Unit listing

Can anyone add to this table?


BRITISH COMMONWEALTH VOLUNTEER AND AUXILIARY UNITS
Minus India, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand

Unit Formed Disbanded/Changes

Aden Levy 1863 1919
Aden Police 1857
Aden Protectorate Levies 1928 1961
45th Aden Rifles 1917 1920 Aden Rifles
Aden Rifles 1920 1934
Antigua Defence Force 1897 1946
Antigua Yeomanry 1881 St John’s Coy Mtd Inf
Arab Legion (Transjordan Police) 1926
Arab Scouts 1915 1918 Iraq Levies
Armed Constabulary of North Borneo 1903
Armed Lascareyns (Ceylon) 1819 1822
Assyrian Levies 1932 1955
Asiatic Artillery 1891 1898
Bahrain Armed Police
Bahrain Levy Corps
Bahamas Constabulary 1891
Bahamas Police Force 1864
Barbados Cadet Corps 1909
Barbados Militia 1695 Barbados Volunteer Force
Barbados Police Force 1835
Barbados Regiment 1948
Barbados Volunteer Force 1902 1942
Barotse Native Police (NW Rhod) 1901 Northern Rhodesia Police
Basutoland Field Artillery
Basutoland Field Engineers
Basutoland Heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Basutoland Mounted Police Force 1884
Bechuanaland Border Police
Bechuanaland Field Engineers
Bechuanaland Heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Bechuanaland Protectorate Police Force 1896
Belize Volunteer Rifle Corps 1877 1897 reformed
Berbice Volunteer Corps (BGuiana) 1878 1896
Bermuda Cadet Corps
Bermuda Militia Artillery 1892 Bermuda Regiment
Bermuda Police Force
Bermuda Regiment 1965
Bermuda Rifles 1951 Bermuda Regiment
Bermuda Volunteer Engineers
Bermuda Rifle Clubs St George’s, Sandy’s, Victoria
Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps 1895 Bermuda Rifles
British Central Africa Volunteer Reserve 1901 Zomba, Blantyre, Chiromo Corps
British East Africa Police Force 1902
British Guiana Armed Police 1839
British Guiana Militia 1740 1946
British Guiana Police Force 1834 1891 paramilitary
British Guiana Rifle Clubs Demerara Rifle Assoc, the Artillery Carbine Club
British Guiana Volunteer Force 1878 1966
British Honduras Armed Constabulary 1885 1902 absorbed by Police
British Honduras Defence Force 1928
British Honduras Police Force 1894
British Honduras Territorial Force
British Honduras Volunteer Guard 1814 British Honduras Defence Force
British North Borneo Armed Constabulary 1882 British North Borneo Police
British North Borneo Armed Police 1871 British North Borneo Armed Constabulary
British North Borneo Defence Force 1901 ?
(British) North Borneo Police 1950
British North Borneo Volunteer Rifles 1915 ?
British Solomon Islands Protectorate Armed Constabulary 1915?
British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force
British Solomon Islands Protectorate Police Force
British Solomon Islands Territorial Force 1912
British South Africa Police 1889 1980
British West Indies Regiment 1915 1921
Buganda Rifles 1914 1916 (KAR?)
Burma Frontier Force
Burma Military Police
Burma Police Force
Carribean Regiment 1944 1946
Central Africa Regiment 1900 King’s African Rifles
Central Africa Rifles 1896 Central Africa Regiment
Ceylon Army Medical Corps 1881 1949
Ceylon Cadet Battalion (6 coys)
Ceylon Defence Force 1910 1949
Ceylon Engineer Volunteers 1896 1949
Ceylon Garrison Artillery 1888 1949
Ceylon Light Dragoons 1803 1832
Ceylon Light Infantry 1881 1949
Ceylon Motorcyclist Corps 1916 1919
Ceylon Mounted Rifles 1892 1938
Ceylon Police Force 1795
Ceylon Rifle Clubs CPRC, Colombo, Nawalapitiya
Ceylon Native Infantry 1801 1807
Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps 1901 1949
Ceylon Railway Engineer Regiment 1917 ?
1st Ceylon Regiment 1807 1827 Ceylon Rifle Regiment
2nd Ceylon Regiment 1807 1822
3rd Ceylon Regiment 1807 1817
4th Ceylon Regiment 1810 1815
Ceylon Rifle Regiment 1827
Ceylon Supply & Transport Corps 1918 1949
Ceylon Volunteer Artillery 1888 1918
