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76-548: The Sheffield City Battalion was a ' Pals battalion ' formed as part of ' Kitchener's Army ' during World War I . Raised by local initiative in the City of Sheffield , it became the 12th (Service) Battalion of the local York and Lancaster Regiment ('12th Y&L'). After almost two years of training, it was virtually destroyed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in a disastrous attack on

152-454: A Bangalore torpedo failed to explode and the wire could not be broken. In December the battalion was under orders to move to join the Battle of Cambrai , but the fighting there died down and the order was cancelled. By the beginning of 1918 the BEF was suffering a manpower crisis. Brigades were reduced from four to three battalions each, and the remainder were broken up to provide reinforcements for

228-538: A battalion of men from workers in the City of London to set an example. Sixteen hundred men enlisted in this 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers , the so-called "Stockbrokers' Battalion", within a week in late August 1914. A few days later, the Earl of Derby decided to raise a battalion of men from Liverpool . Within two days, 1,500 Liverpudlians joined the new battalion. Speaking to these men Lord Derby said: "This should be

304-534: 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, forming the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Battalions of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) . Encouraged by Lord Derby's success, Kitchener promoted the idea of organising similar recruitment campaigns across

380-509: A building in Hawley Street known as 'The Jungle', formerly a skating rink. E Company joined the battalion at Redmires Camp on 10 April and remained there when the battalion left for Cannock Chase, when authority was received for a second reserve company to be formed. On 9 June Northern Command ordered the depot companies of the regiments to be concentrated, so E and F Companies moved from Redmires to Silkstone outside Barnsley , to join those of

456-479: A carefully-planned large-scale raid, though with the intention of retaining the limited objectives set for it. As a feint it was important that the enemy should be expecting the attack, and they bombarded the packed jumping-off trenches at 17.30. Despite the 200 casualties they had suffered, the two brigades waited until the British barrage came down suddenly at Zero (19.10) then advanced so quickly across No man's land that

532-487: A coloured band on the left forearm and shoulder straps: snipers green, signallers blue and runners red. On 1 July 1916 each man wore an inverted tin triangle on the haversack on their back.ref>Bilton, pp. 287–91.</ref> The original formation sign of 31st Division was a design with triangles and vertical lines ( see picture ). This was replaced in 1917 with overlapping York (white) and Lancaster (red) roses on right and left respectively; Yorkshire-based regiments such as

608-632: A deeper penetration. Lieutenant-Col Courtenay Hood was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his part in the Capture of Oppy Wood , and the York and Lancasters were later granted the Battle honour 'Oppy' for the work of the 12th, 13th and 14th battalions. Afterwards, 31st Division went to rest, with 12th Y&L being stationed at Bray, near Écoivres , north of Arras, behind Vimy Ridge. Manpower shortages were now becoming apparent, and

684-611: A draft of 100 men while sending four officers and 50 ORs to XIII Corps' Reinforcement Camp to help train fresh drafts from the UK. On 9 April First Army captured Vimy Ridge , and next day 31st Division moved up in case it was required for exploitation as the Arras Offensive developed. However it was not brought into the line until 1 May, 12th Y&L coming under the command of 93rd Bde. The division then attacked on 3 May (the Third Battle of

760-616: A few of the right half and of A Company were able to get through the wire into the German frontline trench; most were soon killed or driven out. Private A. Fretwell reported that 'When I got near the Gereman trenches I could see some of them coming out with their hands up, but when they saw how many of us had been hit, they changed their minds and ran back again'. The survivors from all four companies took what shelter they could in shellholes in No man's land. It

836-550: A former reporter on the Sheffield Daily Telegraph , based the 'City Battalion' of the 'Two Counties Regiment' in his 1961 novel Covenant with Death largely on the Sheffield City Battalion. The story focuses on a group of newspaper reporters who join up in 1914 and takes them to the destruction of the battalion on 1 July 1916. It quotes from Sparling's History of the battalion. Pals battalion At

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912-432: A moment, and when he looked back Brammer had gone.' The 14th Y&L were to advance behind the 12th Y&L, establishing a trench line to join the captured German trenches with their own jumping off trenches. They too suffered heavy casualties in No man's land. With heavy shellfire falling on the chaotic jumping-off trenches, the attack was suspended. By noon the sector was quiet apart from occasional shelling and sniping at

