In which British Army battalion did J.R.R. Tolkien serve during the Battle of the Somme?

J.R.R. Tolkien served in the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers during the Battle of the Somme.

Tolkien received military training after graduating from Oxford in 1915 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He went to France in June 1916 and took part in the Battle of the Somme, one of the First World War’s largest and deadliest campaigns.

He served as a battalion signals officer. In October 1916, Tolkien became ill with trench fever and was sent back to England. He did not return to active service in France. His wartime experiences affected his life and later writing, although direct one-to-one identifications between particular characters and soldiers should be treated cautiously.

The 11th Lancashire Fusiliers is sometimes confused with other Lancashire Fusiliers battalions involved in the war. Tolkien’s specific unit was the 11th Battalion, and his service was as an officer rather than as an enlisted private.