1st Cadet Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps

The 1st Cadet Battalion owes its foundation to the Reverend Freeman Wills, who was commissioned into the Volunteer Army in the rank of Captain on 26 July 1890. He was also Vicar of St Agatha’s just behind Sun Street, Finsbury Square. On receiving his commission he decided to form a cadet company within the 1st Cadet Battalion, The Royal West Surrey Regiment. The Company quickly expanded to become the 2nd Cadet Battalion, The Royal West Surrey Regiment, at which point he moved the Battalion Headquarters to No. 2 Finsbury Square (and in 1904 to 42 Sun Street, which he had specially built for the purpose). In 1894 he applied to HRH Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, Colonel-in-Chief, to affiliate to the Regiment, with the title of 1st Cadet Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Consent was granted on 8 November 1894 and the Battalion has remained a part of the Regiment ever since.

In the days of its foundation Cadet battalions were privately organized and funded. On becoming a part of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps subscriptions began to flow in and after the commanding officer had spent nearly £1,000, the Battalion was placed on a financial basis, which many Volunteer Corps would have envied. There were to be many ups and down in later years, especially when recognition of the Cadet Force was withdrawn between the two World Wars, but fortunately the enthusiasm and commitment of those involved consistently triumphed over the parsimony of Governments.

This brief history of the KRRC Cadets does not provide space for a detailed coverage of the Battalion’s record, which may be found elsewhere. Remarkably, however, in 1900, when volunteers were urgently needed for the South African War, the Reverend Wills persuaded the War Office to accept a company of the older cadets, principally NCOs, to enrol in the City Imperial Volunteers. Over 100 did so, with others joining other units. Four were killed. As a result, the Battalion was awarded the Battle Honour “South Africa, 1900-1902”, the only Cadet battalion ever to receive a battle honour. It was also permitted to call its cadets ‘Riflemen’.