South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)

The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)

was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1958. It was formed as part of the Childers reforms as the Prince of Wales's Volunteers Regiment (South Lancashire Regiment) by the amalgamation of the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot and the 82nd (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) Regiment of Foot. In 1938, it was renamed the South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers) and in 1958 was amalgamated with The East Lancashire Regiment to form The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers)

Second World War

The 1st Battalion was shipped to France on the outbreak of war as part of the 4th Infantry Division, British Expeditionary Force, returning to England via Dunkirk in 1940, when it became part of the 3rd Infantry Division. With this Division, it landed at Sword Beach on D-Day and fought its way through the Normandy, the Netherlands and later the invasion of Germany.

The 2nd Battalion was in Bombay in 1939, being transported back to England in July 1940 to defend Britain against the expected German invasion. In 1942, it was part of Force 121, which invaded Madagascar in order to prevent use of the island by the Japanese. From April 1944 until the end of the war, it fought in the recapture of Burma.