WW1 Battle of the Somme 1916 (The Pals Battalions)

Taken from (The First World War.com)
A phenomenon of the First World War, Britain's so-called Pals' Battalions arose purely from the country's unsatiated requirement for men to despatch to the various British battlefronts around the globe.

Britain was alone among the major European powers in 1914 in not having in place - or rapidly adopting - a system of conscription. Not only was popular sentiment against mandatory military service, mainstream political opinion was yet to conclude the inadequacy of a purely voluntary system of recruitment (advocated by leading figures such as Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey).

Various methods were adopted as a means of encouraging men to enlist with the armed services during the war's early years, including the 1915 Derby Scheme; while successful in their own limited way none could ensure a constant supply of human material. Consequently conscription was finally embraced in January 1916 (and was progressively extended until, in April 1918, men aged from 18 to 51 were liable to be called up).

Before conscription however; before the Derby Scheme; indeed in the first weeks of the war in August 1914 Lord Derby encouraged the notion (initially suggested by Sir Henry Rawlinson) of encouraging whole towns and villages to sign up with the promise that they should also serve together: in short, sanctioning the establishment of Pals' (or Chums') Battalions.

Wildly popular from the outset - and boosted by a highly publicised poster campaign led by the War Minister (and popular military hero) Lord Kitchener - men flocked to recruitment centres to enlist in whole groups. The promise that they should serve with their friends and relatives was invariably honoured. Those who joined the British Army in such circumstances often set off with promises of guaranteed post-war employment ringing in their ears.

Such a policy may have ensured the initial success of the recruitment campaign - some three million men volunteered for service in the first two years of the war, with 50 towns boasting Pals' Battalions by September 1914 alone - but its drawbacks were brought starkly home with the first real test of the Kitchener (K) or 'New Armies' at the July 1916 Battle of the Somme.

On the first day of the battle many men who signed up alongside one another also perished together. For example the Accrington Pals the (Service) 11th Battalion The East Lancashire Regiment, suffered 585 casualties on 1 July 1916 from 700 who started that day. Accordingly whole villages suffered from the localised nature of recruitment.

Examples of Pals' Battalions included three battalions raised from Glasgow alone (the 15th, 16th and 17th Highland Light Infantry).

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[frank234you]

Thank-you so much...the guns do still roar from 1914-1918....

[gobbiner]

Have the Guns ever STOPPED...

[gobbiner]

Sorry about the video quality, The video footage I used was poor.

[EwanMcGreggor]

sorry, what was the music used in this piece, the second bit, the not so happy bit. its used a lot but i dont know what it is called.

cheers

ewan

[gobbiner]

Hi Ewan the 2nd piece of music is called (Requiem For A Dream) its from the movie of the same title.

Regards Andy.

[Grimmest117]

If the British Generals of WWI were as good as the common British soldier, the allies would have won the war in 1914. Unfortunately the common British Soldier was usually led bye idiot Generals who weren't fit to shine a private's boots. God Bless the British Tommy, and the soldiers of the Commonwealth for all that they suffered, and all that they gave. Always remember them, always honor them, and always thank them in your prayers. God Bless the United Kingdom. From a damn Yank...

[Grimmest117]

The Somme, Paschendale, Gallipoli, Feel free to stop me when the list grows too long.

 It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to fight beside British Soldiers. No bloody Yank holds the British Tommy in higher esteem than I do. Unlike most of my country, I daily remember the great debt America owes to Churchill, and every RAF, Royal Navy, Royal Marine, British Tommy, and British Civilian who suffered so much.

... But I won't accept excuses for Haig's conduct in WWI.

[spiritofremembrance]

Beautifully done - we are sharing on our website

[Grimmest117]

Actually that phrase may predate WWI. It is thought that General Andrew Jackson is thought to have coined the phrase immediately after the Battle Of New Orleans, Jackson wasn't exactly dazzled by British General Packinham's battle plan, which was to march straght at the American entrenchments over hundreda of yards of open ground., Napoleon is also credited with the lines origi at the Battle of Waterloo, when observing the Charge of The Scott's Greys.

[dave1949a1]

@Grimmest117 The Germans said that the British were LIONS led by Donkeys.

[Schwertization]

@Grimmest117 "The British...they fight like lions." "Yes...but fortunately for Germany they're led by donkeys." (Discussion between Erich Ludendorff and one of his aides after the British failed to exploit a 50 mile gap in the German lines in World War One.)

[Grimmest117]

The Somme was not nescesary. Haig's original plan was to attack further north into Belgium with the intention of hitting the Germans in a much less well prepaerd sector of the front. The opperation would have caused the Germans much more difficulty in shifting troops and materials much further north then they had to. Haig scrapped this plan at the insistance of the French. Paschendale was fought solely because Haig felt he had to have a victory in 1916, Haig admitted this in his own diary.

[jed371]

@Grimmest117 Gallipoli was a fiasco, but Somme, Paschendale were both nessecary to defeat Germany

[johnnyapplezz]

i had a great grand uncle who was killed at the somme, dont know much about him because no one really talks about it. he was kinda forgotten because he was seen as a traitor for joining the british army. mainly because ireland was going through some "house cleaning" that year. his brothers fought in the war for independance and then again in the civil war. i wonder how he would of faired in in those wars if he didnt join the british army. war is a disease, death is the cure.

[cumbas]

/watch?v=HPiCRg7c3EU

[ss3cleric]

@Grimmest117 Thank you very much for your kind sentiments. I would like to likewise pay tribute to many of your own brave soldiers who died in my region in the Pacific in WWII. My Grandfather (2/48 Inf Bt A.I.F) always spoke with great affection when he recounted the honesty and integrity of the US Marines and Army he knew. God bless the United States of America Lest we forget.

[BS1965able]

@Grimmest117 I believe Haig was way out of his depth.