Pals battalion

• What battalion was nicknamed the "Stockbrokers' Battalion" and how many men enlisted within a week?

  • 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
  • 1,600 men
• When did the Stockbrokers' Battalion enlist in the City of London?

  Late August 1914
• What Earl raised a battalion of Liverpudlians and how many joined within two days?

  • Earl of Derby
  • 1,500 Liverpudlians
• Why did Lord Derby want a battalion of "pals" in Liverpool?

  To encourage camaraderie and increase morale by having friends from the same office fight together.
• What regiments did the three additional pals battalions in Liverpool belong to?

  • 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Battalions of the King's Regiment (Liverpool)
• How did the formation of pals battalions relieve strain on the British military?

  • Relieved the recruiting structure of a suddenly expanded regular army
  • Reduced financial strain
• By the end of September 1914, how many towns had formed pals battalions?

  More than fifty towns
• How many battalions did Manchester raise in August and November 1914?

  Four in August and four in November
• Until when did the War Office manage the accommodation and costs of pals battalions?

  Until they took over their management.
• What advantage did many recruits for pals battalions initially have regarding their living arrangements?

  They were initially able to live at home while reporting for daily basic training.
• What was the impact on communities when a pals battalion suffered heavy casualties?

  • Immediate and devastating effect on individual towns, villages, neighbourhoods, and communities
  • Strength was brought back by drafts from diverse areas
• Which battalion suffered 495 dead and wounded in one day on the Somme?

  Sheffield City Battalion (12th York and Lancaster Regiment)
• In which year did the Sheffield City Battalion suffer these heavy casualties?

  1916
• How did the introduction of conscription in 1916 affect the recruitment of pals battalions?

  • Further pals battalions were not sought
  • Voluntary local recruitment outside the regular army structure was not repeated in World War II
• In which month of 1916 was conscription introduced in Britain?

  March
• Why was the voluntary local recruitment characteristic of 1914–1915 not repeated in World War II?

  Because conscription ended the need for voluntary local recruitment.
• What were some types of pals battalions formed besides area-linked units?

  • Trade-linked battalions (e.g., artists' battalions)
  • Social-background linked battalions (e.g., sportsmen's battalions)
• Name three professional golfers who joined pals battalions.

  • Albert Tingey, Sr.
  • Charles Mayo
  • James Bradbeer
• Which two battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers were almost entirely created from the North Eastern Railway ranks?

  • 17th and 32nd Battalions
• What offers did the North Eastern Railway provide to members who joined pals battalions?

  Provisions for wives and dependents; keeping men's positions open; paying contributions to Superannuation and Pensions; providing accommodation for families in company houses.
• How many companies of engineers, batteries of field artillery, and ammunition columns were raised from pals units?

  48 engineer companies, 42 field artillery batteries, and 11 ammunition columns.
• What occupational backgrounds were primarily recruited for pals battalions?

  Groups with common occupational backgrounds.
• What did the high skills and educational levels of pals battalions lead to?

  An outflow of potential officers for commissioning elsewhere.
• What significant losses did many locally raised pals battalions suffer during the Somme offensives?

  • Heavy casualties during the Somme offensives in 1916
  • For example, the Accrington Pals lost heavily while attacking Serre
• What unit was better known as the Accrington Pals?

  11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment
• Where were the Accrington Pals ordered to attack on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme?

  Serre, the most northerly part of the main assault.
• How many Accrington Pals were estimated to have taken part in the attack at Serre and what were their losses within twenty minutes?

  • Estimated 700 Accrington Pals
  • 235 killed
  • 350 wounded
• How many Accrington Pals were killed and wounded within twenty minutes of attacking Serre?


  235 killed and 350 wounded.
• What was the impact of the Battle of the Somme on the pals battalion experiment?

  • Marked a turning point
  • Many pals battalions were disbanded or amalgamated
  • Recruitment became dependent on drafts from a common pool of conscripts