A capable Permanent Staff was supplied from the Royal Fusiliers, Regtl. Sergt.-Major W. Hunt becoming the senior Warrant Officer, while ex-Regtl. Sergt.-Major M. Harris enlisted, and was appointed Regtl. Q.M.-Sergt.
The following old Warrant Officers and N.C.O.'s enlisted, and were posted as stated:—
With this excellent stiffening the Battalion soon began to make progress, and rapidly took—and held—the lead in numbers in the 1st London Brigade.
The first Annual Training was held at Shoreham-by-Sea, the time being devoted principally to musketry and recreational training. For the first time in the Battalion's history, the winter following was marked by the continuance without a break of the drill season; and throughout the winter of 1920-21 attendances at the weekly drills at Headquarters reached an unusually high percentage of the strength. The Battalion appeared to be well on its feet, and making steady progress towards efficiency, when, in April 1921, the Coal Strike completely dashed all hopes of a successful summer training season. The Territorial Army was temporarily in abeyance, and for three months its headquarters were handed over to the Defence Force, to which was entrusted the maintenance of peaceful conditions throughout the country.
A Defence Force Unit was raised at the 4th Londons' Headquarters, and joined by some of the members of the Battalion, command of it being taken by Major R. N. Arthur, with the acting rank of Lieut.-Col. The disbandment of the Defence Force was fortunately effected in time to enable the Annual Training to be held at Shorncliffe in August, but the serious delay already caused to the individual training of the men rendered it less valuable than had been hoped; and a far too great proportion of the training hours had to be spent on the range, in the Musketry Practices, which should have been completed early in the year.
During the spring of 1921 the Battalion suffered a severe loss in the death, after a prolonged and painful illness, of the Quartermaster, Lieut. E. S. Tomsett, to whose invaluable services reference has been made in the preceding pages. After Lieut. Tomsett's death, Regtl. Q.M.-Sergt. M. Harris was gazetted Lieut. and Quartermaster.
The beginnings of the 4th London Regiment in the revived Territorial Army have been small, but every step has been made secure by careful organisation, and by applying the experience of Territorial soldiering in peace and war; and there is every reason to suppose that the laurels gained by the Regiment in the Campaigns in which it has taken part will remain untarnished, and that its glorious traditions will be jealously guarded as long as the Regiment remains in existence.