The Newsletters of the Friends of the Green Howards Regimental Museum

Issue No.13

Issue 13. APRIL 2002 . The Story of the Second Battalion

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Issue 13. April 2002 The Story of the Second Battalion
The history of the Second Battalion goes back to 1689, when Erle's Regiment travelled to Ireland to fight for the Protestant King William against the Catholic King James II, who had mustered a combined French and Irish Army. The Second Battalion was disbanded in 1698, only to reform again for the Seven Years War in 1756. The Battalion was raised for a third time in 1858 for the Indian Mutiny, and lasted a full ninety years before it was disbanded again in 1948. Again, the Second Battalion reformed in April 1952 when campaigns in Malaya and Korea exposed the lack of the line infantry and more battalions were urgently needed. As a result of good recruiting, the Green Howards and seven other regiments were selected for expansion. The Battalion has been in "suspended animation" since April 1956. On 6 April 2002 there is to be a reunion of the men who served between 1952 - 1956, in Darlington. They will laugh at the hardships they suffered in the hutted camp in Barnard Castle through a bitter Durham winter, the privations of the Copenhagen camp, the dry heat of the Canal Zone, or the discomforts of the tented camp on the outskirts of Dhekalia in Cyprus. They will remember the comradeship, the characters, the amusing incidents, and above all the Colours of the Second Battalion which still hang in the Normanby Room in the museum. ( * See News Items for Q1 2002)

Issue 13. April 2002
The Story of the Second Battalion

The history of the Second Battalion goes back to 1689, when Erle's Regiment travelled to Ireland to fight for the Protestant King William against the Catholic King James II, who had mustered a combined French and Irish Army.
The Second Battalion was disbanded in 1698, only to reform again for the Seven Years War in 1756.
The Battalion was raised for a third time in 1858 for the Indian Mutiny, and lasted a full ninety years before it was disbanded again in 1948.
Again, the Second Battalion reformed in April 1952 when campaigns in Malaya and Korea exposed the lack of the line infantry and more battalions were urgently needed. As a result of good recruiting, the Green Howards and seven other regiments were selected for expansion.
The Battalion has been in "suspended animation" since April 1956.

On 6 April 2002 there is to be a reunion of the men who served between 1952 - 1956, in Darlington. They will laugh at the hardships they suffered in the hutted camp in Barnard Castle through a bitter Durham winter, the privations of the Copenhagen camp, the dry heat of the Canal Zone, or the discomforts of the tented camp on the outskirts of Dhekalia in Cyprus. They will remember the comradeship, the characters, the amusing incidents, and above all the Colours of the Second Battalion which still hang in the Normanby Room in the museum.

( * See News Items for Q1 2002)

Timeline, 1689 - 1698

The chronology of the first raising of the Second Battalion.

The Raising of the Second Battalion, 1689

An account of how the Second battalion first came into being.

The Right Hon. Thomas Erle

A brief biography of the the first Colonel of the Second Battalion.

Arms and the Men /
The Battle of the Boyne

A description of the men and their armaments in the Second battalion of 1690, and a dsecription of the Battle of the Boyne fought on 12 July 1690.

Timeline, 1756 - 1758

The chronology of the second raising of the Second Battalion.

The Battalion Raised for the Seven Years War

A description of the men and conditions in the Battalion at the time of theSeven Years War.

Timeline, 1858 - 1948

The chronology of the third raising of the Second Battalion.

Change of Title

From 1 July 1881 the 19th Foot became known as "The Princess of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment".

Frank Davis, a Long Serving Soldier

The first campaign medals awarded to the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment were for a relatively small expedition in Upper Burma in 1893. One of the men to earn this medal (the India General Service Medal with clasp Kachin Hills 1892-93) was Frank Davis. A biography is provided of Frank Davis.

The Tirah Campaign, 1897 - 98

A brief description of the events, and their chronology, of the involvement of the Second Battalion in the North West Frontier.

Henry Dangerfield, DCM

A biography and account of Henry Dangerfield, who won the DCM whilst serving with the Second Battalion in the Tirah Campaign.

George Mitchell, DCM

A biography of George Mitchell, DCM OBE, who first enlisted in 1904 and fought with the Second Battalion through the First World War. He was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major for the 5th Yorkshires in 1920, and retired from the Army in 1929.

Captured Near the Menin Cross Roads, 1914

Tom Riordan, a Corporal in the Second Battalion, was captured in October 1914. he provided an account of his capture.

N.W.F. to Burma, by John Smith

An account by Sergeant Smith of his career with the Green Howards in the Second Battalion from 1940 through to 1946.

Timeline 1952 - 1956

The chronology of the fourth raising of the Second Battalion.

National Servicemen in the Second Battalion

An account of National Servicemen of the time by Colonel Geoffrey Powell.

Suez, Active Service in the Canal Zone

An account of active service by a National Serviceman in the Suez Canal Zone, Stan Johnson

Cyprus

Jack Riordan describes service in Cyprus from 1954 through to 1956.

The Last Parade

The message from King Haakon of Norway that was read out to 250 men of the 2nd Battalion by the Colonel of the Regiment on the occasion of the final parade on 30 April 1956.

"Reformed"

Tom Heron describes how the Second Battalion have formed their own branch of the Association.