988-621: A number of memorials, including a brick-built shelter dedicated to the fallen of the Sheffield City Battalion. Surviving members of the City Battalion erected a memorial plaque to their fallen comrades in Sheffield Cathedral . Made from local Hopton Wood stone and Blue John fluorspar, it carries the bronze badge of the York & Lancaster Regiment and the coat of arms of Sheffield. It was unveiled by Col C.V. Mainwaring on 20 December 1919. The York & Lancaster Regiment War Memorial

1064-399: A severe outbreak of smallpox meant that nearby Lodge Moor Hospital was unable to house all the patients, and Redmires Camp was used as an auxiliary hospital. It remained in use as such until 1935. At the beginning of World War II the name of Redmires Camp was changed to Lodge Moor Camp, becoming Prisoner of War Camp 17. The camp housed Italian POWs who established a friendly rapport with

1140-556: A week's training, including a practice assault by the whole brigade over a mock up of the German trenches. Despite all the preparation and high hopes, the First day on the Somme (1 July) was a disaster for 31st Division. Its task was to take the village of Serre and form a defensive flank for the rest of Fourth Army . 94th Brigade moved into its assembly trenches in a line of copses (named 'Matthew', 'Mark', 'Luke' and 'John') in front of Colincamps on 30 June. Just beforehand, Lt-Col Crosthwaite

1216-467: Is in Weston Park, Sheffield . It consists of a stone obelisk surmounted by a bronze winged figure of Victory and flanked by bronze figures of an officer and a private. It was unveiled on 7 July 1923 by the regimental colonel , Field Marshal Viscount Plumer . Two published war poets served in the ranks of the Sheffield City Battalion and were killed on 1 July 1916: The writer John Harris , himself

1292-647: Is still in use. Archaeology students from the University of Sheffield , working with the Sheffield Lakeland Landscape Partnership (SLLP), undertook new searches of the World War II camp remains in the Summer of 2019. In April 2021, visitors to the site reported that Sheffield City Council workers, clearing trees from the site, had damaged concrete bases of the prisoners' accommodation, broke one of

1368-584: The British Expeditionary Force in France, and advance parties set out for the embarkation ports of Folkestone and Southampton . At the last minute, the destination was changed to Egypt , the advance parties were recalled, and on 7 December the troops embarked at Devonport , 12th Y&L aboard HM Transport Nestor of the Blue Funnel Line . The Nestor reached Alexandria on 1 January 1916 and

1444-603: The Grenadier Guards (in 4th (Guards) Brigade , which replaced 94th Bde in 31st Division) and the remainder were posted to No 4 Entrenching Battalion. The battalion band transferred in its entirety to the 2/4th Y&R (the 2nd Hallamshire Bn in 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division ). Many of these men became casualties a few weeks later during the German spring offensive . The battalion's commanding officer, Lt-Col Courtenay Hood, commanded 7th (Reserve) Bn, King's (Liverpool Regiment) , in

1520-568: The Grimsby Chums (10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment ), the Sheffield City Battalion, (12th(S) Bn, Y&L Regiment) and the 1st and 2nd Barnsley Pals (13th and 14th (S) Bns, Y&L Regiment). In April 1915 the Fourth New Army (K4) was converted into reserve units for K1–K3, and the K5 formations took over their numbers: thus 115th Bde became 94th Bde in 31st Division . Soon after it

1596-530: The Hébuterne sector of the line 31 October. The roads and communication trenches here were waterlogged in winter, and some of them could only be kept open by continuous labour. Even when out of the line at Sailly , the battalion came under fire from gas shells . For the Battle of the Ancre , which was to be the last big operation of the year, 31st Division made another attempt to capture Serre on 13 November, but 94th Bde

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1672-570: The Indian Army , was appointed the first permanent CO of the battalion. On 5 December the battalion went into huts erected by the City Architect at Redmires Camp , a former racecourse on the moors outside the city. At that point the battalion had reached its full establishment strength of 1131 men. On 10 December the battalion was assigned to 115th Brigade of 38th Division, formed of Pals Battalions from across Northern England: 115th Bde consisted of