Ceylon Volunteer Corps 1881 1910 Ceylon Defence Force
Chinese Gun Lascars 1841 1891
Chinese Regiment of Infantry 1898 1906
Colombo Town Guard 1914 1945
Cook Island Police Force
Corps of Military Labourers (WI) 1817 1888
Cyprus Military Police 1878 Cyprus Police Force
Cyprus Pioneer Corps
Cyprus Police Force 1933 1960
Cyprus Regiment
Dominica Defence Force 1935
Dominica Defence Reserve 1912 1919
Dominica Grammar School Cadet Corps
Dominica Police 1940 Leeward Is police until 1940
Dominica Rangers 1814 1832
East Africa Protectorate Police Force
East Africa Protectorate Volunteer Reserve
East Africa Rifles 1895 King’s African Rifles
Eastern Arab Corps 1916 SDF
Eritrea Police 1942 1953
European Reserve Force (Nigeria) 1928
Falkland Islands Coys 1857
Falkland Islands Defence Force 1920
Falkland Islands Police Force
Falkland Islands Volunteer Corps 1892 Falkland Islands Defence Force
Fanning Island Defence Force 1918
Federated Malay States Light Battery
Federated Malay States Police Force 1895
Federated Malay States Volunteer Force 1924 1942, includes Armoured Car Sect
Federation of Malaya Volunteer Force 1952 ?
Fiji Armed Constabulary (1870s) Fiji Constabulary
Fiji Artillery Regiment 1939
Fiji Constabulary 1905
Fiji Defence Force 1923
Fiji Infantry Regiment 1920s
Fiji Volunteer Corps 1899
Gambia Artillery Volunteers 1907
Gambia Police Force 1872
Georgetown Militia 1881 British Guiana Militia
Georgetown Volunteer Corps (BGuiana) 1878
Gibraltar Defence Force 1939 Gibraltar Regiment
Gibraltar Police Force
Gibraltar Regiment 1958 1999 ‘Royal’
Gibraltar Volunteer Corps 1914 1920
Gilbert & Ellice Islands Armed Constabulary 1916
Gilbert & Ellice Islands Labour Corps
Gold Coast Constabulary 1879 Gold Coast Police
Gold Coast Artillery Corps 1857 1863
Gold Coast Corps 1852 Gold Coast Artillery Corps
Gold Coast Defence Force
Gold Coast Mounted Infantry 1918
Gold Coast Constabulary/Police 1865
Gold Caost Rifle Corps 1873
Gold Coast Territorial Force 1927
Gold Coast Volunteer Corps 1892
Government Guards 1938 1959
Grenada Police Force 1836
Grenada Volunteer Corps 1900 1928
Hadrami Bedouin Legion 1940 1967
Hankow Volunteer Corps
Hong Kong Artillery
Hong Kong Artillery & Rifle Volunteer Corps 1878 1917
Hong Kong Chinese Regiment 1941
Hong Kong Defence Force 1917 1920 Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force
Hong Kong Military Service Corps 1948 1997
Hong Kong Police Force 1841
Hong Kong Regiment 1891 1909
Hong Kong Regiment 1949 Hong Kong Regiment (the Volunteers)
1970 ‘Royal’
Hong Kong Scottish
Hong Kong Volunteer Company 1942 1947
Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force 1920 1941
Hong Kong Volunteers 1854 1854
Hong Kong Volunteers 1862 1866
Iraq Levies 1919 1943 RAF Levies, Iraq
Jamaica Artillery 1842
Jamaica Constabulary 1834
Jamaica Engineer Corps
Jamaica Infantry Volunteers 1939 Jamaica Regiment?
Jamaica Military Band
Jamaica Militia 1662 1906
Jamaica Militia Artillery
Jamaica Mtd Rifles? 1885 1892
Jamaica Regiment 1954 West India Regiment
Jamaica Rifle Clubs Kingston & St Andrew’s, St Thomas, Portland, Westmoreland, Vere & Clarendon, St Catherine
Jamaican Volunteer Mounted Rifles 1860s
Johore Infantry
Johore Military Forces 1917 Local force
Johore Police Force 1916?
Johore Volunteer Engineers 1928 Europeans 1941
Johore Volunteer Infantry Local force
Johore Volunteer Rifles 1914 1928 Johore Volunteer Engineers
Kathiri Armed Constabulary
Kedah Police Force 1932?
Kedah Volunteer Force 1930?
Kelantan Military Police
Kelantan Volunteer Rifles 1914
Kenya Defence Force 1927
Kenya Regiment
Kenya Police Force
Kenya Tribal Police 1927
King’s African Coast Rifles 1916 1917 (KAR?)
King’s African Rifles 1903 1963
King’s Own Malta Regiment 1931 1970
Kingston Artillery
Kingston Infantry Volunteers 1885 Jamaica Infantry Volunteers
Kingston Light Horse (Jamaica) 1860s

