The Citizen Army League was formed to "raise, clothe, equip, feed, house, train and administer the Battalion until the Army Authorities were prepared formally to take it over.”
Report of the Citizen Army League 1916
Report of the Citizen Army League 1916
The Citizens’ Army League was established at a meeting on the 3rd September 1914 to stimulate recruiting for the Army, they offerred to raise a battalion in Bradford that was to become known as the 1st Pals Battalion.
1st Bradford Pals - First wave of enthusiasm
The recruitment of men started on the 8th September at the Mechanics Institute. “Enthusiasm ran high. Employers gave quite extraordinary encouragement, employees were keen, men in small businesses on their own account were ready and anxious to sacrifice their personal interests for the service of their country.”
Attestation began on the 20th September men started being trained at the Manningham Lane Skating Rink which had been transformed into their headquarters. By the 26th September a full Battalion of one thousand and sixty nine men had been formed. The title of the battalion was determined by the war office to be the 16th (service) Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (1st Bradford).
2nd Bradford Pals - Recruitment slow and laborious
The Citizens’ army league realised a second Battalion would be needed. The 2nd Bradford Battalion – 18th (Service) Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (2nd Bradford) was sanctioned on January 22nd 1915 and enlistment commenced on February 8th.
By this time however “the conditions of recruiting had greatly altered. The keen edge of patriotism which had manifested itself in the early days of the war had passed off. A large measure of advertising and drum beating had to be resorted to in the raising of the new Battalion.” In the middle of April 1915 a scheme was instituted of money rewards for soldiers bringing in new recruits. The full four company Battalion was reached on April 29th 1915. The Battalion moved on to camp at Bowling Park on May 12th before moving on to join the first Pals Battalion at Ripon on the 20th May.
Reserves for the Pals – Weeding out the unfit
The Citizen Army League were then asked by the War Office to raise and administer Reserves for the two Pals Battalions however “as the year 1915 went on, the pace of recruitment became slower and slower, and the need of costly effort became more pressing.”
“The reserve companies were for a considerable period largely made up of men sent back from the serving Battalions as unfit for Foreign Service. After much delay some of these were discharged as unfit and others were transferred to the 1st Yorkshire Garrison Regiment for home service only. The remainder, forming the actual Reserves for the Service Battalions, are now maintained as really serviceable men for drafts, by constantly weeding out the unfit.”
The Reserves of the two service Battalions were brought together towards the end of May 1915 at Bowling Camp. "In July they joined the Reserves of the Leeds Special Battalions at Colsterdale to form the 19th (Local Reserve) Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. As the number of Reserves for the 4 Battalions increased and became too bulky to handleas one Battalion, the men of the the 16th and 18th were moved to Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, in September, to form a 20th Battalion."
In October 1915 the War Office took over all the Reserve Battalions.
1st Bradford Pals - First wave of enthusiasm
The recruitment of men started on the 8th September at the Mechanics Institute. “Enthusiasm ran high. Employers gave quite extraordinary encouragement, employees were keen, men in small businesses on their own account were ready and anxious to sacrifice their personal interests for the service of their country.”
Attestation began on the 20th September men started being trained at the Manningham Lane Skating Rink which had been transformed into their headquarters. By the 26th September a full Battalion of one thousand and sixty nine men had been formed. The title of the battalion was determined by the war office to be the 16th (service) Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (1st Bradford).
2nd Bradford Pals - Recruitment slow and laborious
The Citizens’ army league realised a second Battalion would be needed. The 2nd Bradford Battalion – 18th (Service) Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (2nd Bradford) was sanctioned on January 22nd 1915 and enlistment commenced on February 8th.
By this time however “the conditions of recruiting had greatly altered. The keen edge of patriotism which had manifested itself in the early days of the war had passed off. A large measure of advertising and drum beating had to be resorted to in the raising of the new Battalion.” In the middle of April 1915 a scheme was instituted of money rewards for soldiers bringing in new recruits. The full four company Battalion was reached on April 29th 1915. The Battalion moved on to camp at Bowling Park on May 12th before moving on to join the first Pals Battalion at Ripon on the 20th May.
Reserves for the Pals – Weeding out the unfit
The Citizen Army League were then asked by the War Office to raise and administer Reserves for the two Pals Battalions however “as the year 1915 went on, the pace of recruitment became slower and slower, and the need of costly effort became more pressing.”
“The reserve companies were for a considerable period largely made up of men sent back from the serving Battalions as unfit for Foreign Service. After much delay some of these were discharged as unfit and others were transferred to the 1st Yorkshire Garrison Regiment for home service only. The remainder, forming the actual Reserves for the Service Battalions, are now maintained as really serviceable men for drafts, by constantly weeding out the unfit.”
The Reserves of the two service Battalions were brought together towards the end of May 1915 at Bowling Camp. "In July they joined the Reserves of the Leeds Special Battalions at Colsterdale to form the 19th (Local Reserve) Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. As the number of Reserves for the 4 Battalions increased and became too bulky to handleas one Battalion, the men of the the 16th and 18th were moved to Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, in September, to form a 20th Battalion."
In October 1915 the War Office took over all the Reserve Battalions.
