Post Office Rifles

Post Office Rifles
Active	1868–1921
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Battalion
Part of	London Regiment

The Post Office Rifles was a unit of the British Army, first formed in 1868 from volunteers as part of the Volunteer Force, which later became the Territorial Force (and later the Territorial Army). The unit evolved several times until 1921, after which the name was lost during one of many reorganisations.

When the Volunteer Force was formed in 1859/60 Viscount Bury raised the 21st Middlesex Rifles Volunteer Corps (Civil Service Rifles) drawing its recruits from civil servants based in London. There were sufficient recruits from the GPO staff to form a Post Office company, which was placed under Captain John Lowther du Plat Taylor's command.

On 13 December 1867 a bomb exploded outside Middlesex House of Detention, Clerkenwell. It was an attempt to rescue two members of Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) detained there awaiting trial. The Government’s response was to raise special constables to protect London buildings against future "Fenian outrages".

The GPO special constables who had been supervised and trained by Major JL du Plat Taylor (and Civil Service Rifles' NCOs). After the crisis was over the GPO special constables approached du Plat Taylor to request that they be formed into a Rifle Volunteer unit. Du Plat Taylor, who was the Private Secretary to the Postmaster General, sought permission from the Postmaster General and the War Office to form such a unit. Permission was granted and on 2 March 1868 the 49th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers Corps (Post Office Rifles) was duly raised from the Post Office Companies (Civil Service Rifles) and the special constables all of whom were GPO servants. Du Plat Taylor become its first commanding officer.

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