The Lincolnshire Regiment

The Lincolnshire

Regiment

Recruits from Bourne who wished to sign on for the regular army, whether from the volunteers or straight from civilian life, invariably joined the county's own unit, the Lincolnshire Regiment, and as a result, the various battalions made frequent visits to the town for recruiting purposes, ceremonial parades and just to show the flag.

The Royal Lincolnshire regiment was originally the 10th Foot and served with distinction around the world between 1685 and 1960. It was formed in 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment, raised from eleven independent companies in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the Plymouth Garrison. The unit was originally known by the names of its eight colonels until 1747 when it was ranked as 10th Foot, becoming the 10th Regiment of Foot in 1751.

Subsequent changes of name occurred in 1782 when it became the 10th (the North Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot and 1881 when it became the Lincolnshire Regiment, reorganised as the county regiment of Lincolnshire, encompassing also its militia and volunteer infantry units. The title was changed again in 1946 to The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and in 1960 it was amalgamated with The Northamptonshire Regiment to form 2nd East Anglian Regiment (the Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire).

In recent years, one of the most famous men to serve with the regiment came from the Bourne area. He was Charles Sharpe, a farmer's boy who ran away from home to enlist in the 2nd Battalion in 1905 when he was only 16, and served with distinction, being awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military decoration for gallantry in the field, during the Great War of 1914-18.

Encamped at the Wellhead field in 1897

In years past, there has always been a strong military interest in Bourne with hundreds of young men serving either as part time volunteers or full time soldiers and officers and men of the Lincolnshire Regiment have been regular visitors. The 2nd Battalion is shown here encamped at the Wellhead field on 1st September 1897 where training trenches had been dug for them. The date is exact because it is inscribed on the back of this rare photograph and the battalion appears to have been visiting as part of their annual manoeuvres in which the local volunteers would have taken part.

Recruiting parade in 1897

The 2nd Battalion is pictured here marching down West Street during a recruiting tour of the county in October 1897. The object of the march was to attract desirable young men to the colours and began at Ryhall, near Stamford, and finished at Sheffield, which was then the headquarters of the battalion. The men were received enthusiastically along the route and while encamped overnight near Stamford, the officers were entertained by the Marquess of Exeter at Burghley House while the men were given a smoking concert in the town.

The following day, the battalion marched through Bourne, accompanied by horse-drawn wagons carrying the food and baggage. The march was broken at midday when the battalion reached Market Deeping where the soldiers were given food and drink by residents who turned out in their hundreds to cheer. The march then continued to Spalding, Billingborough, Grantham, Sleaford, Boston, Spilsby, Louth and Lincoln before returning to Sheffield.

1914 parade

The regiment's cycle detachment is pictured above marching at the other end of West Street into Manor Lane on their way to the training trenches in the Wellhead field and the picture below was probably taken from the parade at the same time. The date of these photographs is unknown but they were most likely taken circa 1914 when the country was already at war and most infantry regiments had mobilised all available forms of transport. As with most military parades, this one attracted a large number of young lads who marched along with the soldiers and we wonder how many of them subsequently answered the call to enlist and lost their lives in the fields of Flanders. The old maltings, now occupied by the printing firm Warners Midlands plc, can be seen on the right in the top picture while the cottages opposite were demolished to make way for the town's new police station which was built in 1960.

1915 parade

These pictures show the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment visiting Bourne for a morale boosting parade during the Great War. The whole town appeared to have turned out on 20th May 1915 when recruiting officers were also present to sign on any likely lads for service in France and every vantage point was occupied, including the ledge over the window of the shop in the Market Place run by H W Hoyless as a penny bazaar, a favourite retail outlet in the times. This series of photographs were taken by local cameraman Ashby Swift from an upstairs room at the Nag's Head Hotel, a favourite place from which to observe public gatherings and events in the Market Place.

1915 parade