Lahej State Guard
Labuan Defence Corps 1915 1922
Lagos Constabulary 1886
Lagos Hausas 1865 Gold Coast Constabulary
Leeward Islands Bn
Leeward Islands Police Force 1874 Antigua, Barbuda, Redonda, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands
Leeward Islands Volunteers
Malacca Volunteer Field Ambulance
Malacca Volunteer Corps 4th Bn SSVF
Malacca Volunteer Rifles 1915
Malayan Home Guard
Malay Regiment 1933
Malay State Guides 1896 1919
Malay States Volunteer Rifles 1915 European 1936?
Malayan Volunteer Infantry Asiatic
Maltese Militia 1852 1857
Matale Rifle Volunteer Corps 1861 ?
Mauritius Gendarmerie 1816 Mauritius Police Force
Mauritius Police Force 1860
Mauritius Special Mobile Force 1960
Mauritius Territorial Artillery
Mauritius Territorial Force 1912
Mauritius Volunteer Force 1915
Moluccas Volunteer Corps 1801 1803
Monserrat Defence Force 1912 1929, 1935-
Mukalla Regular Army
Musandam Security Force
Muscat Infantry
Muskat Levy Corps Muscat Infantry
Muscat Police Force
Negri Sembilan State Troops
Newchang Volunteer Corps
New Guinea Police Force
New Guinea Volunteer Rifles 1939 1942
New Hebrides Constabulary 1906?
Nigeria Police Force 1930
Niger Coast Protectorate Force 1894 WAFF
Norther Carribean Force 1942 1947
North China British Volunteer Corps 1920 Tientsin British Municipal Emergency Corps
North Eastern Rhodesia Police Force Northern Rhodesia Police
North Western Rhodesia Police
Northern Nigeria Police Force 1908
Northern Rhodesia Police 1912
Northern Rhodesia Military Police 1932 Northern Rhodesia Regiment
Northern Rhodesia Regiment 1933 1964
Northern Territories Constabulary 1907 From 2nd Bn Gold Coast Regt
1929 Gold Coast Police
Nyasaland Defence Force 1912 1946
Nyasaland Military Labour Corps 1915 1919
Nyasaland Police Force 1920?
Nyasaland Volunteer Reserve 1908
Ocean Island Defence Force 1917
Oil Rivers Constabulary (Sth Nig) 1891 Niger Coast Protectorate Force
Pahang State Troops Local force
Palestine Gendarmerie
Palestine Home Guard
Palestine Police Force 1920 1948
Jewish Settlement Police 1948
Palestine Regiment 1940 1948
Palestine Volunteer Force
Papua Armed Constabulary
Penang & Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps 1921 3rd Bn SSVF, disbanded 1941
Penang & Province Wellesley Volunteer Field Ambulance
Penang Volunteers 1899 1921 Penang & Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps
Penang Volunteer Infantry
Penang Volunteer Rifles
Perak Military Police 1873 Malay States Guides
Perak State Troops
Perlis State Police 1921?
Portland Corps (Jamiaca) 1886 1892 (incl Port Antonia Rifles)
Province Wellesley Volunteer Infantry
Province Wellesley Volunteer Rifles 1915 1921 Penang & Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps
Qa’iti Armed Constabulary
Queen’s Bermuda Infantry 1840 1844
Rhodesia Regiment
RAF Levies, Iraq 1943 1955
Royal African Colonial Corps 1822 1840
Royal African Corps 1804 Royal African Colonial Corps
Royal Engineers (Militia) Malta Division
Royal Guard (Tonga)
Royal Hong Kong Defence Force 1949 1970
Royal Hong Kong Regiment (Volunteers) 1949 1995
Royal Malta Artillery 1889 1977
Royal Malta Fencible Artillery 1861 Royal Malta Artillery
Royal Malta Fencible Regiment 1815 Royal Malta Fencible Artillery
Royal Malta Regiment of Militia 1889 1921
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Ceylon (1937), East Africa (1941), Gambia (1943), Gold Coast (1957), Hong Kong (1935), Malaya, Burma, Sierra Leone (1935), Tanganyika (1939), Trinidad (1941), Zanzibar (1940)
Royal Niger Company Constabulary 1886 WAFF
Royal Trinidad Light Dragoons & Mounted Chasseurs 1820/30s
Royal West African Field Force
St Catherine’s Corps (Jamaica) 1887 1892 (incl Old Harbour Rifles)
St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla Defence Force 1896 1981
St Elizabeth Corps (Jamaica)
Black River Rifles 1888 1892
St Catherine’s (?) Infantry 1893 1897
St Elizabeth Infantry 1892 1897
St John’s Coy Mtd Inf 1897 1908
St John’s Mounted Infantry & Infantry Coy (Antigua) 1903
St Helena & Ascension Police Force
St Helena Artillery
St Helena Regiment 1842 1865
St Helena Volunteer Corps 1870s? 1900s?
St Helena Volunteer Rifles 1914? 1946
St Helena Volunteers 1803? 1834
St Kitts & Nevis Defence Force 1897 Reformed 1913
Incl: Nevis MI & Inf, St Kitts Mi & Inf, Busseterre Coy
St Kitts Cavalry 1883 1887
St Lucia Police Force 1873
St Lucia Volunteer Corps 1916
St Mary Corps (Jamaica) 1888 1892 (incl Port Maria Rifles)
