User:Hamish59/Durham Artillery Volunteers

The Northern Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle infantry battalion of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army. Formed in 1908, it served in the United Kingdom throughout the First World War and in 1920 it was converted as part of the Royal Artillery.

Formation
The battalion was newly raised at Sunderland in October 1908 as a bicycle infantry battalion of the British Army's Territorial Force. Initially designated as the 8th (Cyclist) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, in 1910 it was separated from the regiment and redesignated as the independent Northern Cyclist Battalion.

In August 1914, the battalion was headquartered at the Drill Hall, Hutton Terrace, Sandyford Road in Newcastle-on-Tyne and had the following companies: At the outbreak of the First World War, the battalion was in Northern Command, unattached to any higher formation. It was to be used as mobile infantry, and for work on signals, scouting and similar activities.''
 * A Company – Sunderland
 * B Company – Sunderland
 * C Company – West Hartlepool
 * D Company – Chester-le-Street
 * E Company – Newcastle-on-Tyne
 * F Company – Blyth
 * G Company – Whitley Bay
 * H Company – Newcastle-on-Tyne

First World War
In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, 3rd Line units were formed to act as reserves, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Lines.

1/1st Northern Cyclist Battalion
The battalion was mobilized on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and moved to its war station at Morpeth. In 1915 it was transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps. By 1916 it had moved to Alnwick where it remained as part of the Tyne Garrison until the end of the war. The battalion was disembodied on 24 January 1919.

2/1st Northern Cyclist Battalion
The 2nd Line battalion was formed in late 1914 and also remained in England throughout the war. In 1916 it was at Skegness and in June 1918 it was at Burton Constable as part of the Humber Garrison where it remained. The battalion was disbanded on 17 April 1919.

On 4 July 1915, the battalion provided personnel for the 10th Provisional Cyclist Company at Chapel St Leonards.

3/1st Northern Cyclist Battalion
The 3rd Line battalion was formed at Newcastle in 1915 to provide trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line battalions. It was disbanded in March 1916 and the men were posted to 1/1st and 2/1st Battalions and to the Machine Gun Corps.

Between the wars
The Territorial Force was disbanded after the First World War, although this was a formality and it was reformed in 1920. From 1 October 1921 it was renamed as the Territorial Army.

One major change with the new Territorial Army had an effect on the number of infantry battalions. The original 14 divisions were reformed with the pre-war standard of three brigades of four battalions each, for a total of 168 battalions. 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. This was achieved by either converting certain battalions to other roles, usually artillery or engineers, or by amalgamating pairs of battalions within a regiment. In particular, based on war time experience, the Army decided to dispense with cyclists units and the existing battalions were either disbanded or converted to artillery or signals units.

Medium artillery
The Northern Cyclist Battalion was reformed at Newcastle on 7 February 1920. Together with the former 3rd Northumbrian (County of Durham) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery it formed a medium artillery brigade of the Royal Garrison Artillery as 3rd (Northumbrian) Medium Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery:
 * Headquarters – absorbed HQ and Ammunition Column of 3rd Northumbrian (County of Durham) Brigade
 * 217th Medium Battery
 * 218th Medium Battery – formed from 1st Durham Battery
 * 219th Medium Battery – formed from 2nd Durham Battery
 * 220th Medium Battery – formed from 1st Durham Battery

In 1921, the brigade was redesignated as 55th (Northumbrian) Medium Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery. In 1924, the Royal Garrison Artillery was reamalgamated with the Royal Field Artillery to form the Royal Artillery and the brigade was redesignated as 55th (Northumbrian) Medium Brigade, Royal Artillery on 1 June 1924.

On 1 October 1932, 219th Medium Battery transferred to 54th (Durham and West Riding) Medium Brigade, Royal Artillery and was replaced by 152nd Heavy Battery of Tynemouth Heavy Brigade as 152nd Medium Battery.

Anti-Aircraft artillery
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. On 10 Decemner 1936, it was converted to 63rd (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery: On conversion, the brigade was assigned to 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Group in 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division.
 * 152nd Medium Battery – transferred to 64th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery
 * 176th AA Battery – formed by conversion of 217th Medium Battery
 * 177th AA Battery – formed by conversion of 218th Medium Battery
 * 178th AA Battery – formed by conversion of 220th Medium Battery
 * 269th AA Battery – formed on 1 November 1938 by conversion of "B" Company, 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry

The final change before the outbreak of the Second World War saw artillery brigades redesignated as regiments hence from 1 January 1939 it was 63rd (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. The regiment moved with 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade to the newly formed 7th Anti-Aircraft Division in June 1939.

Second World War
At the outbreak of the war the regiment was still assigned to the 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, 7th Anti-Aircraft Division. On 1 June 1940, "Anti-Aircraft" regiments were redesiganted as "Heavy Anti-Aircraft" regiments hence 63rd (Northumbrian) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. It remained in the United Kingdom until it moved to Ceylon, arriving in July 1942. Initially, it was assigned to the 1st Royal Marines Anti-Aircraft Brigade, then to 24th Anti-Aircraft Brigade from March 1943. In April 1944, it moved to Jubbulpore in India.

On 1 August 1944, the regiment was placed in suspended animation. Some personnel were used to form the 63rd Medium Battery, which joined 87th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery. It remained with 87th Medium Regiment in India until May 1945 when it was disbanded.

Post war
The Territorial Army was disbanded at the end of the Second World War but, again, this was a formality. 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. The regiment was formally reconstituted on 1 January 1947 at Sunderland as 463rd (Northumbrian) (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.


 * 463rd (Northumbrian) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
 * 1960.02.26 amalgamated with 437 (Durham Light Infantry) LAA Regiment RA


 * 444 - 473 Regiments 1947-67