Between the Wars (1919-1939)

As peace returned to the World, all Battalions of The Sherwood Foresters were withdrawn to the UK. By early 1919 the Territorial and Service Battalions were all disbanded or reduced to cadres while the two regular Battalions - the 1st and 2nd, reformed on a peacetime basis. In late 1919, the 2nd Battalion set out on an overseas tour, which was to last for nearly seventeen years. After 2 years in Egypt, the Battalion suddenly found itself ordered to Constantinople and precipitated into a peace keeping role between the Greeks and the Turks in what has become known as the Chanak incident; the peace was held and in late 1922 the 2nd Battalion sailed for India.

Meanwhile in 1920 the 1st Battalion had also found itself involved with another less critical peacekeeping role in Schleswig-Holstein, where a plebiscite was being held to decide whether the country should join Denmark or Germany. After six months and a brief visit to Copenhagen, the Battalion returned to England. However in June 1922 they returned to internal security duties again - this time in Southern Ireland where they spent a difficult if uneventful six months on guards and patrols. Subsequently the Battalion remained in the U K. until 1935.

It is not easy for a Regiment to distinguish itself in peacetime but apart from their general military efficiency, both Battalions played their part in gaining for the Regiment a reputation as the leading soccer Regiment in the Army. The 1st Battalion won the Army Football Cup for three years running in 1930, '31 and '32, and the 2nd Battalion (which had won the Army Cup in 1911 and 1912) became the All India Champions during 1926-28.

In October 1934, the 2nd Battalion left India for the Sudan and remained there until early 1938. A pleasant year in Guernsey followed before the Battalion moved to Borden near Aldershot in early 1939.

In 1935 the 1st Battalion started an overseas tour with a posting to the West Indies where amongst other duties, it assisted the civil police in containing the civil disturbances in Jamaica in 1938. En route to Palestine in 1939, the 1st Battalion met up briefly with the 2nd Battalion at Bordon, where a memorable joint parade and reunion was held. In Palestine the Battalion was soon on active service and suffered casualties including one officer killed in operations in the disturbances there.

After the immediate post-war demobilisation, the Territorial Army was reformed and the 5th, 6th, 7th (Robin Hoods) and 8th Battalions of the Regiment continued to train together as the 139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade.

Then in 1936, the increasing air threat resulted in the 6th and 7th Battalions being converted to RE searchlight units and losing their Infantry connection although they retained their Sherwood Forester link. Finally as the War clouds gathered in 1939, a 2/5th and a 9th Battalion were formed from the 5th and 8th Battalions, respectively.

During all this period the Regimental Depot at Derby played its part as the home and backup for the Regular and Territorial Army Units of the Sherwood Foresters.