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The Birmingham Rifles, was a volunteer unit of the British Army founded in Birmingham in 1859. As the 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, it served as infantry on the Western Front and in Italy during the First World War. Its successor units served in air defence during the early part of the Second World War, and later as anti-tank gunners in Burma. ==Volunteers== 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.〔Beckett.〕 One such unit was the 1st (Birmingham Rifles) Warwickshire RVC, formed on 20 October 1859, with Lt-Col John Sanders, late of the 41st Bengal Native Infantry, in command. In March the following year it absorbed two other Birmingham-based units, the 3rd Warwickshire RVC raised on 8 November 1859, and the 6th raised on 8 February 1860.〔Beckett, Appendix VII.〕〔Westlake, pp. 241–2.〕〔()〕 Further companies were raised, and the unit soon reached a strength of 12 companies, one recruited from newspaper workers, one from gunmakers, and another from Scots residents in the city. A cadet corps of the battalion existed at King Edward's School from 1864 to 1866, and again from 1883 to 1884. At first the uniform was grey with green facings, then Rifle green with red facings. The headquarters and drill hall was at Thorpe Street, Birmingham.〔〔〔''Army List''〕 On 14 June 1871, retired Major-General John Hinde, CB, (1814–81) formerly of the 8th Foot, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Birmingham Rifles.〔〔(''London Gazette'', 16 June 1871. )〕〔(John Hinde at Nat Gould website )〕 On 4 March 1882 he was succeeded by Colonel William Jervis, late of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and one of the founders of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.〔〔(''London Gazette'', 3 March 1882. )〕〔(W.S. Jervis at Cricket Archive. )〕 Under the 'Localisation of Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell reforms, the Volunteers in Warwickshire were grouped with the two Regular battalions of the 6th Foot (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) and the two Warwickshire Militia regiments into Sub-District No 28 (County of Warwick), forming Brigade No 28 (Warwickshire).〔 Following the Childers Reforms, the battalion was designated the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1883. Four new companies were added in 1891, the unit reorganising as a double battalion, the 1st Battalion having 'A' to 'H' Companies, the 2nd 'I' to 'Q' Companies. A cyclist section formed in 1894 had become a full company by 1900, together with 'U' Company formed of staff and students of Birmingham University. New cadet corps were formed at Solihull Grammar School and King Edward's School in 1904 and 1907 respectively.〔〔 The Stanhope Memorandum of 1888 proposed a Mobilisation Scheme for units of the Volunteer Force, which would assemble by brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime the brigades provided a structure for collective training.〔Beckett, pp. 135, 185–6.〕〔Dunlop, pp. 60–1.〕 The Volunteer Battalions of the Royal Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire regiments were formed into a South Midland Volunteer Infantry Brigade, which in the event of war was to assemble at Warwick. Later a separate Worcester and Warwickshire Volunteer Infantry Brigade was formed.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Birmingham Rifles」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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