The Territorials 1908–1914 is a unique, comprehensive record of the part-time soldiers who made up the Territorial Force that supported the regular army in the years immediately before the outbreak of the First World War. Previously information on the history and organization of these dedicated amateur soldiers has been incomplete and scattered across many sources but now, in this invaluable work of reference, Ray Westlake provides an accessible introduction to the Territorial Force and a directory of the units raised in each county and each town. The origin, aims and organization of the Territorial Force are described as well as the terms of service, recruitment, equipment and training. But the bulk of the book consists of details of over 600 Territorial units plus a comprehensive account of every city, town or village associated with them. Essential information on the all the infantry formations is supplied, but also covered are the yeomanry, the artillery, the engineers, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Army Service Corps. Ray Westlakes historical guide of the Territorial Force the forerunner of the present-day Territorial Army - will be of enduring value to military and family historians.

The Territorials 1908-1914 is a unique, comprehensive record of the part-time soldiers who made up the Territorial Force that supported the regular army in the years immediately before the outbreak of the First World War. The origin, aims and organization of the Territorial Force are described as well as the terms of service, recruitment, equipment and training. But the bulk of the book consists of details of over 600 Territorial units plus a comprehensive account of every city, town or village associated with them. Essential information on the all the infantry formations is supplied, but also covered are the yeomanry, the artillery, the engineers, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Army Service Corps.

Using original personal and military diaries, with hundreds of carefully selected newspaper extracts, letters and photographs, this book traces individual stories of tragedy and heroism, involving tradesmen, apprentices, lawyers, musicians, sportsmen, brothers, husbands and fathers from Harrogate and the West Riding. As such, it characterises the experience of the British Infantryman in the Great War.The Territorials of the 1/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment were the unsung heroes of the Great War. These Saturday Night Soldiers from York and the northern West Riding of Yorkshire went out to face the might of the German Army in April 1915. Through the hot summer and dark winter that followed, they stopped bullets at the Battle of Aubers Ridge and choked on Phosgene gas at Ypres. Caught in the carnage of the notorious first day on the Somme, the West Yorkshire Territorials were held up by General Haig as convenient scapegoats for his tactical failure, only for the 1/5th Battalion to prove him wrong and redeem itself as an attacking force at the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, and then again at Passchendaele in 1917. In the last year of the war, the battalion helped fight a rear-guard action on the Menin Road, and was effectively wiped out at the Second Battle of Kemmel Ridge, only to be re-constituted in time to take part in the bloody advances at Cambrai and Valenciennes, which helped bring the conflict to an end.

William Mitchinson analyses the role and performance of the Territorial Force during the first two years of World War I. The study looks at the way the force was staffed and commanded, its relationship with the Regular Army and the War Office, and how most of its 1st Line divisions managed to retain and promote their local identities.

A comprehensive new history of the shaping and performance of the British army during the First World War.

Hull Rifles looks at the 4th East Yorkshire Regiment during the Great War and examines the origins of the battalion and its history over the three years it fought in France and Belgium. The battalion was involved in some of the bloodiest battles of the war and suffered such high casualty rates in early 1918 that the unit ceased to exist, except in name. The men of the original battalion were Territorials, part-time soldiers who gave their free time to provide home defense during a war. Officially formed on 1 April 1908 as a result of the Haldane changes, the unit could trace its history back hundreds of years and was one of the oldest in the country. All the men were volunteers and held a full-time job. They had committed themselves to regular weekly training and a camp in the summer where they practised large-scale manoeuvres with other units. When the call came to volunteer for overseas service, 80 per cent came forward. Their ranks were quickly filled with new volunteers who were prepared to fight abroad. Volunteer numbers were high and quickly the overseas battalion was at full strength, as was a second for home service. A third battalion was also formed to provide replacements for the men at the Front. As well as fighting on the Western Front, a battalion was sent to guard Bermuda for the duration. The text uses letters, newspaper cuttings and the war diary to provide a detailed picture of a typical Territorial battalion at war. Also included are many previously unseen photographs, a nominal list of the men who volunteered before Christmas 1915, including a convicted murderer, awards, casualty details and lists of officers.