12th
Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
(2nd South Downs)
12th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment 1915 (©Paul Reed)
Researching a man from this battalion? See my WW1 Research page.
This battalion was
formed on 3rd November 1914 by Lieutenant Colonel Claude Lowther MP
and Committee. The main recruiting office was at Bexhill-on-Sea, but men came
from all over
All original
enlistments were given an "SD" (
Training took place at
Cooden Camp, near Bexhill, from November 1914 until July 1915. At this stage the
War Office took over direct control of the battalion and it moved to Detling
Camp, near Maidstone in
It crossed to
It served on the Western Front with 116th Brigade, 39th Division until the Spring of 1918. CSM Nelson Victor Carter of the battalion was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his bravery at Richebourg on 30th June 1916.
The 12th Battalion was disbanded on 8th February 1918, and personnel went largely to the 11th and 13th Battalions, although some went to the 8th (Pioneer) Battalion as well.
Battles and Engagements
1916
30 June Boar’s Head, Richebourg [D Company only]
Battles of the Somme
3 September Fighting on the Ancre [Hamel]
26-28 September Battle of the Thiepval Ridge
5 October – 11 November Battle of the Ancre Heights
14 October Capture of the Schwaben Redoubt
21 October Capture of Stuff Trench
13 & 14 November Battle of the Ancre
1917
Battles of Ypres (3rd Ypres)
31 July – 2 August Battle of the Pilckem Ridge
16-18 August Battle of Langemarck
20-25 September Battle of the Menin Road Ridge
29 October – 10 November Second Battle of Passchendaele
1918
First Battles of the Somme
22-23 March Battle of St Quentin
24-25 March Actions on the Somme crossings
24-25 March Battle of Bapaume
26-27 March Battle of Rozieres
Battles of the Lys
16 April Fighting on the Wytschaete Ridge
17-19 April First Battle of Kemmel Ridge
25-26 April Second Battle of Kemmel Ridge
29 April Battle of the Scherpenberg
©PAUL REED 2004