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The Pals battalions of World War I were units of the British Army that consisted of men who had enlisted together at special local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues (Pals) rather than having to be mixed in with the regular soldiers of the Army.
At the outbreak of World War I Lord Kitchener (Secretary of State for War) believed that overwhelming manpower was the key to winning the war and he set about looking for ways to encourage men of all classes to enlist. General Sir Henry Rawlinson suggested that men would be more inclined to enlist in the Army if they knew that they were going to serve alongside their friends and work colleagues. He appealed to London stockbrokers to raise a battalion of men from workers in the City of London to set an example. 1600 men enlisted in the 10th (Service) Bn Royal Fusiliers the so-called Stockbrokers' Battalion within a week in late August 1914.
A few days later, Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby decided to organise the formation of a battalion of men from Liverpool. Within two days 1500 Liverpudlians had joined the new battalion. Speaking to these men lord Derby said: This should be a battalion of Pals, a battalion in which friends from the same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honour of Britain and the credit of Liverpool. Within the next few days three more battalions were raised in Liverpool.
Encouraged by Lord Derby's success, Kitchener promoted the idea of organising similar recruitment campaigns throughout the entire country. By the end of September 1914 over fifty towns had formed Pals battalions, whilst the larger towns and cities were able to form several battalions.
The 'Grimsby Chums' was formed by former schoolboys of Winteringham Secondary School in Grimsby. Many other schools, including some of the leading public schools, also formed battalions. Several sportsmen's battalions were formed including two battalions of footballers (17th and 23rd (Service) Bn Middlesex Regiment). Out of nearly 1000 battalions raised during the first two years of the war, over two thirds were locally-raised Pals battalions.
Many of these battalions were destroyed en masse at battles like the Battle of the Somme, leading to the male population of whole communities being devastated.
See also
External links - History of the Pals Battalions (BBC) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwone/pals_01.shtml)
- The Accrington Pals (http://www.a.jackson.btinternet.co.uk/pals_e.htm) of the East Lancashire Regiment
- The Barnsley Pals (http://www.a.jackson.btinternet.co.uk/barnsley.htm) of the York and Lancaster Regiment
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