The 13th (Service) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, (13th KRRC) was an infantry unit recruited as part of 'Kitchener's Army' in World War I.

On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army.

The newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward.

[1][2] 13th (Service) Battalion was formed as part of K3 at the Kings Royal Rifle Corps' regimental depot at Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, on 7 October 1914.

After initial training at the crowded barracks at Winchester, the new battalion went by rail to 21st Division's tented camp at Halton Park, near Wendover in Buckinghamshire.

[5][6][8][9] In July orders arrived for the division to move to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front.

[4][5][6][8][9][10][11][12][13] The battalions of 111th Bde began providing working parties and then in mid-August went up by companies to be attached to units of 12th (Eastern) Division near Armentières for their introduction to trench warfare.

[15][16] In February the brigade went back into the line, taking over from the French some trenches at Le Gastineau, a few miles north of the Gommecourt Salient.

[17][18] 13th KRRC had been in France almost a year and had still not participated in any major action, but the BEF was now preparing for that summer's 'Big Push' (the Battle of the Somme).

The artillery bombardment began on 23 June and 111th Bde supplied working parties to carry forward gas cylinders for release when the assault was launched on 1 July.

[31][32][33][34] 37th Division took over command of the sector on 15 November, and that night 10th RF was sent up to relieve 13th KRRC, discovering and capturing a party of Germans still in the trenches when they arrived.

Although they reached Muck Trench it was under shellfire and the strongpoints could not be established in daylight; eventually two posts were set up after dark with the assistance of 152nd Field Company, Royal Engineers.

[38][39] 111th Brigade's (and Third Army's) objective for this attack was the village of Monchy-le-Preux on the high ground above the River Scarpe, and the operation was carefully rehearsed.

The attack was to begin on 9 April after four days of bombardment, with the assaulting formations taking a succession of objectives, the Black, Blue and Brown lines.

The fresh 37th Division waiting in the Arras suburbs would then pass through to capture the final (Green Line) objective, just beyond Monchy, but it was unclear whether this could be tackled on the first day.

111th Brigade was held up by uncut barbed wire and its supporting tank broke down; the opportunity to seize Monchy on the first day was lost.

111th Brigade followed and launched its assault about 12.00 in a snowstorm from the northern slope of Orange Hill, with 10th and 13th RF in the lead and 13th KRRC in support.

However, the machine gun fire from the village and from the north side of the river brought 10th and 13th RF to a halt about 500 yards (460 m) short of Monchy.

Progress was slow and casualties heavy, but 13th KRRC on the right and 13th RB on the left finally made their way to Monchy, followed by 10th RF, who stormed into the village itself about 11.00.

[51] The brigade was relieved on 3 September and after resting at Kemmel did further tours of duty in the front and reserve lines and provided working parties, suffering some casualties from Mustard gas shelling and raids.

[8][9][52][53][54] 13th KRRC spent the following months training, providing working parties, and holding the line in the Hollebeke and White Chateau sector of the Salient, where raiding and gas attacks were common.

Although heavily shelled, Second Army was not attacked and quickly despatched reinforcements south to help stem the enemy advance.

The village was subjected to a saturation bombardment with high explosive and gas shells on the night of 11 May, causing heavy casualties to 10th RF; 13th KRRC relieved the shattered battalion on 13 May.

111th Bde advanced at 11.00 with 13th KRRC and 13th RB in line behind the creeping barrage, supported by tanks, the two battalion COs carrying flags.

When the British barrage began at 05.30 the battalion moved off promptly, and although machine guns were active in Trescault village the opposition was soon overrun.

[8][9][66][67][68][69] The Allies carried out a series of coordinated attacks along the Western Front on 26–29 September, including an assault crossing of part of the Canal du Nord.

On 30 September 111th Bde found that the German bridgehead at Banteux had been abandoned, and closed up to form an outpost line along the bank of the Escaut Canal.

On 11 November the division moved to Caudry, and during the march the men were told that the Armistice with Germany had come into force at 11.00, bringing hostilities to an end.

These stripes were red for A Company, dark blue for B, purple for C and green for D.[84][14] 37th Division's memorial is at Monchy-le-Preux, scene of its greatest success.

[9][85][86][87] The KRRC's World War I memorial, with sculpture by John Tweed, stands near the west door of Winchester Cathedral.