Interior of drill hall, 12th (County of London) Battalion London Regiment (The Rangers), Chenies Street, London, 1909 (c)

Photographic print on album page, 1909 (c).

This drill hall was part of the headquarters originally built in 1882 for the 19th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (Bloomsbury Rifles). The building was transferred to the 12th Battalion London Regiment in 1908 on the creation of the Territorial Force. This battalion had originally been created from the 22nd (Central London Rangers) Rifle Volunteer Corps. This unit had been formed in 1860, originally from members of the legal profession. The raising of both the Bloomsbury Rifles and the Rangers was in response to a perceived French threat in 1859.

Large covered spaces like this provided an all weather location for volunteer and territorial force units to undertake drill and training all year round.

From an album of 115 photographs with interior and exterior views of Territorial Force Drill Halls, London, December 1909 to March 1910.