Derbyshire Militia

The Derbyshire Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Derbyshire in the North Midlands of England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1572 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county carried out internal security and home defence duties in most of Britain's major wars, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties, and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army. The regiments later became battalions of the Sherwood Foresters and finally trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.