St Vincent Police Force 1874
St Vincent Volunteer Corps 1902
St Vincent Volunteer Reserve 1903
Samoa Police Force
San Fernando Volunteer Rifles (Trinidad) 1888 1892
Sarawak Constabulary 1932
Sarawak Fortmen 1846 1879
Sarawak Police
Sarawak Rangers 1862 1932 Sarawak Constabulary
Sarawak Rangers 1941 1942
Sarawak Rangers 1953 1963
Scottish Cou, Singapore Volunteer Rifles 1922 1923 SVI
Selangor State Troops Local force
Seychelles Pioneer Unit 1942 1956
Seychelles Police Force 1903
Shanghai Defence Force
Shanghai Police Force
Shanghai Volunteer Corps 1853 1944
Sierra Leone Court Messengers
Sierra Leone European Reserve Force
Sierra Leone Frontier Police 1890 WAFF
Sierra Leone Police Force
Singapore Armoured Car Coy 1931
Singapore Coast Defence Volunteers
Singapore Fortress Coy , RE(V)
Singapore Infantry Regiment
Singapore Medical Staff Corps
Singapore Police Force 1945
Singapore Royal Artillery (Volunteers) (European)
Singapore Royal Engineers(Volunteers) (European)
Singapore Volunteer Artillery 1881
SVA Bearer Coy 1901 SVC Medical Coy
SVA Maxim Gun Sect 1904
Singapore Volunteer Corps 1854 1922 SSVF. Disbanded 1965
SVC Cyclist Coy 1914
SVC Medical Coy 1913
Singapore Volunteer Engineers 1901
Singapore Volunteer Infantry 1901
1 Coy Eurasian 1909, reformed 1918
2 Coy Chinese
Malay Coy 1910
Veteran’s Coy 1914
Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps 1857 1887
Singapore Volunteer Rifles 1900 1904
Singapore Volunteer Rifles 1914 1923 SVI
Singapore Volunteer Signal Unit
Somaliland Camel Constabulary 1912 Somaliland Camel Corps
Somaliland Camel Corps 1914 Somaliland Scouts
Somaliland Civil Police Also ‘Illalos’(tribal police)
Somaliland Gendarmerie
Somaliland Scouts 1944 1960
South Carribean Force 1942 1947
South Persia Rifles
Southern Nigeria Police Force
Southern Nigeria Volunteers
Southern Rhodesia Volunteers
Straits Settlements Armed Police 1872? Straits Settlements Police Force
Straits Settlements Police Force 1895?
Straits Settlements Volunteer Force 1922 1954
Straits Settlements Volunteer Police Reserve
Somaliland Camel Constabulary Somaliland Camel Corps
Somaliland Camel Corps 1913
Somaliland Police 1927
Southern Nigeria Police Force 1902
Southern Rhodesia Cadet Corps 1926
Southern Rhodesia Defence Force 1926
Sudan Civil Police 1928
Sudan Defence Force
SDF Engineers 1925
SDF Equatorial Corps
SDF Sudan Horse
SDF Camel Corps
SDF Motor Machine-Gun Companies
Swaziland Police Force 1907
Tanganyika Police Force 1916
Tientsin British Municipal Emergency Corps 1925 1941
Tientsin Volunteer Corps 1898 North China British Volunteer Corps
Tonga Defence Force
Transjordan Frontier Force 1926 1948
Trelawny Corps (Jamaica) 1886 1897 (incl Falmouth Mtd Inf)
Trengganu State Police
Tribal Guards 1935 1959
Trinidad Cadet Corps
Trinidad Constabulary 1823
Trinidad Volunteer Artillery 1899
Trinidad Garrison Artillery Volunteers 1900
Trinidad Light Horse (Yeomanry) 1889? 1937
Trinidad Light Infantry (Volunteers) 1893 Trinidad Volunteers
Trinidad Regiment 1941
Trinidad Rifle Clubs Trinidad, Tacarigua, San Fernando, Coura
Trinidad Rifle Volunteers 1879 Trinidad Light Infantry (Volunteers)
Trinidad Volunteers 1937 Trinidad Regiment
Trucial Oman Levies 1950 1956 Trucial Oman Scouts
Trucial Oman Scouts 1956 1971
Uganda Armed Constabulary 1903 Uganda Police Force
Uganda Police Force 1900 Also Police Service Unit and Special Constabulary 1950s
Uganda Rifles 1891 King’s African Rifles
Uganda Volunteer Reserve 1903
Wahidi Tribal Guards
West African Field Force 1897 Royal West African Field Force
West African Regiment 1898 Disbanded 1928
West India Regiment
1st Regt 1798 West India Regiment
2nd Regt 1798 West India Regiment
3rd Regt 1798 1817, then 1862-70
4th Regt 1798 1817, then 1862-69
5th Regt 1798 1817, then 1863-5
6th Regt 1798 1817
7th Regt 1798 1817
8th Regt 1798 1803
9th Regt 1798 1802
10th Regt 1798 1802
11th Regt 1798 1803
12th Regt 1798 1803
West India Regiment 1958 1962
Western Pacific High Commission Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, and Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Windward Islands Bn
Windward Islands Police Force Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada
Windward Islands Volunteers
Western Arab Corps 1918 SDF
1st Yemen Light Infantry 1919 1923 to Somaliland Camel Corps
Zanzibar African Rifles 1915 1916 KAR
Zanzibar Armed Constabulary 1911 Zanzibar Police Force
Zanzibar Police Force 1906
Zanzibar Volunteer Defence Force 1914
Zion Mule Corps