1748-571: The Somme offensives of 1916. A notable example was the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment , better known as the Accrington Pals . The Accrington Pals were ordered to attack Serre , the most northerly part of the main assault, on the opening day of the battle . The Accrington Pals were accompanied by pals battalions drawn from Sheffield , Leeds , Barnsley , and Bradford . Of an estimated 700 Accrington Pals who took part in

1824-454: The adjutant and the medical officer). Among the other ranks (ORs), 45 were killed and 201 missing, later reported killed; 249 were wounded, of whom 12 later died, and 2 were prisoners of ware. There were another 75 men who were only slightly wounded. The shattered 31st Division was pulled out and sent to the quiet Neuve-Chapelle sector for rest and refit. Lieutenant-Col H.B. Fisher was promoted from Brigade major of 92nd Brigade to command

1900-451: The 1/6th Bn North Staffordshire Regiment on 15 October, 48 from South Lancashire on 17 October and 50 from the South of England on 23 October. Although the battalion was strengthened, the 'Sheffield Pals' element was diluted. The Somme Offensive was still continuing when 31st Division returned to the sector on 18 October. The battalion provided working parties until 27 October and then took over

1976-594: The 1st and 2nd Barnsley Pals (13th and 14th Y&L). In July 1915 the depot companies of all three battalions were formed into 15th (Reserve) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment , through the battalions continued their own local recruiting. At the end of the year the 12th Bn took over Hyde Park Barracks (the Hallamshire Battalion's Drill Hall in St John's Road) as its recruiting depot until April 1916. On 29 November 1915, 31st Division received warning orders to join

2052-472: The Duchy of Lancaster), the battalion wore a unique brass title with 'Y.&L.' above a curved 'SHEFFIELD' on the shoulder straps. All ranks wore the cap badge stencilled on the front of their steel helmets. They also wore the 94th Brigade cloth sign of a square divided red-over-white, worn on the back beneath the collar, with a circle underneath (or possibly on each arm), which was green for 12th Bn. Specialists wore

2128-506: The German defensive barrage fell behind them. The British covering artillery was so powerful that the assaulting troops met little resistance, taking Gavrelle Mill and Oppy Wood with very few casualties. Once it went 'over the top', the 12th Y&L suffered no casualties, and took its objective – Cadorna Trench – together with 50 prisoners, and immediately consolidated it for defence while the Germans fell back almost 1 mile (1.6 km), expecting

2204-638: The Island posts. He was succeeded on 12 October by Lt-Col C.P. Riall of the East Yorkshire Regiment , who had been temporary second-in-command of 13th Y&L, and Maj Gurney left for the Senior Officers' School in the UK, later to command a battalion of the East Yorkshires.. Meanwhile the battalion had been reinforced by drafts of ' Derby men ', 100 from Northamptonshire on 2 October, 94 intended for

2280-463: The Scarpe ) with 92nd and 93rd Bdes in line, 12th Y&L in support of 93rd. The assault was launched under a setting moon, which silhouetted the attackers to the enemy, and towards the darkness of Oppy Wood , in which the men could not see when their barrage lifted. Nevertheless, 93rd Bde made good progress at first, some companies reaching the final objective. 92nd Brigade, however, facing the main mass of

2356-588: The Somme and was brought back to strength by October that year only by drafts from diverse areas. With the introduction of conscription in March 1916 , further pals battalions were not sought. Voluntary local recruitment outside the regular army structure, so characteristic of the atmosphere of 1914–15, was not repeated in World War II . Redmires Camp 53°22′14″N 1°34′48″W  /  53.3706°N 1.5800°W  / 53.3706; -1.5800 Lodge Moor

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2432-533: The UK for six months, then returned to France in late September 1918 as CO of 1/5th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in the final weeks of the war, when he was also a temporary brigade commander. The following served as commanding officer of 12th York & Lancasters: As well as the Y&;L cap badge, with the Bengal tiger (for the original 65th Foot ) surmounted by a Tudor rose (for both counties) and ducal coronet (for

2508-574: The UK. By the end of September 1914, more than fifty towns had formed pals battalions. Larger towns and cities were able to form several battalions each; Manchester , for example, raised four battalions in August, and four more in November. From the perspective of the War Office , the pals battalion experiment relieved the heavy strain on the recruiting structure of a suddenly expanded regular army as well as easing

