Mobilisation On the declaration of war 4th Royal Sussex mobilised at Horsham on 4 August 1914 TF units and formations were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service, and on 15 August 1914, the
War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later 3rd Line units were formed to train reinforcements for the others. In September the Home Counties Division began to send battalions to
Gibraltar to relieve the Regular garrison for active service with the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the
Western Front. Then at the end of October the whole division went to
India to replace the Regulars. However the attached Royal Sussex battalions remained in England.
1/4th Battalion Eventually 1/4th Royal Sussex was assigned to
53rd (Welsh) Division. This division had also sent a number of its units overseas, and now that it was being prepared for service its
Welsh Border Brigade was reformed as 160th Brigade comprising 1/4th Sussex and three composite battalions made up of companies from various 2nd Line Home Counties battalions. The battalion, now commanded by Lt-Col William Campion, with his brother the Rev Frederick Campion as chaplain, joined at
Cambridge on 24 April 1915, moving to
Bedford the following month to continue its training. On 2 July the division was ordered to refit for service in the
Mediterranean, where it was destined as reinforcements for the
Gallipoli Campaign. The battalion boarded two trains on 16 July for
Devonport Dockyard, where it embarked on the transport
Ulysses next day, with a strength of 29 officers and 969 other ranks (ORs).
Gallipoli The battalion arrived at
Alexandria on 28 July and moved to
Port Said. It then sailed for
Lemnos and landed on C Beach at
Suvla Bay on the night of 8/9 August. After spending the night on the beach it was sent to dig a trench, following which it went into divisional reserve. 1/4th Sussex was then sent to come under the orders of
33rd Bde of
11th (Northern) Division. This entailed crossing the open ground south of the Salt Lake under shellfire. It reported to 33rd Bde about 12.15, and at 13.00 it was ordered up to support the left of 33rd Bde's attack on Scimitar Hill, which was falling back. The
Official History records that the orders given to Lt-Col Campion 'were vague in the extreme. The colonel was verbally told "to restore the line". No one knew where it was, but he was told that "if he went in that direction (pointing to a column of smoke from the burning scrub) he ought to find the
2/4th Queen's".' The 1/4th Sussex advanced steadily in extended order, every man with an extra 100 rounds of ammunition and the rear company carrying entrenching tools. By chance it found the 2/4th Queen's lining a ditch, having been driven off the crest, and came in on its northern flank. This forward position was untenable because of the burning
scrubland and enfilade fire from the right flank, so the battalion fell back and consolidated a line of old Turkish trenches facing Scimitar Hill. In its first action the battalion had suffered casualties amounting to 1 officer and 11 ORs killed, 3 officers and 60 ORs wounded and missing. This, together with scattering, left the battalion with a frontline fighting strength of just 250. The battalion held this trench next day while other formations tried to attack, then was relieved on 11 August, returning to the beach next day. It then worked on trenches until 22 August when two companies went up into the line. The whole battalion went to the rest camp at the end of the month. It returned to the front line from 6 to 12 September, where it came under constant sniper fire and fought off a
Turkish bombing attack on 11 September. Another trench tour from 16 to 19 September saw less sniping but heavy enemy shellfire. 160th Bde was then sent to the Lala Baba area to prepare defences for the beachhead and winter quarters for the troops. The Sussex men named one dangerous gully '
Devil's Dyke' after a well-known landmark on the Sussex Downs. (Lieutenant-Col Campion went home, where he later commanded 15th (Reserve) Bn
Royal Fusiliers in the UK and then went to France to command 6th (Service) Bn
Bedfordshire Regiment and 17th (Garrison) Bn Royal Sussex on the Western Front before returning to 1/4th Royal Sussex in 1918,
see below.). By mid-December the decision had been made to shut down the Suvla front, and 53rd (W) Division began to be evacuated. 160th Brigade was the last to go, on 13 December, transported from South Pier to
Mudros Harbour. There the battalion boarded HM Transport
Haverford and was taken to
Alexandria, where it disembarked on 19 December and Lt-Col Ashworth from England took over command.
Egypt 53rd (Welsh) Division began a long period of rest and recuperation guarding the
Nile Valley in
Egypt. The battalion (now simply the 4th Royal Sussex, since the 2/4th and 3/4th Bns had disappeared,
see below) slowly regained its fitness from regular route marches, and strength from the receipt of several reinforcement drafts from home. It spent June working on defences along the
Suez Canal, based at Ferry Post. When the Turks attacked the defences from
Sinai in August 1916, leading to the
Battle of Romani, only part of 53rd Division was actually engaged. The 4th Royal Sussex was brought up by train but saw no action; nevertheless it was later awarded the battle honours
Rumani and
Egypt 1915–1917. It then resumed its training. The
Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) began its own advance across Sinai to launch the
Sinai and Palestine Campaign in December 1916, and 4th Royal Sussex marched into the new base at
el Arish on 3 February.
