All the Channel Islands Militia (Royal Alderney, Royal Guernsey, Royal Jersey) claim to have been founded in the 13th-14th centuries. Militia were a class of part-time soldiers that was eventually superseded by the Territorial Army. The terms of their liability for call-up varied over the centuries. In the 1881 Army reorganization which paired all regular infantry into two-battalion regiments, the Militia became the 3rd (and sometimes 4th) Battalion of these regiments. The Channel Islands Militia notably were excluded from this scheme and kept their old titles. No Militia were embodied after 1919, but government attempts to disband them outright in 1920 met with stiff resistance. The Militia remained dormant in W.W.II, and finally in 1953 they were disbanded, with the notable exception of the "Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)" which transferred to the Territorial Army while keeping its Militia subtitle.

By 1902 Alderney had converted to artillery. The Royal Guernsey Militia were designated "Light Infantry" in 1814 with four battalions, which by 1902 had reduced to two, and later were augmented by artillery and engineer units.

"The Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey" was first formed in 1337. They were probably designated "Light Infantry" in 1814 at the same time as the Guernsey Militia, and after the Napoleonic Wars consisted of 6 regiments (later called battalions), and an artillery unit:

1st or Northwest Regiment
2nd or North Regiment
3rd or East Regiment
4th or South Regiment
5th or Southwest Regiment
St. Helier Battalion

By 1902 these had been reduced to three:

1st or West Battalion
2nd or East Battalion
3rd or South Battalion

and later artillery, engineer, and medical units were formed, as well as a garrison battalion. In 1915 one company was absorbed into active service with 7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles.

The Channel Islands lacked Territorial Army units, so when the T.A. was embodied in 1939, the Jersey Militia was also activated. Enough personnel volunteered for active service to form a company in 50th (Holding) Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment. That company volunteered for overseas service on 20 June 1940 and was expanded eight days later to form 11th (Royal Militia Island of Jersey) Battalion of the regiment. On 23 Sept. 1940 they converted from home defence role to regular infantry. The battalion was assigned to 77th Division through most of the war, but never actually left the UK. The battalion disbanded 11 Apr. 1946 at Blandford, Dorset during the demobilization of the whole Army.

Reconstitution of the Territorial Army in 1947 made no provision for using the Militia, and the Jersey unit remained dormant. It finally re-formed 1987 as "Jersey Field Sqn (The Royal Militia Island of Jersey), 111 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers)" in the Territorial Army. Around 1992 the squadron transferred to 73 Engineer Regiment (while remaining headquartered at St. Helier, of course).

T.F. Mills