Infantry, 23rd Battalion
New Army Reserve 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.
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In 1914, the Durham Territorial battalions had set up reserve or second line battalions that would feed drafts of trained men to the front line battalions. In 1915, two reserve New Army battalions – the 21st and 23rd Battalions DLI – were formed.
The first of the DLI’s New Army reserve battalions was created from the reserves of the 18 (Durham Pals) DLI at Cocken Hall in July 1915. The 21st (Reserve) Battalion then moved into tents in Wensleydale, where they were joined by soldiers from the 20th (Wearsiders) DLI. The 21st (Reserve) Battalion later moved to Catterick and then to Hornsea in April 1916. In September 1916, the battalion was renamed the 87th Training Reserve Battalion of the 20th (Reserve) Brigade and remained at Hornsea until the end of the war training recruits and sending drafts of men overseas.
The 23rd (Reserve) Battalion DLI was formed at Catterick in October 1915 from the reserves of the 19 (Bantams) DLI. In April 1916, the 23rd Battalion moved to Atwick, near Hornsea and in September was merged into the Training Reserve battalions of the 20th (Reserve) Brigade at Hornsea.
A 24th (Reserve) Battalion DLI was also to have been formed from the reserves of the 22 (Pioneers) DLI but instead these men were transferred to the 16th (Reserve) Battalion DLI at Rugeley and the 24th was never formed.
Contributed by Durham County Record Office
