King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

The King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment and it's connection with Dover, Kent.

Stationed in Dover, 1911-14

1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment disembarkation of the Colours, 10th January 1913.
Accession Number: KO0065/16

The Corps of Drums of the 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, at Grand Shaft Barracks, Dover, 1914.
Accession Number: KO0205/01

Corps of Drums of the 1st Battalion, King's Own at Dover, July 1914.  "Seated on the right of the Drum Major, W R Thompson, is Sergeant Collins who was killed in action a few weeks later.  This was the last photograph taken of the Drums before the outbreak of the 1914 War, for within a month the Drums ceased to exist, many of the Drummers being killed, wounded or captured on 26th August 1914, near Haucourt and Le Cateau, France.  The drums were purchased from Henry Potter and Co of Aldershot in 1913.  They were stored away and replaced by drums issued by Ordnance for use on Active Service.  These were lost during the retirement from Mons.  In the centre of the group and wearing a leopard skin apron presented by Captain W A T Somerville DSO is Drummer Johnson.  On 26th August 1914 he was surrounded and captured while wielding his bayonet, and spent four years in Germany.
Only two of the group were married - Sergeant Collins and Drummer Ford who is seated fourth from the right of the Drum Major.  The marriage of Ford took place in the Guardroom of Grand Shaft Barracks, Dover, because war on Germany had been declared and the troops were confined to Barracks on mobilisation, 4th August 1914.  After the wedding the bride departed in tears."  W R Thompson, July 1959.
Accession Number KO1121/119

Drum Major Wilfred R Thompson, 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment, Dover, 1914.
From the daughter of Drum Major Thompson:
“Drums at Dover
My father as Drum Major had an eventful time with the Boys in the Drums, while they were at Dover Castle. Their worst exploit was the scaling of some part of the building, and the destruction of a chimney by pushing it until it fell from the roof to the ground.
Punishment was by caning of bared rear, the culprit leaning over a table and the rest of the boys drawn up in a semi-circle to witness what might befall them. The Drum Major officiated. My father hated these occasions; once he jibbed and delegated the duty, since the victim was the son of a former Drum Major who had given him the treatment some 10 years before.
These were no doubt the boys who were reported to have fired the first British shots of the war in Dover Harbour…..”
Accession Number: KO1318/06

Volume Three of the Regimental History by Colonel J M Cowper tells the story of the first British shots of the war:

"On 4th August 1914 orders to mobilise reached the 1st Battalion, King’s Own, then stationed in Dover. The battalion promptly found the pre-arranged guards on the breakwater forts, and within thirty-five minutes they were embarked by launch and on their way to their posts. The Royal Navy was soon at work sweeping German shipping from the seas, and among the vessels brought into the harbour was a sailing ship which, like the others, required a military guard. Every man of the garrison was already committed, so the band boys of the King’s Own were detailed for this duty. The German crew kept below, but in the middle of the night the ship’s cook thought it safe to put out a cautious head in search of air. He was greeted by a volley which did more credit to the alertness of the band boys than to their marksmanship. It also gave them the distinction of firing the first shots of the war."

'A' Company, 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at Dover, circa 1913-1914.
Rear row: Coxen; Lance Corporal Clarke; Lance Corporal Nevard; Clifford; Bandsman Thompson; Lance Corporal Millings; Corporal Clucas; Corporal Wilson; unknown; Lance Corporal Casson; Unknown; Unknown.
Fourth standing row: Mechan; Taylor; Cranny; Dye; Green; Connors; unknown; Davies; Lance Corporal Andrews; McLoughlin; Mackay; Fitzpatrick; unknown; Jones; unknown; unknown; unknown; Gooding; Buckby.
Third standing row: Tingley; unknown; Lance Corporal Fox; unknown; Riley; Rayson; Roberts; McKenzie; unknown; unknown; unknown; Irvine; Rushton; Clark; Haines; Lumley; Cooney; Smith; Kaye.
Second standing row: Long; unknown; Shaw; Reid; unknown; Roe; unknown; unknown; Mckenzie; Blyth; unknown; unknown; Hall; Cornthwaite; Weaver; unknown; Rogers; Taylor; Ashton.
First standing row: Corporal Warwick; Lance Corporal Cook; unknown; Pascoe; unknown; Lance Corporal Freaks; Bowles; Bradford; Hudson; Phillips; Dent; Wrigley; unknown; unknown; Smith; Connor; unknown.
First seated row: Sergeant Mullen; Sergeant Underwood; Band Sergeant Bowles; Sergeant Drummer Thompson; Colour Sergeant Murphy; 2nd Lt Aitcheson; Lt Keith; Captain Somerville; Captain Grover; Lt Pott; Lt Statter; Colour Sergeant Coney; Sergeant Linton; Sergeant Roley; Sergeant Williams; Sergeant Wood; Sergeant Crane; Sergeant Collran; Sergeant Maher.
Front row seated on ground: Boys: Johnson; Bagnall; Simmons; Trevathan; Bates; Jones; Pugh; Millings; Godley; Drummer Wilson.
Accession Number: KO0116/18 and KO0460/01

Officers of the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, at Dover 1912.
Back row: Lieutenant H C E Jebb; 2nd Lieutenant V L de Cordova; 2nd Lieutenant L R Hibbert; Lieutenant Birley
Standing: Lieutenant J F B Morrell MVO; Lieutenant H D Stokes; Captain J Bois; Lieutenant D C Robinson; Lieutenant A J Pott; Lieutenant T B Forwood; Lieutenant and Quartermaster T H Johnson; 2nd Lieutenant M C Peake
Seated: Captain A G Joiner; Captain N L S Lysons; Major H H Wilson; Major A R S Martin; Lieutenant Colonel G L Hibbert DSO; Captain and Adjutant J A Nixon; Captain G E Weatherhead; Captain J H Morrah; Captain R N Dobson.
Front row: 2nd Lieutenants W Thorne; R C Matthews; J E E Packard.
Accession Number: KO0134/09 and KO0724/08

Sergeants of the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, at Dover 1912.
Accession Number: KO0134/10

2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Jack the Band Pet.  South Fort Barracks, Dover, circa 1911.
Accession Number: KO0471/02

Seven soldiers who appear to be members of 'B' Company, 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, probably in Dover.  The postcard is postally used and postmarked 'Dover' 26th September 1912.
Accession Number: KO1597/05

'A' Company, 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at Dover, 1913.
Accession Number: KO0340/02

'C' Company, 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at South Front Barracks, Dover, 1911 or 1912.
Accession Number: KO0459/01

'C' Company, 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at South Front Barracks, Dover, 1911 or 1912.
Accession Number: KO0471/01

2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment on parade at Dover, 1912.
Accession Number: KO0724/09

The photograph is taken at Dover and is men of the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, in April 1912, including Private Arthur Dalziel who is not identified in the photograph.  The message on the rear indicates they were about to go to Lydd.
Accession Number: KO2950/89

Two regimental officers, Lieutenant W A L Thorne and Lieutenant J E E Packard at Dover, 1911.
Accession Number: KO2477/40 (Album)

Unknown group of soldiers of the 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment at Dover, circa 1914.
Accession Number: KO2709/23

1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Officers Cricket Team, June 1913.
Accession Number: KO0116/56