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London Pride is an academic research project into the military, social, literary and cultural aspects of the London Regiment and London Territorial Force (TF) from its formation in 1908, through its service in the Great War, to its disembodiment in 1921.

The project aims to produce a scholarly volume of around 25 essays in an edited volume to be published by Helion & Co. in 2025.

Charles Fair, Richard Hendry and Dr Tom Thorpe manage the project. They all have a deep interest in the London Regiment as a result of relatives serving in constituent battalions during the Great War.

The name London Pride comes from a flower, Saxifraga × urbium, seen growing on graves of London Regiment soldiers in The London Cemetery, facing High Wood. As Terry Norman observed in his 1984 classic The Hell They Called High Wood, ‘Whoever chose [this flower] had chosen well.’

The project is in its early days and we are seeking authors who may want to contribute articles.

Why the London Regiment and London Territorial Force?

The London Regiment is a formation that has received scant scholarly attention even though it raised a record 88 infantry battalions during the Great War, the highest number for any corps during that conflict. It was also distinctive in certain respects.

Each battalion was regarded as a regiment in its own right having distinct badges, uniforms and traditions reflecting their very different lineages from their predecessor volunteer battalions. The London Regiment was an integral part of metropolitan London’s history and involvement in the Great War, as 80% of the Regiment’s men were London residents. Units also recruited men from distinct areas of London, occupational groups (for example, the Civil Service, the General Post Office and artists), social classes and ethnic minorities (notably Scottish and Irish).

The London Regiment cannot be considered independently from the formations and Territorial Force Associations (TFA) of which it was a part. The County of London TFA was the largest TFA in the country, and the City of London TFA was probably the next largest. Together they were responsible for two of the 14 pre-war TF divisions, or roughly one territorial soldier in seven nationwide.

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The scope of the publication

The proposed book is a collection of scholarly essays which cover aspects of the London Territorial Force from 1908 to 1921.

The definitive organisational ‘remit’ for potential inclusion in the book of a piece is its connection with any unit that was the responsibility of the City of London or County of London Territorial Force Associations between 1908 to 1921. Geographically, this is the area of the 28 boroughs which comprised the County and City of London in 1914.

However, the editors are keen to hear from anyone who may like to submit an article, regardless of its specific focus, provided it comes within the organisational remit of the London Regiment.

Conference

A conference on the London Regiment during the 1908-20 era is planned for first six months of 2024 in conjunction with the London and home counties branches of the Western Front Association. The purpose of the conference is to generate papers for the edited volume but also raise awareness and interest in the London Regiment and its history. This would be held in London.

Submissions Sought

The project is seeking papers from authors for the edited volume and conference and interest are welcome. For more information on how to do this please visit https://kensingtons.org.uk/london-pride-the-london-regiment-in-peace-and-war-1908-1920/

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