Commanding Officers of the 13th Battalion
 
Formed in Plymouth in November 1914 as a Reserve Battalion of the Fifth  “New Army”.

In November 1914 more “New Army” units were raised, one of which was the 13th Battalions of the Regiment command by Lieut.- Colonel H. de B. Hovell D.S.O., with Captain W. G. Robathan as Adjutant.  In April 1915 Colonel Hovell was succeeded by Colonel F. M. Reid.  The 13th Battalions originally formed part of the Fifth “New Army”.  However, before the formation of the new battalion had reached the final stages of its preparations, it was decided to convert it into training units with other new battalions (one of which was the 12th Battalion Worcestershire), to supply reinforcements to replace the anticipated casualties in the preceding Divisions of the
New Armies.”  So the 13th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment never went overseas, but instead sent abroad the soldiers they had trained in drafts to the other Battalions.

Thus Midsummer Day of 1916 the 13th Battalion was one of six Worcestershire Battalions which were designated as reserve battalions (the other being the 5th, 6th, 3/7th, 3/8th and 12th).

In April 1916 the command of the 13th Worcestershire was taken over by Lieut.-Colonel H. S. Ainslie C.M.G. of the Northumberland Fusiliers (prior to taking command Lieut.-Colonel H. S. Ainslie was commander of the 18th Infantry Brigade before which he commanded the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers from August 1914 to 28th May 1915).

During the autumn of 1916 many changes took place. The 12th and 13th Battalions were amalgamated, and were designated
The 46th Training Reserve Battalion ,which was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Ainslie from the 13th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, with Major Booth and Captain A. G. Richards of the 12th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment as 2nd-in-command and Adjutant.  That unit ceased to have any connection with the Regiment and thenceforward sent drafts to any unit of the armies overseas.
 
Below is a list of all the officers who have commanded the 13th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment from 1914 to 1916.
 

MORE DETAILS ABOUT EACH OFFICER MY BE OBTAINED BY CLICKING ON THE INDIVIDUAL SURNAME
(names with links are highlighted in Blue - others will be added later)

 
Surname Forename/s Commissioned From To
Hovell Hugh De Berdt Worcestershire Regiment Nov. 1914 Apr. 1915
Reid F. M.   Apr. 1915 Apr. 1916
Ainslie H. S. Northumberland Fusiliers Apr. 1916 Oct.1916
  

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