2584-488: The Y&L wore this with the white overlapping the red. The villages of Serre and Puisieux were adopted by the city of Sheffield after the war, and there is a memorial to the Sheffield City Battalion in Serre. Sheffield Memorial Park comprises the woodland of the 'Mark' , 'Luke' and 'John' copses from which the 94th Bde 'jumped off' on 1 July 1916. First opened in 1936, it retains outlines of trenches and shellholes and includes

2660-571: The area after the Arras offensive ended. Late in June First Army began a series of feint attacks to draw attention away from the Ypres Salient where the BEF was planning a new offensive. First Army gave the impression of preparing for large-scale attacks on Hill 70 and Oppy. In fact the attack on Oppy and Gavrelle, carried out by 94th Bde and 15th Bde of 5th Division on 28 June was in the nature of

2736-559: The attack, 235 were killed and 350 wounded within the space of twenty minutes. Despite repeated attempts, Serre was not taken until February 1917, at which time the German Army had evacuated to the Hindenburg Line . The Battle of the Somme marked a turning point in the pals battalion experiment. Many were disbanded or amalgamated after the scheme effectively came to an end following the summer of 1916. Others retained their titles until

2812-519: The battalion then entrained for Port Said where 31st Division concentrated by 23 January. It took over No 3 Section of the Suez Canal defences at Qantara and El Ferdan, where the men underwent training as well as providing working parties for the defences. On 26 February orders arrived to reverse the process and the division began re-embarking at Port Said, 12th Y&L aboard HMT Briton on 10 March. It unloaded at Marseille on 15 March and then joined

2888-484: The battalion was accommodated in canvas huts at Bertrancourt . It then spent four periods in April–June holding the line in front of Colincamps , suffering its first battle casualties from enemy shellfire and trench raids . Out of the line it provided working parties to repair damaged trenches and to dig new assembly and communication trenches for the forthcoming offensive. On 5 June the battalion moved to Gézaincourt for

2964-401: The battalion was informed that its strength would not exceed 700 in future. As a result it was reorganised from four to only three fighting companies, with Battalion Headquarters organised as a separate company. When Canadian Corps moved away, XIII Corps took over defence of the ridge, and 12th Y&R spent the rest of its career taking turns defending this sector, constantly working to improve

3040-465: The battalion, and Maj C.H. Gurney was transferred from 13th Y&L as second-in-command. On 10 September the battalion carried out a successful trench raid on the enemy positions. On 16 September the division moved into the Festubert sector, with 12th Y&R taking over a group of interconnected positions known as 'The Islands'. Here Lt-Col Fisher was killed by a German sniper on 3 October while visiting

3116-488: The concrete bases for the Nissen huts remain, along with remains of toilet blocks and emergency water storage tanks. However, apart from the concrete bases, the area is now overgrown with trees, bracken and brambles, and used mainly by dog walkers. It is signposted as Redmires Camp Plantation and owned by Sheffield City Council . In 1979, a small part of the area was cleared to make a permanent site for Travellers , for which it

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3192-567: The country, as local recruiting committees offered complete units to the War Office . One such unit was raised by the Lord Mayor and City of Sheffield , following an initiative by the Duke of Norfolk , a former Lord Mayor of the City, and Sir George Franklin of the University of Sheffield . A meeting held on 1 September 1914 resolved to form the Sheffield University and City Special Battalion of

3268-405: The defences when it was out of the line. The battalion lost heavily to two German Mustard gas bombardments, the first on the night of 5/6 August, which caused 120 casualties, the other on 30 September/1 October, with 109 casualties. Many of the latter were suffered by a raiding party training to carry out an operation. The raid was reorganised, but when it was launched on 5/6 October it failed when

3344-453: The devastated zone until 12 March, when 31st Division was squeezed out as British units converged on the shorter Hindenburg Line. It was then held in. readiness for an operation but was not called upon, and on 19 March the division began a six-day march to join First Army north of Arras . From 25 March to 8 April 12 Y&L trained around Merville , particularly in open warfare, and received