Gaza In March 1917 the EEF advanced towards
Gaza, with 53rd (W) Division in the
Desert Column. The
First Battle of Gaza began at 03.30 on 26 March, when 160th Bde advanced to cross Wadi Ghazzee, led by 4th Royal Sussex, which began crossing at 03.45. Shortly afterwards, fog rolled in from the sea, slowing the advance, but the brigade pushed on to Esh Sheluf ahead of schedule and 4th Royal Sussex secured the most prominent knoll on the Es Sire Ridge by 05.10. There was then a delay before the attack began shortly after 11.45. 160th Brigade immediately came under
shrapnel fire but advanced rapidly with 4th Royal Sussex on the right. By 13.30 the brigade had captured 'The Labyrinth', a maze of entrenched gardens, but now the battalion, advancing up the centre of the Es Sire Ridge, suffered heavy casualties, lost its commanding officer (Lt-Col Ashworth) killed, and fell back in some disorder from the crest. At 16.00, reinforced from the reserve, the battalion advanced again and by 18.30 the whole position had been secured and the Turks were running back into Gaza. But events had not gone so well elsewhere, and 53rd (W) Division was ordered to pull back. It was then ordered to reoccupy the ridge, then finally withdrawn again. By 28 March it was back on its starting position behind Wadi Ghazzee. 4th Royal Sussex had lost four officers and 24 ORs killed, 11 officers and 154 ORs wounded, and 59 ORs missing. A
second attempt to take Gaza began on 17 April, and 53rd (W) Division attacked up the coast road in the second phase on 19 April. The objective for 160th Brigade was Samson Ridge, 4th Royal Sussex advancing in support of
2/10th Middlesex Regiment, who became pinned down about short of the Turkish
redoubt at the top. Just before midday, A and C Companies were sent up to join 2/10th Middlesex's successful assault on the redoubt. The rest of the 4th Sussex came up and began consolidating the position taken. The attack elsewhere had failed and 53rd (W) Division could advance no further. 4th Royal Sussex was relieved that night, having lost 15 ORs killed and one officer and 50 ORs wounded. There followed a pause of several months while the EEF was reorganised. The battalion took its turns of duty in the 'Dumbbell Hill' and 'Fusilier Ridge' trenches facing Gaza, and carried out training when out of the line. By 1 October it had been reinforced by drafts from home and men returning from hospital to a strength of 27 officers and 984 ORs. In preparation for the
Third Battle of Gaza 53rd (W) Division was moved inland and 4th Sussex took up outpost positions along Wadi Hanafish on 26 October without encountering the enemy. There it dug in while the battle began on 28 October. After the
Desert Mounted Corps had outflanked the Gaza–
Beersheba line, 4th Royal Sussex crossed the wadi on 31 October and marched with 160th Bde through Beersheba next day. On 3 November 53rd (W) Division was sent to take the heights of
Tel el Khuweilfe, 4th Royal Sussex supporting 2/4th Queen's, which made the attack. The day was hot, and the troops suffered greatly from thirst as they laboured over the rough ground while the enemy held the high ground and the water supplies. After sunset a patrol of 4th Royal Sussex got round the enemy and approached the wells before returning. Next morning the battalion withdrew a little to allow the artillery to bombard the Turkish positions, then attacked with B and D Companies forming the firing line, supported by overhead fire from artillery and machine guns. 4th Royal Sussex captured the high ground but was unable to advance further because of enfilading machine gun fire. Finally some food and water were got up to the troops. Two days later (6 November) the battalion advanced again behind a
Creeping barrage under command of
158th (North Wales) Bde. The first line of hills was captured with minimal opposition (20 prisoners were taken), but the next line had to be stormed with the bayonet by three companies. 158th Brigade then consolidated the position and drove off several counter-attacks during the day. 53rd (W) Division was preparing to renew its attack on Tel el Khuweilfe when the Turks began to withdraw.
Jerusalem From 9 to 22 November the battalion was holding an outpost line, and then was withdrawn for rest and training while the rest of the EEF pushed the defeated Turks back towards
Jerusalem. At the beginning of December 53rd (W) Division rejoined the fighting, advancing up the
Hebron road through the
Judean Hills in fog and rain to threaten Jerusalem from the south. Jerusalem fell on 9 December, the advance guard of 53rd (W) Division entering the city that day. Next day 4th Royal Sussex were sent to
Bethlehem to protect the telephone line that was continually being cut. The companies were spread along the line in
bivouacs and patrolled constantly. The rest of the division pushed on towards
Jericho. After taking over positions on the
Mount of Olives and then at
Abu Dis, 4th Royal Sussex made an attack on 17 December. A and B Companies advanced under and artillery barrage took the objectives of 'Scrag Hill' and 'Sussex Ridge', which the battalion consolidated and held until 27 December when it was relieved. The Turks counter-attacked on 27 December with the intention of recapturing Jerusalem. 4th Royal Sussex had to send three companies up next day to support 2/10th Middlesex, who were under attack at Deir Ibn Obeid, and then covered their withdrawal. However the Turkish counter-offensive failed, and they were seen to be retiring. The battalion was relieved in the outpost line on 1 January and went into divisional reserve at Ramallah until 12 January when it returned to the line, which was quiet. From 20 January to the end of February the battalion was alternately working on road repairs and holding the line, occasionally taking another small piece of territory without serious opposition.
