Index - 1914 - 1915 - 1916 - 1917 - 1918 - Links - Local Soldiers
14th January. The First Battalion of the Bradford Pals march from Bradford city centre to training facilities in Skipton. Evidence link (pdf file)
A dual purpose Battalion is recruited across West Yorkshire. The 21st Service (Pioneers) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, was to combine infantry duties with Pioneer duties. Evidence link (pdf file – page 6)
AUDIO: A serving soldier at the time recalls being sent to Bradford in 1915 to recruit local men - play clip (1:15)
February. A second Pals Battalion is raised in Bradford. (18th Service Battalion, Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment). Evidence link (pdf file)
May. 16th and 18th Battalions (First and Second Bradford pals) transfer to Ripon. Here they are integrated into the main army and are given Khaki uniforms – they had previously worn blue uniforms, made in Bradford of worsted wool. Evidence link (pdf file – page 6)
AUDIO A man remembers how the 1st Pals wore blue uniforms but his battalion wore khaki. He recalls marching to Ripon from Bradford, the songs the marchers sang and the state of his feet! - play clip (2:08)
Jack Hobbs signs for Idle Cricket Club. He plays for them in the Bradford League for the duration of the war, winning the League Title in his first season with the club.
July. The reserves of the First and Second Bradford pals are transferred to Colstersdale (home of the Leeds pals training camp) to merge with the 2 reserve battalions of the Leeds pals and form the 19th Battalion (Local Reserve) West Yorkshire Regiment. The group was too large thogh and was later split into 2 groups, the 19th and 20th reserve Battalions, the latter being transferred to Nottinghamshire. Evidence link (pdf file)
5th July. Donald Bell, footballer for Bradford (Park Avenue) attacks an enemy trench armed with grenades. He clears the trench single-handedly. His actions result in the awarding of the Victoria Cross. Bell is the only professional footballer to have ever received this honour.
6th December. The Transport section of the Leeds Pals boards HMS Shropshire and set sail for Port Said, Egypt. They are followed by the remainder of the Leeds Pals and the rest of the division on December 7th, who sail on ‘The Empress of Britain.’ The Empress also carries the 16th and 18th Battalions (West Yorks – Bradford pals) and the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (Durham pals) who collectively formed the 93rd Brigade.
Note: only the officers knew the destination of the Empress. The ‘ordinary’ men were left to Speculate as to where they were going: Galipoli or India were popular rumours.
Evidence Link 1 Evidence link 2 (page 7)
AUDIO: Troop movements around England and a confrontation with an Italian ship off the coast of Malta are remembered - play clip (1:43)
AUDIO: A man recalls spending his birthday in Egypt in 1915 - play clip (1:02)
22nd December. The Leeds Pals disembark at Port Said and march 32 miles up the Suez Canal. They are assigned a number of defensive positions which they guard until March 1st 1916 when they are withdrawn due to the likelihood of a major Turksish assault. Evidence link