13th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (Wandsworth)
The 13th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, was a British Army infantry battalion raised during the First World War as part of Lord Kitchener's "New Army" initiative. Formed in September 1915, it was often referred to as a "Service" battalion, distinguishing it from regular army battalions. The "Wandsworth" designation indicates that the battalion was raised and/or associated with the borough of Wandsworth in London.
Service battalions were created to accommodate the large influx of volunteers eager to fight for Britain after the outbreak of war. They typically consisted of men who had not previously served in the regular army or territorial force.
The 13th East Surrey Regiment would have undergone training before being deployed to a theatre of war. Battalions like this saw service on the Western Front, often enduring heavy casualties in the trench warfare that characterized much of the conflict. Their role involved participating in major battles, holding defensive lines, and engaging in raids on enemy positions.
Specific details regarding the 13th Battalion's operational history, including battles fought, specific dates, commanders, and casualties, would require further research into regimental histories and war diaries. These sources often provide detailed accounts of a battalion's activities during the First World War. After the war, the battalion would have been disbanded, its personnel demobilized and returned to civilian life.