The Robin Hood Battalion

The Robin Hood (T) Battalion was a unit of the British Territorial Army.

History

It traced its history to the 1st Nottinghamshire (Robin Hood) Volunteer Rifle Corps which was formed by Adjutant Jonathan White on 15 November 1859 — one of many such 'corps' to be formed then, when at that time there was fear of war with France, a flurry of interest in establishing such volunteer corps took place. The unit was, also, simply known as the Robin Hood Rifles; the title's name being in honour of the legendary Robin Hood. With the formation of the Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment) in 1881, later the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), the Robin Hood Rifle's became its 3rd Volunteer Battalion.

In 1900 the Rifles, as a consequence of the Boer War, were increased in size substantially. Men of the Robin Hood Rifles saw active service in the war — which had been raging since 1899 — and returned home when it ended in 1902. On 1908, with further reforms of the armed forces taking place, the Battalion was redesginated as the 7th Battalion and the following year, the 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion.

On August 1914 the British Empire declared war on Germany after it had invaded Belgium, and the UK was now in the First World War.

On 19 September a duplicate battalion of the Robin Hoods was formed, and the original became the 1/7th. The 1/7th, as part of the 139th Brigade (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) of 46th (North Midland) Division, landed in France in February 1915. The Battalion saw heavy fighting at Hohenzollern Redoubt — a subsidiary action of the Battle of Loos — and was their first major battle. For his actions at Hohenzollern on 14 October, Temporary Captain Charles Geoffrey Vickers of the 1/7th won the Victoria Cross — the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy. On 1 July 1916 the Brigade the 1/7th Robin Hoods were part, sustained very severe casualties in the attack on Gommecourt Salient during the First Day of the Somme — the bloodiest day in the British Army's history, with over 60,000 casualties being incurred. The Battalion saw further service In France and absorbed the 2/7th on 31 January 1918.

The 2/7th Robin Hoods had, meanwhile, deployed o Ireland, helping to suppress the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin. It moved to France the following year, where it took part in many actions, including at 'Third Ypres' and Cambrai. As mentioned, it was absorbed by the 1/7th, with the Robin Hoods reverting to its original name, the 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion. On 7 May the 7th Robin Hoods were reduced to cadre strength. The First World War ended on 11 November 1918. On 14 June 1919 the Battalion was disbanded. The following year, on 7 February, it was reformed as the 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion.

During WWI, Captain Albert Ball — a prominent Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilot — won the Victoria Cross for his actions in 1917 and had previously been in the Robin Hoods.

On 10 December 1936, like many other Territorial units, the Robin Hoods were converted to the anti-aicraft role, and became the 42nd (The Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE. The Second World War began on 3 September 1939 with the British and their Allies declaration of war on Germany after it had invaded Poland on 1 September. In 1940 the Regiment became the 42nd (Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) Searchlight Regiment, RA. The Regiment saw action during the German Blitz against British cities. The Regiment landed in Normandy in 1944 and undertook similar duties during the North-West Europe campaign, being awaeded the Croix de Guerre by Belgium for their actions against German V1 and V2 rockets during the defence of Antwerp.

In 1946 the Robin Hoods were placed in 'suspended animation' while in Germany. The following year they were reconstitted into the TA as the 577th (The Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) Searchlight Regiment, RA. Further name changes took place throughthe 1940s and 1950s. On 10 March 1955 the Robin Hoods amalgamated with the 350th (The South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry) Heavy Regiment and 528th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (West Nottinghamshire), forming the 350th (The Robin Hood Foresters) Heavy Regiment, RA. The following year Heavy was changed to Light.

In 1961 the Regiment converted to Engineers, and the Robins Hoods became 350 (The Robin Hood Foresters) Field Squadron of the Royal Engineers. In 1967 it became The Robin Hood (Territorial) Battalion, returning to the Sherwood Foresters and becoming a TAVR III (Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve) infantry unit. In 1969 the Robin Hoods became the Robin Hood (T) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters, RE and being reduced to cadre strength and sponsored by 72 Engineer Regiment, RE. In 1971, with further defence reforms, the Robin Hoods became D (Robin Hood Foresters) Company, 3rd (V) Battaliion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. In 1992 the company discarded its association with the Robin Hood title when it became the HQ Company; the company was disbanded in 1999.

The name is presently (as of 2005) maintained by A (Robin Hood Rifles) Company, Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force of the Army Cadet Force.