This is alist ofpals battalions (also called "service" or "locally raised" battalions) of theBritish Army during theFirst World War. Pre-warTerritorial Force (T.F.) battalions have not been included, although they too usually recruited from a specific area or occupation. The 69 lineinfantryregiments formed 142locally raised battalions and 68local reserve battalions.^[1] TheGuards Regiments^[2] and the regiments formed only from Territorial Force battalions^[3][a] did not form pals battalions.

Lord Kitchener was one of the few people in 1914 to realise that theFirst World War was not going to be a short one; he believed that it would last three years and would require an army of 70 divisions. He eschewed theTerritorial Force – partly due to the limitations imposed by its terms of service but also due to the poor impression he formed when observing the French Territorials in theFranco-Prussian War – and did not make use of the framework envisioned byHaldane's Reforms. He launched his appeal for 100,000 volunteers on 7 August 1914 to form a first New Army of six divisions (and support units) and within a few days this target had been reached; by the end of September, half a million volunteers had come forward to form the New Armies.^[1]

Each of the 69 line infantry regiments raised one battalion for theFirst (K1)^[b] and for theSecond New Armies (K2)^[c] designated as "service" battalions and numbered after the existing Territorial Force battalions of their parent regiments. This rigid structure did not take account of the differing ability of regiments to raise troops based upon the population of their recruiting areas. Therefore, theThird New Army (K3) had a much higher proportion of battalions from the more populous north of England, notably Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. TheFourth New Army (K4) was formed from men of theReserve and Special Reserve battalions which were over establishment. Originally formed into the 30th – 35th Divisions, these were broken up so the battalions could train recruits and send drafts to the first three New Armies.^[1]

While the first four New Armies were being raised, a number of "service" battalions were also being raised by committees in cities and towns, and by other organizations and individuals. These units were recruited on a more narrow basis than usual, such as men who worked in a specific occupation or at a certain business, and were popularly known as "pals battalions". These were housed, clothed and fed by their committees until theWar Office took them over in 1915 and the raisers' expenses were refunded. These units formed theFifth andSixth New Armies (later called the new Fourth and Fifth New Armies when the original Fourth New Army was broken up).^[1]

The locally recruited battalions also formed depotcompanies and in 1915 these were grouped into "reserve" battalions to provide reinforcements for their parents. They became part of theTraining Reserve on 1 September 1916.^[12]

The recruitment of pals battalions was confined to the 69 lineinfantryregiments of theBritish Army. TheGuards Regiments^[2] and regiments formed only from Territorial Force battalions^[3][a] did not form any pals battalions. Amongst the line infantry regiments, there was considerable variation in the number of battalions recruited, depending upon the population of the regiment's recruiting areas. No pals battalions were raised in the more rural areas of England, the Scottish Highlands, or Ireland.

TheNorthumberland Fusiliers raised the largest number of pals battalions (twelve) of any regiment,^[13] followed by ten raised by theRoyal Fusiliers,^[14] nine for theWelch Regiment,^[15] nine for theMiddlesex Regiment,^[16] and nine for theManchester Regiment.^[17] TheRoyal Irish Rifles had nine battalions raised in a similar fashion from theUlster Volunteer Force.^[18]

In all, 142 "service" battalions and 68 "reserve" battalions were formed.^[1]

The pals battalions formed the bulk of the infantry for the divisions of the Fifth New Army (30th,31st,32nd,33rd,34th, and35th) and the Sixth New Army (36th (Ulster),37th,38th (Welsh),39th,40th, and41st). The exceptions were:

• the 37th Division was made up of 13 Army Troops battalions from the First (2), Second (2) and Third (9) New Armies.^[19]
• the 14th (Service) Battalion,Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) was raised as part of the original 33rd Division of the Fourth New Army.^[20] When the Fourth New Army was broken up, it was reassigned to the118th Brigade,39th Division.^[21]

A handful of battalions served away from the Fifth and Sixth New Army divisions:

• 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Stockbrokers) was initially an 'Army Troops' battalion attached to the54th Brigade,18th (Eastern) Division (Second New Army), and then served with37th Division on theWestern Front^[22]
• 25th (Service) Battalion,Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Frontiersmen) served in theEast African Campaign from May 1915 to the end of 1917^[23]
• 21st (Service) Battalion,Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (Wool Textile Pioneers) asPioneers in theRegular4th Division^[24]
• 11th (Service) Battalion,Leicestershire Regiment (Midland Pioneers) as Pioneers in the Regular6th Division^[25]
• 13th (Service) Battalion,Cheshire Regiment was locally raised but was assigned to the74th Brigade,25th Division (Third New Army)^[26]
• 13th (Service) Battalion,Worcestershire Regiment (Severn Valley Pioneers) as Pioneers in the63rd (Royal Naval) Division^[27]
• 10th (Service) Battalion,Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (Cornwall Pioneers) as Pioneers in the Regular2nd Division^[28]
• 23rd (Service) Battalion,Welsh Regiment (Welsh Pioneers) as Pioneers in the Regular28th Division^[15]
• 26th (Service) Battalion,Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) (3rd Public Works Pioneers) as Pioneers in the Regular27th Division^[29]
• 20th (Service) Battalion,King's Royal Rifle Corps (British Empire League Pioneers) as Pioneers in the Regular3rd Division^[30]
• 22nd (Service) Battalion,Durham Light Infantry (3rd County Pioneers) as Pioneers in the Regular8th Division^[31]

• Becke, Major A.F. (1938).Order of Battle of Divisions Part 3A. New Army Divisions (9–26). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.
• Becke, Major A.F. (1945).Order of Battle of Divisions Part 3B. New Army Divisions (30–41) & 63rd (RN) Division. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.
• David Bilton,Hull Pals, 10th, 11th 12th and 13th Battalions East Yorkshire Regiment – A History of 92 Infantry Brigade, 31st Division, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2014,ISBN 978-1-78346-185-1.
• James, Brigadier E.A. (1978).British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited.ISBN 0-906304-03-2.
• Andrew Jackson,Accrington's Pals: The Full Story, Barnsley, Pen & Sword, 2013,ISBN 9781-84884-469-8.

• Pals battalions
• United Kingdom in World War I
• United Kingdom in World War I-related lists
• Lists of military units and formations of World War I
• Lists of British Army battalions

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use British English from August 2014
• All Wikipedia articles written in British English
• Use dmy dates from August 2014