HISTORY OF THE "SHINY SEVENTH"The 7th London Battalion - Compiled C Digby Planck

"Shiny Seventh" was the nickname of the 7th (City of London) Battalion The London Regiment which, prior to the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908, had been the 3rd City of London Rifle Volunteers. This history tells the story from those early beginnings to the end of WWII including the period between wars when, in 1936, the the regiment's role changed from infantry to searchlight and the title to 32nd (7th City of London) AA Battalion, RE., TA. Most of the book, some 200 pages, is concerned with the Great War and the record of the two active battalions, 1/7th and 2/7th. The 1/7th landed in France in March 1915 with 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division (in May these became 140th Brigade, 47th Division) and remained with it till January 1918. Its first major action was at Festubert and subsequently it fought at Loos, Vimy, High Wood (the divisional memorial stands today) Butte de Warlencourt, Messines and Cambrai. 2/7th was raised in September 1914 and landed in France in January 1917 with 174th Brigade 58th Division fighting its first major battle at Bullecourt in May and then took part in the Third Ypres offensive. In January 1918, following the reorganisation of the BEF from four to three battalion brigades the two battalions amalgamated becoming 7th London, in 174th Brigade 58th Division in which it served to the end of the war. The narrative includes extracts from letters, diaries and articles written by officers and men, casualty details are given as they occur and gallantry awards and other incidents. One of the diaries quoted from is that of K.O.Peppiatt whose signature used to appear on our banknotes before WWII. The inter-war years and WWII are only briefly covered and the Roll of Honour for The Great War (none for WWII)has the one list, officers and men of both battalions, in alphabetical order but without identifying the battalion; Honours and Awards are shown under 1/7th and the combined 2/7th and 7th. Other appendices give the succession of Honorary Colonels and provide details of Regimental Colours and Battle Honours. There is plenty of local interest which would certainly have jogged the memories of the Old Comrades.