Formed in the Territorial Force in February 1914, it remained in the United Kingdom throughout the First World War.

After the war, in 1920, it was converted to infantry and became the 5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, in the Territorial Army.

From being close allies in the Crimean War (October 1853 – February 1856), Anglo-French relations had deteriorated to such an extent that by 1859 an invasion of Britain seemed a real possibility.

An attempt to assassinate the French Emperor, Napoleon III, by Italian nationalists – the Orsini affair – had been linked to Britain as the bombs used in the attempt had been made and tested in England, coupled with the British Government's refusal to restrict the right of asylum.

With the regular British Army stretched in the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny (May 1857 – June 1858), a popular movement saw the creation of the Volunteer Force.

After protracted negotiations with the War Office, agreement was reached in March 1913 that the Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion could be formed.

Once established, men of the two Huntingdonshire companies of the 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, were allowed to transfer and almost all did so.

[6] Its headquarters were at St Mary's Street drill hall, Huntingdon, and it had the following companies:[2] The battalion was in Eastern Command, unattached to any higher formation.

Infantry were no longer to be included as Army Troops or part of the Coastal Defence Forces so the pre-war total of 208 battalions had to be reduced by 40.

[15] The increasing need to defend against attack from the air led to a number of Territorial Army units being converted to the anti-aircraft role in the 1930s and a major reorganisation in 1938 saw the TA divisions reduced from twelve to nine battalions.

[17][e] By 1939 it became clear that a new European war was likely to break out and, as a direct result of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia on 15 March,[16] the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit and formation forming a duplicate.

[22] When the Germans invaded France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940, the BEF moved forward to occupy pre-planned positions in Belgium (the Dyle Plan).

The brigade took part in the Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal (26 – 28 May)[22] but the rapid German breakthrough into France forced the BEF into a withdrawal to Dunkirk.

[24] The battalion left the United Kingdom on 16 October 1942 and deployed to French North Africa where it took part in Operation Torch, landing in Algeria on 9 November 1942.

[22][29][30][h] The battalion was transferred to Egypt on 17 July for rest and refitting, arriving back in Italy on 16 September.

[j] It remained with the brigade in the United Kingdom for most of the war, including a considerable stint in Northern Ireland from June 1940 to February 1943.

[40] On 12 February, the battalion moved with the brigade to North West Europe where it remained until the end of the war[20] serving variously under the direct command of VIII, XII and I Corps.

TA units were reactivated on 1 January 1947, though no personnel were assigned until commanding officers and permanent staff had been appointed in March and April 1947.