3420-508: The division concentrating in the Somme area. It remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war. 31st Division was part of the BEF's concentration of troops in the Somme sector preparing for that summer's 'Big Push', the Battle of the Somme . On 27 March the battalion arrived at Vignacourt , from where a party of officers and NCOs went into the line for instruction on Trench warfare by 8th Bn Worcestershire Regiment . From 29 March

3496-525: The end of July 1915, then in September it moved to Hurdcott Camp where it carried out final intensive battle training on Salisbury Plain . Colonel Mainwaring was graded medically unfit for overseas service and gave up the command on 28 September, being replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel J.A. Crosthwaite from the Durham Light Infantry . The battalion finally received its full allocation of SMLE rifles at

3572-426: The end of November 1915. Authorisation was received in early December 1914 for a fifth, reserve company (E Company), to be formed to provide reinforcements for the Sheffield City Battalion. Recruiting was carried out at Sheffield Town Hall in the third week of December and like the first volunteers the men were initially billeted in their own homes. Drills were carried out at Norfolk Park on fine days, or on wet days in

3648-595: The end of the war but with recruitment dependent upon drafts from a common pool of conscripts rather than from those with regional or other common ties. The practice of drawing recruits from a particular region or group meant that, when a pals battalion suffered heavy casualties, the impact on individual towns, villages, neighbourhoods and communities back in Britain could be immediate and devastating. As an example, The Sheffield City Battalion (12th York and Lancaster Regiment ) lost 495 dead and wounded in one day (1 July 1916) on

3724-549: The enemy artillery, and the defenders were frequently attacked by German aircraft. The task of getting supplies, particularly water, to the front line involved a great deal of dangerous work. The battalion's casualties in this period were 10 officers and 168 ORs, including Lt-Col Riall who had to be evacuated to hospital on 18 May. The second-in-command, Maj D.C. Allen, took over until 1 June when Maj Courtenay Hood returned from temporary command of 13th Y&L to be promoted to permanent command of 12th Y&L. 31st Division remained in

3800-599: The financial strain. In September 1914 Kitchener announced that the organizers of locally raised units would have to meet the initial accommodation and other costs involved, until the War Office took over their management. Accordingly, many recruits for the new pals battalions were initially able to live at home while reporting for daily basic training. The " Grimsby Chums " was formed by former schoolboys of Wintringham Secondary School in Grimsby . Many other schools, including some of

3876-449: The first 100,000 volunteers to come forward to form the 1st New Army ('K1'). A flood of volunteers poured into the recruiting offices across the country and were formed into 'Service' battalions of the county regiments. However, these were soon joined by groups of men from particular localities or backgrounds who wished to serve together. Starting from Liverpool, Manchester and London, the phenomenon of ' Pals battalions ' quickly spread across

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3952-452: The first two years of the war, 145 Service and seventy Reserve infantry units were locally raised pals battalions. Some pals battalions were trade/social-background linked rather than area linked, such as artists' battalions and sportsmen's battalions. Professional golfers Albert Tingey, Sr. , Charles Mayo , and James Bradbeer joined pals battalions. The 17th and 32nd Battalions, Northumberland Fusiliers were almost entirely created from

4028-525: The leading public schools, also formed battalions. Several sportsmen's battalions were formed, including three battalions of footballers : 17th and 23rd (Service) Battalions, Middlesex Regiment , and 16th (2nd Edinburgh) (Service) Battalion , Royal Scots , the last-mentioned battalion containing the entire first and reserve team players, several boardroom and staff members, and a sizable contingent of supporters of Scottish professional club Heart of Midlothian F.C. Out of nearly 1,000 battalions raised during

4104-469: The left flank of the brigade. However, each of these orders was cancelled, and in the end the battalion took up a reserve position. On 4 May it reverted to its old positions under 94th Bde once more. From 9 to 14 May and again from 18 to 20 May the battalion defended the key position of Gavrelle Windmill under heavy artillery fire. At first its positions were in shellholes, but these were gradually linked by trenches. The rear trenches were almost obliterated by

4180-647: The local York and Lancaster Regiment . The War Office accepted the proposal on 5 September, enrolment began at the Town Hall on 10 September and later at the Corn Exchange. Placards bearing the slogan 'To Berlin – via Corn Exchange' encouraged men to come forward. The first parade was held at Norfolk Barracks (the Sheffield Volunteer Artillery's Drill Hall on Clough Road) on 14 September, commanded by Colonel Herbert Hughes, former commanding officer (CO) of

