Its successor units served in air defence during the early part of World War II, and later as anti-tank gunners in the Burma Campaign.

[4][5][8][9] On 14 June 1871, retired Major-General John Hinde, CB, (1814–81) formerly of the 8th Foot, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Birmingham Rifles.

[8][10][11] On 4 March 1882 he was succeeded by Colonel William Swynfen Jervis, late of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and one of the founders of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

[8][12][13] In its early months the battalion paraded at Beardsworth's Horse Repository, but as numbers grew it moved at the invitation of the Cattle Show committee to Bingley Hall.

When the show committee also let the hall to a circus for three months in the spring of 1879, the battalion was temporarily housed in Mr Wiley's factory in Graham Street.

[3][4][5][6] The Stanhope Memorandum of 1888 proposed a Mobilisation Scheme for units of the Volunteer Force, which would assemble by brigades at key points in case of war.

The contingent left Birmingham on 17 January 1900 and joined the 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshires, taking part in six actions at Elandsfontein, Pretoria, Pienaarsport, Diamond Hill, Edendale and Belfast.

[19][20][21] On the outbreak of war in August 1914, the units of the South Midland Division had just arrived at Rhyl for annual training when orders recalled them to their home depots for mobilisation.

[20][21][24][25][26][27][28] The South Midland Division was selected to proceed to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) early in 1915.

Carrington persuaded his superiors not to withdraw his men, and the following morning the cut-off main German position surrendered.

[20][26] When the Austrians attacked the Asiago Plateau during the Battle of the Piave River on 15 June, 1/5th Bn was occupying the Cesuna re-entrant.

A and C Companies were in support between the Cesuna switch trench and Battalion HQ at Perghele Farm., a high promontory with steep clear slopes to the front and sides.

When Battalion HQ went forward to investigate, the acting CO, second-in-command, adjutant and intelligence officer all became casualties, leaving Regimental Serjeant-Major Townley to take charge once more.

The 1/5th Battalion took part in other engagements during August and September in the Mount Kaberlaba sector, returning to Granezza between each tour of duty.

[34] At the end of October, the Austrians began to withdraw (the Battle of Vittorio Veneto) and 143rd Bde followed up along the Valle d'Assa, covering up to 14 miles (23 km) per day.

Led by 1/5th Bn, it reached Osteria del Termine on 2 November, being the first British formation to enter enemy territory on the European fronts.

[3] The 2/5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment was formed in Birmingham in October 1914, but at first the men lived at home, and little or nothing was available in terms of uniforms, arms or equipment.

It was not until the 2nd South Midland Division concentrated at Northampton in January 1915 that the men were issued with .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles with which to train.

[3][21][25][27][36][37] In February and March 1916 the units of 61st Division moved to Salisbury Plain to begin final training for overseas service.

Final leave was granted in April and May and the division entrained for France, concentrating at IX Corps' rest area by 28 May.

[21][25][27][36] The 3/5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment formed in Birmingham in May 1915 and joined the South Midland Reserve Group, moving to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

Part of the unit's role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting oversea, and 18th Royal Warwicks remained in the East Coast defences for the rest of its service.

[3][21][39][40] The 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was reformed on 7 February 1920 when the TF was reconstituted (retitled Territorial Army (TA) in 1921).

[52][53][54] The battalion established its HQ at Kingstanding Drill Hall, and the S/L sites were manned by 380 and 381 AA Companies, with HQs at Halesowen and Maxstoke Castle respectively.

[50] The regiment supplied a cadre of experienced officers and men to 237th S/L Training Rgt at Holywood, County Down, where it provided the basis for a new 552 S/L Bty formed on 16 January 1941.

The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or Night fighters.

It docked at Durban on 14 April and the regiment went into camp for six weeks before re-embarking on HMT Strathmore on 14 May, to land at Bombay on 10 June.

[86][87] Early in July 1944, infantry units of the division started to fly from Ledo into Myitkyina airfield in North Burma to reinforce the US-led Northern Combat Area Command.

[91] During early February 1945, a further reorganisation took place: 168 and 402 Btys were now wholly equipped with 3-inch mortars, leaving only F Trp, 321 Bty, with 6-pounders.

[78][91][94] Once at Poona, the regiment rested and reorganised, while 36th Division where it went into training for Operation Zipper, the proposed amphibious invasion of Malaya.