Cap badge The Artists Rifles 28th London Regiment

28th (The Artists Rifles) Battalion, London Regiment were a unit of the Territorial Force with their HQ at Dukes Road, St Pancras diagonally opposite Euston Station. The Artists Rifles originated in May 1860 as a corps of rifle volunteers, formed by an art student, Edward Sterling, from members of the artistic professions. When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 it became the 28th Battalion, London Regiment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War second line and third line battalions were formed, the 2nd/28th an 3rd/28th. The Artists Rifles arrived in France at the end of October 1914 and became an Officers Training Corps (OTC) at Bailleul and in April 1915 it moved to St Omer. In November the 28th and 2nd/28th were merged and the battalion was sent to the front at the end of June 1917, allocated to the 190th Brigade, 63rd (RN) Division.