4256-658: The locals. As the war progressed they were replaced by German prisoners who endured overcrowding; the International Committee of the Red Cross described the conditions as "insufficient/uninhabitable". A witness suggested there were more than 70 prisoners in huts designed for 30. Others were in tents. On 24 March 1945, Gerhardt Rettig, a German prisoner of war, was severely beaten by fellow German prisoners of war, and later died of his injuries in hospital. Two men were subsequently tried for his murder and executed . Many of

4332-522: The men pinned down in No man's land. Although a fresh attack was ordered for the afternoon, the divisional commander and the commanders of 93rd and 94th Bdes concluded that neither brigade was fit for any further offensive operation. Those men in No man's land who were able slipped back after dark; for a time next day, the Germans allowed stretcher-bearers to remove casualties from No man's land. The Sheffield City Battalion had lost 8 officers killed and 9 wounded (only four officers survived unscathed, including

4408-508: The men. For nearly three months the men lived in their own homes or lodgings in Sheffield, and drilled in their civilian clothes until the recruiting committee obtained uniforms for them. With khaki cloth unobtainable, these were of dark blue-grey cloth, with a small Field service cap with a red stripe. Vickers Limited supplied 23 rifles and loaned a machine gun , which allowed some instruction to take place. On 10 October Col C.V. Mainwaring of

4484-516: The nearby Hawthorn Ridge mine was exploded, 10 minutes before Zero. They then laid down in No man's land about 100 yards (91 m) in front of the trenches while the final intensive bombardment of the enemy positions was fired. The second wave moved out at 07.29 and lay down about 30 yards (27 m) further back. Thus alerted, the enemy put down their own heavy artillery barrage on the British line and their machine gun teams came out of their dugouts. When

4560-452: The others. In fact, in 31st Division 94th Bde was broken up entirely. As one of the weakest battalions, the 12th Y&R was selected for disbandment, and this was carried out between 11 and 17 February. Fifteen officers and 300 ORs joined the 13th Y&L (which also absorbed the 14th Y&L, and transferred to 93rd Bde), a further 13 officers and 280 ORs went to the 7th Y&R (the pioneer battalion of 17th (Northern) Division ), some went to

4636-695: The outbreak of World War I in August 1914 Lord Kitchener , the Secretary of State for War , believed that overwhelming manpower was the key to winning the war, and set about looking for ways to encourage men of all classes to join. This initiative was in direct contrast to the British military tradition of employing long serving professional soldiers drawn from the gentry (for officers) or the lower classes (for enlisted men). General Sir Henry Rawlinson suggested that men would be more inclined to enlist if they knew that they were going to serve alongside their friends and colleagues. He appealed to London stockbrokers to raise

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4712-415: The raising of forty-eight companies of engineers, forty-two batteries of field artillery and eleven ammunition columns, drawn mainly from groups with common occupational backgrounds. The relatively high skills and educational levels of many pals battalions meant an outflow of potential officers for commissioning elsewhere, from 1915 on. Many of these locally raised battalions suffered heavy casualties during

4788-619: The ranks of the North Eastern Railway . For members who joined the battalions, the North Eastern Railway gave some offers including; provisions for wives and dependants; to keep men's positions open; to pay their contribution to the Superannuation and Pensions and to provide accommodation for the families who were occupying company houses. While the majority of pals units were infantry battalions, local initiatives resulted in

4864-490: The same period the battalion received 764 men as drafts. It was temporarily commanded from 5 December to 11 January by Maj F.J. Courtenay Hood from the 14th Y&L. The division was rested from 12 January to 7 February 1917, and the troops underwent training. In late February 1917 the Germans began a withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line ( Operation Alberich ). They disappeared from the Ancre Front on 24 February and 31st Division

4940-413: The trainee soldiers, were undertaken between 1999 and 2006, but no investigations were made of the camp. When the Sheffield City Battalion went overseas, the camp area was used by other British military units. It subsequently became a prisoner of war camp, with its most famous inmate being the future Admiral Karl Dönitz who had been commanding a U-boat when he was captured on 4 October 1918. In 1925,

