Preston Rifles
| Preston Rifles 4th Bn, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) 62nd Searchlight Regiment, RA 150th Light AA Regiment, RA |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 4 October 1859 – 1 September 1950 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Territorial Army
|
| Type | Infantry Battalion Searchlight Regiment Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
| Size | Battalion (WWI: 3 Battalions) Regiment |
| Part of |
Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) Royal Artillery |
| Garrison/HQ | Preston, Lancashire |
| Engagements |
2nd Boer War
WWII:
|
2nd Boer War
WWI:
WWII:
The Preston Rifles, later the 4th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 until the 1950s. It served as infantry on the Western Front and in Ireland during World War I, and as an air defence unit during The Blitz and the campaign in North West Europe during World War II.
The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. One such unit was the 11th (1st Preston) Lancashire RVC, formed at Preston, Lancashire, on 4 October 1859 under the command of Henry Newsham Pedder, late of the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia and grandson of the founder of Preston's first bank.
In February 1860 the unit absorbed two other Preston corps, the 12th (2nd Preston) RVC and the 30th (Fishwick) RVC, becoming a three-company corps. In July 1861 one of the original captains, William Henry Goodair, a member of a local cotton manufacturing family, took over as Major-Commandant. The corps became part of the 6th Administrative Battalion of Lancashire RVCs formed in September 1861, the other units being the 44th at Longton, the 59th at Leyland, and the 61st (two companies) at Chorley. The 6th Admin Battalion had its headquarters at Preston.
In July 1865 the 11th Lancashire RVC was given special permission to adopt The Preston Rifle Volunteer Corps as its official designation. The 11th absorbed the 44th RVC in 1866 and the 61st RVC in November 1868, reaching a strength of eight companies. Goodair was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1867, and Captain George H. Lightoller of the 61st RVC became Major in 1868. Simultaneously Goodair was major of the 6th Admin Bn commanded by Lt-Col Sir Thomas Hesketh, Bt. (The Pedder, Goodair and Lightoller families recur among the names of the unit's officers over the next few decades.)
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Wikipedia