Second World War
The regiment was again increased in size for the duration of the war, although not to such an extent as in 1914–1918. Firstly, prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, the entire Territorial Army was doubled in size, with each unit forming a duplicate. Secondly, a number of wartime battalions were formed.
| Battalion | Notes | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Regular battalion | North West Europe 1940, 1944 – 1945 |
| 2nd | Regular battalion | In India at outbreak of war. To United Kingdom in 1940. South Africa, Madagascar and East Africa 1942 –1943, India and Burma 1943 – 1945 |
| 4th | Territorial battalion. Formed 1939 when 4th/5th Battalion was duplicated. | North West Europe 1940 |
| 5th | Territorial battalion. Formed 1939 when 4th/5th Battalion was duplicated. | North West Europe 1944–1945. |
| 6th | Home Defence battalion formed August 1939. | Renumbered 30th 1941. |
| 7th | Raised 1940, disbanded 1941. | |
| 8th | Raised 1940 from 50th (Holding) Battalion, converted to 144th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps in 1941 and served in 33rd Armoured Brigade in the Normandy Landings. The regiment continued to wear its East Lancashire cap badge on the black beret of the RAC. On 1 March 1945 144 Regt RAC was redesignated 4th Royal Tank Regiment to replace the original 4th RTR, which had been lost at Tobruk in 1942. | |
| 30th (renumbered from 6th Battalion 1941) | Home Defence battalion | Disbanded 1943 |
| 50th | Holding battalion | Formed from the East Lancashire company of a Mixed Holding Battalion at Huyton; brought to full war establishment by a draft of men returned from the Dunkirk evacuation and renumbered 8th 1940. |
Read more about this topic: East Lancashire Regiment
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