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In addition to the two regular army battalions, the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) raised six other war service battalions. Two of these would be used on foreign service (4th and 5th Battalions), while the other four remained in Great Britain as home defence units.
4th and 5th battalions of the Wiltshire Regiment were both Territorial Army units called up to active duty with the start of the Second World War. The 4th Wilts had been the original TA battalion assigned to the Wiltshire Regiemnt when the TA was reorganized during the 1920s. The 5th Wilts was formed as the second line TA unit as part of the expansion in March 1939. From 1939 to 1944, they remained in England, both attached to 129 Infantry Brigade, part of 43 (Wessex) Division. Although 5th Wilts was a second line TA unit, it was assigned to a first line brigade and division.
As part of 129 Brigade, the 4th Wilts and 5th Wilts, participated in the Normandy Campaign, landing in France on 24 June 1944. Upon arriving in theatre, the division became part of Lieutenant-General Sir Richard O'Connor's VIII Corps. Both battalions would be heavily engaged in many battles during the campaign across North-West France, the low countries, and Germany. During the Normandy Campaign, this included the Battle of Odom, the fight for Hill 112, and the capture of Mont Picon.
After the breakout from Normandy, the 5th Wilts would be one of the first two British battalions to force a crossing of the Seine River. On 25 August 1944, they, along with the 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, crossed the Seine in paddled assault boats. Once across, the 5th Wiltshires had to stand-off a counter-attack from the German forces including three Tiger tanks of 205 Heavy Tank Battalion. Because of an error in landing on an island in the Seine, rather than far shore, by the other battalion, 4th Somerset Light Infantry, the 5th Wilts found themselves cutoff initially. Despite the heavy counter-attack from the German defenders, the 5th Wilts was able to hold and extend the beachhead enough to allow reinforcements to be brought over. Eventually, by the daybreak on 26 August 1944, the Somersets were reembarked and brought to the right landing site. The 4th Wilts were ferried over while elements of the 214 Brigade managed to cross at a damaged bridge in order to relieve the 5th Wilts.
During the Operation Market-Garden, the 4th and 5th Wilts, as part of the 43 (Wessex) Division formed part of the relief force which tried to reach the paratroopers of the US 82nd and 101stDivisions, as well as the British 1st Airborne Division. After the ensuing stalemate, both battalions participated in the Geilenkirchen Offensive in October 1944. The Wiltshire battalions also played a significant part in the 43rd's fighting in Roer Salient, as well as the capture of Bremen.
In addition to the TA battalions which deployed to combat theatres, the Wiltshire regiment also formed four other battalions. The 7th battalion, was created after the outbreak of hostilities in 1939. Although it was a war service battalion, the 7th Wiltshires remained in Great Britain as part of the home defence forces. Initially assigned to 214 Infantry Brigade, it would be transferred to 135 Infantry Brigade in 1942. The 7th Wilts would not see active service during the war.
The Wiltshire Regiment would also form two purely home defence units after the outbreak of war. The 6th Wilts were absorbed by the Dorsetshire Regiment as their Young Soldier Companies in 1940. The 30th Wiltshires was another of the Home Guard units raised by the Wiltshire Regiment
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Casualties of the Regiment, buried in the Netherlands.
Number of known casualties: 11057 (4th Bn)
53 (5th Bn)
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