5016-401: The two leading waves set off at 07.30, followed by the third and fourth emerging from the trenches, they were almost annihilated by German fire. The 12th Y&L was hit in its left flank from German trenches that were not being attacked, and which had not been adequately screened by a planned smokescreen. The left half of C Company was shot down before reaching the German barbed wire , and only

5092-573: The village of Serre . The battalion continued to serve on the Western Front , including the Arras offensive , but it was disbanded early in 1918. On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army , and the newly-appointed Secretary of State for War , Earl Kitchener of Khartoum issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging

5168-526: The volunteer Hallamshire Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. At that parade, it was noted, were 'many men whom no other conceivable circumstances would have brought into the Army; £500 a year business men, stockbrokers, engineers, chemists, metallurgical experts, University and public school men, medical students, journalists, schoolmasters, craftsmen, shop assistants, secretaries, and all sorts of clerks'. The postwar music hall performer Stainless Stephen

5244-412: The wood, failed, thereby leaving 93rd Bde's left flank exposed. A and C Companies of 12th Y&L were called forward at 06.10 in case of a counter-attack by the enemy, and the rest of the battalion followed them to Hill 80 an hour later. Information on the situation ahead was obscure, and at different times Lt-Col Riall was ordered to aid all four of 93rd Bde's battalions; the most alarming report came from

5320-714: Was renumbered, the new 94th Bde was concentrated in May at Penkridge Bank Camp on Cannock Chase , Staffordshire , where it was joined by the Accrington Pals (11th East Lancashire Regiment ). in place of the Grimsby Chums. The other battalions were envious of the 12th's machine gun. and rifles supplied by Vickers, but it was only on 21 June that the battalion fully equipped with rifles. Even then, these were obsolete Magazine Lee–Metfords in bad condition; 80 modern Short Magazine Lee-Enfields (SMLEs) arrived for instruction on 17 June. The 31st Division concentrated at South Camp, Ripon , at

5396-608: Was a British military camp based near Redmires Reservoirs , Sheffield , that was best known for housing prisoners of war during World War II . It held approximately 11,000 at its peak, mostly Germans. It was established in World War I for training purposes. In World War I, Redmires Camp was set up in the area around Redmires Reservoir as a training camp for the Sheffield City Battalion . Archaeological surveys of nearby training areas, including trench systems dug by

5472-721: Was a member. The rush of Kitchener recruits had overwhelmed the Army's ability to absorb them, so the Pals Battalions (mainly in the Fifth New Army, 'K5') were left for some time in the hands of the recruiting committees. The men of the Sheffield City Battalion , soon to be officially the 12th (Service) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (Sheffield) , underwent their initial training at Bramall Lane cricket and football ground and in Norfolk Park . A number of retired Regular Army non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were taken on to drill

5548-465: Was evacuated to hospital and Major A. Plackett was hurriedly recalled from commanding the divisional school to take command of 12th Y&L for next day's attack. 94th Brigade on the division's left was to attack on a two-battalion front with the 12th Y&L (left) and 11th East Lancs (right) leading, followed by a company of the divisional pioneer battalion, the 12th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry . The leading waves left their trenches at 07.20 when

5624-491: Was ordered to send out strong patrols next day to regain touch with them. Next day patrols entered Serre, and over following days the division's advanced guards continued forwards, skirmishing with German rearguards and dealing with booby-traps. 12th Y&L was called forward from billets in Courcelles on the evening of 1 March and worked its way over the old Somme battlefield, reaching Puisieux on 9 March and remained patrolling in

5700-443: Was reported that some men of 12th Y&L may have reached Serre: if this was the case nothing was ever heard from them again, but later in the war bodies of men from the battalion were recovered from this area. Corporal Outram, a signaller, recalled that 'as far as the eye could see, the last two men left standing on the battlefield were himself and another signaller, A. Brammer. They signalled to each other. Outram turned his head for

5776-421: Was still not fit for active operations and although standing by it was not employed except to provide carrying parties and to rescue the wounded. The battalions continued to hold the trenches in front of Serre during the winter, carrying out occasional raids. Between October 1916 and April 1917 12th Y&L had 887 men evacuated to hospital, many suffering from Trench foot , of whom more than half rejoined later. In

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