Big topic!

For the West Indies, I have the following additions/amendments. Mostly just amendments, or disagreements over dates.

ANTIGUA:

Antigua Yeomanry Cavalry [raised circa 1799, disbanded 1897]

St John’s Mounted Infantry Company [raised 1897, actually a component of the Antigua Defence Force that you have listed. Probably composed of ex-Yeomanry]

Antigua Militia Artillery [disbanded 1897]

BARBADOS

Barbados Militia [disbanded 1902, but moribund for at least the previous 20 years]

BRITISH GUIANA

Georgetown Militia [raised c 1740. Extant but not being called out by 1880s]

Georgetown Volunteer Corps [raised 1878, disbanded 1891]

Berbice Volunteer Corps [raised 1878, disbanded 1886]

BRITISH HONDURAS

Belize Rifle Volunteer Corps [raised 1878, disbanded 1883]

Corosal Rifle Volunteer Corps [raised 1878, disbanded 1883]

GRENADA

Grenada Volunteer Force [raised 1878, disbanded June 1881]

ST KITTS-NEVIS

St. Kitts-Nevis Yeomanry [raised 1868, disbanded June 1888]

St. Kitts-Nevis Horse Artillery [raised 1868, disbanded June 1888]

ST VINCENT

St. Vincent Militia [suspended 1868, but one Garrison Adjutant retained to take care of fort, magazine, guns etc until 1881; Armourer retained later]

PS can't be bothered with Jamaica just now, too complicated!

The multiplicity of British Empire units must have looked magnificent on the rare occasion (like Coronations and Jubilees) when any significant number of them were brought together. However one wonders how efficient a system involving such a vast array of mostly small and semi-autonomous units was. Other colonial powers seem to have got along with fewer (but much larger) centralised forces. Still somehow the British system worked - most of the time.