page_title: Essex Regiment
section_title: Territorial Army
hierarchical_section_title: Essex Regiment / History / Second World War (1939-1945) / Territorial Army
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 3-inch mortars of the Essex Regiment in action, Orford battle area, December 1942.
context_page_description: The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 44th Regiment of Foot and the 56th Regiment of Foot.
  In 1958, the Essex Regiment was amalgamated with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment to form the 3rd East Anglian Regiment. However, the existence was short-lived and, in 1964, was amalgamated again with the 1st East Anglian Regiment, the 2nd East Anglian Regiment and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment to form the Royal Anglian Regiment. The lineage of the Essex Regiment is continued by 'C' Company of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
context_section_description: At the onset of war, the two remaining Territorial Army (TA) battalions once again raised duplicate units; all four (1/4th, 1/5th, 2/4th and 2/5th) began the war in the 161st Infantry Brigade, but the 2/4th Battalion, a 2nd Line duplicate of the 1/4th Battalion, was immediately detached to help form the duplicate 163rd Infantry Brigade.
  Both brigades were initially part of the 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division, but in January 1941, 161st Brigade was sent by sea to Sierra Leone in West Africa. In June 1941, it was sent the 'long' way around Africa by sea to join Middle East Command, where it was transferred to the British Indian Army and became 161st Indian Infantry Brigade. The 1/4th Battalion served with the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of 4th Indian Infantry Division, throughout the war; the 1/5th and 2/5th battalions, which merged to form the 5th Battalion and, served with the 18th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the 8th Indian Infantry Division.
  Both battalions saw service in Palestine, North Africa and Italy; and the 1/4th Battalion served with the 4th Indian Division in action at the Second Battle of El Alamein and in the Italian Campaign before being sent to Greece to help calm the Greek Civil War. The 5th Battalion was transferred, in August 1944, to the 13th Infantry Brigade, part of the British 5th Infantry Division and was sent to participate in the final stages of the North West Europe Campaign with the British Second Army and invaded Germany itself.
  The 2/4th Battalion remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war, with the 206th Brigade and later the 140th Brigade and 7th Brigade, supplying drafts and replacements to other units of the regiment serving abroad as well as other infantry regiments.
  The 64th (Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiment and 65th (Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiment were both transferred to the Royal Artillery in August 1940, being renamed 64th (Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery and 65th (Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery, respectively. However, they still maintained their own Essex Regiment capbadges and buttons. On the outbreak of war, both were originally assigned to the 41st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, part of the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division until November 1940 when the 64th was transferred to the 40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade and the 65th remained with the 41st AA Brigade.
  Both regiments remained mainly in East Anglia and eastern England, defending from aerial attacks during the Battle of Britain and during The Blitz. Towards the end of the war in late 1944 and early 1945, both regiments were selected to be converted to infantry. The 64th Searchlight Regiment was subsequently redesignated 639th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery and joined the 305th Infantry Brigade. The 65th Searchlight Regiment became 607th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery. Both were converted to infantry due mainly to a severe shortage of manpower in the 21st Army Group fighting in North-western Europe, particularly in the infantry.
  After defending Essex during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, 59th (The Essex Regiment) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (previously the 7th Battalion, Essex Regiment) landed in North Africa with the British First Army in November 1942, and later saw service with the British Eighth Army in the Italian Campaign.
caption: 3-inch mortars of the Essex Regiment in action, Orford battle area, December 1942.
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