Western Front The success of the
German Spring Offensive on the
Western Front led the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to demand urgent reinforcements from Palestine. 4th Sussex left 53rd (W) Division on 30 May 1918 and travelled by road and train to
Kantara in Egypt, where it was brought up to full strength with drafts. On 17 June it embarked on the transport
Malwa and after landing at
Taranto in Italy it proceeded by rail to
Proven in Flanders. On arrival on 30 June it joined
101st Brigade in
34th Division. 34th Division had been virtually destroyed in the Spring battles, and was being reconstituted with battalions from Palestine. As soon as this was complete it was sent to reinforce the French sector of the front. When the Germans launched the last effort of their Spring Offensive on 15 July (the
Second Battle of the Marne), the division was diverted and by the evening of 18 July was concentrated round
Senlis. The infantry were moved up by lorry and by 03.00 on 23 July had completed the relief of a French division in the front line. Next day the 34th Division joined in the French counter-attack (the
Battle of the Soissonnais and the Ourcq); 4th Royal Sussex was in brigade reserve in a wood and immediately came under German shellfire and began suffering casualties. On 29 July the division attacked again to capture
Beugneux Ridge. 4th Royal Sussex was assembled along the railway line and began its advance on a two-company front behind a creeping barrage at 04.10. The battalion pushed forward through a German defensive barrage that included
Tear gas, and had progressed over a mile by 06.00, when a halt was made on the Green Line. But when the battalion resumed the attack, the morning fog had lifted and it was stopped in the wood by machine gun fire. Communication problems meant that supporting French artillery fire could not be called down, but the wood was stormed with the bayonet. The battalion had lost 4 officers and 42 ORs killed and died of wounds, 4 officers and 125 ORs wounded, and 29 ORs missing. The attack was renewed on 1 August, 4th Royal Sussex once again in the lead, though now weak in numbers and obliged to put in three companies to complete the first line. Nevertheless, the attack launched in fog and smoke at 04.49 had achieved its objectives by 06.00 as the Germans retired in disorder. The battalion lost another 41 ORs killed, wounded and missing. After the battle, the division entrained to return to the British front. Lt-Col Campion's command, 6th (S) Bn Bedfords, having been disbanded, he was free to return to the 4th Royal Sussex, and resumed command of the battalion on 14 August. The division then went into reserve, with 4th Royal Sussex bivouacked beside the canal until it took over the front line on 7 October. On 12 October two platoons from the regiment carried out a raid on a
pillbox in front of the lines, and took a prisoner for identification without losing a casualty. The battalion pushed up towards the
River Lys on 15 October, and when the
Battle of Courtrai was launched on 16 October, it crossed the river by a footbridge without opposition at dusk. 101st Brigade was in divisional reserve during the next attacks, and the whole division was withdrawn into reserve on 1 November. It was still refitting and training when the
Armistice with Germany came into force on 11 November. 34th Division began to move forward on 14 November, reaching the
Dendre on 18 November. It was selected to form part of the Army of Occupation in Germany, and continued to carry out light training, although 'pivotal men' were
demobilised. Between 12 and 19 December it advanced to the area south-west of
Namur, where it was
billeted. On 17 January 1919 it entrained for the
Rhine and by 29 January it completed taking over its sector of the
Cologne Bridgehead. On 15 March 34th Division was renamed Eastern Division in
British Army of the Rhine, and its infantry battalions began to be replaced by Regular units. The
Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. Part of these units' role was now physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and on 1 January 1917 the remaining battalions became numbered battalions of their parent units. 72nd Provisional Bn had disappeared, probably absorbed into 70th Provisional Bn (originally formed from the men of 5th and 6th Bns,
East Surrey Regiment), which now became
15th Battalion, Royal Sussex. 70th Provisional Bn had been at
Burnham-on-Sea as part of
8th Provisional Bde when that brigade was expanded into
72nd Division in November 1916. The battalion joined
215th Bde. The division moved from
Somerset to Eastern England, and 15th Sussex was stationed at Bedford by January 1917 and at
Ipswich by May. Early in 1918, 72nd Division began to be broken up: 15th Sussex moved to Cambridge where it was disbanded (sources give various dates between 28 March and 19 August 1918). ==Interwar==