Lives of the First World War

2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry were in Hong Kong when war was declared in August 1914. They returned to England early November 1914, once a Territorial unit arrived in Hong Kong to take over the garrison. They joined 82nd Brigade, 27th Division at Magdalen Hill Camp near Winchester and proceeded to France via Southampton on the 21st of December 1914 as a much-needed reinforcement. The Division concentrated in the area between Aire and Arques being joined by Territorial units taken from other Divisions. In 1915 they saw action at St Eloi and in The Second Battle of Ypres. In November they were ordered to Salonika in November 1915 and embarked from Marsailles arriving on the 5th of December. Between the 30th of September and 2nd of October 1916 they were engaged in the capture of Karajakois, followed swiftly by the capture of Yenikoi and then the battle of Tumbitza Farm. In 1917 they were in action during the capture of Homondos. In mid 1918 a number of units returned to France and in September the remaining units of the 27th Division were in action in the final offensive in Salonika, including the capture of the Roche Noir Salient, the passage of the Vardar river and the pursuit to the Strumica valley. Hostilities with Bulgaria ceased on the 30th of September, the 27th Division continued to advance and war wasordered to halt and turn about on the 2nd of November, being ordered to the Black Sea. The Division reached Constantinople on the 19th of December and set up a HQ at Tiflis in January 1919. The Division was finally disbanded on the 24th of September 1919 at Batum.

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