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Pals Battalions

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Friday, 29th February 2008

  We all know the stories of the Pals battalions, and how they were cut to ribbons in 1915. But what happened to those who did not die. Where the battalions reformed, or where they just transfered to other units? Just a thought.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Friday, 29th February 2008

  gf
  good call - where there any survivors - did anyone care ????
  
  wasnt the british army after 1915 full of cannon fodder
  
  st

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• Message 3

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  Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Friday, 29th February 2008

  GF
  
  In general terms, they were brought back up to strength, but not with the same sort of men who had formed them initially. Conscription had begun at the beginning of 1916, and conscripts could be drafted anywhere needed.
  
  The Army, and the politicians, recognised, belatedly, that battalions recruited within too small an area would have a much greater impact on civilian morale if they suffered severe casualties than ones with a wider intake.
  
  The battalions were further diluted by the promotion, often commissioning, of many of the survivors.
  
  Martin Middlebrook's "First Day On The Somme" has some discusion of all this.
  
  LW

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  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Friday, 29th February 2008

  Thanks L W. I asked because, it was a question I never asked my grandfather. He surrived by the fact he was a pidgon fancier, and was transfered.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by vera1950 (U9920163) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  hi, I dont know if this info is any use to you .
  My husbands gandad enlisted in 1915 ,in Wigan into the 5th Manchester regt.
  On the first day of the somme he fought in the Kings Liverpool regt (Liverpool Pals) along side the Manchester Pals who together liberated Montaubon on 1/07/1916.
  He was killed on 23/04/1917 near Arass and was then in the 18th Batt Manchesters part of the manchester pals.I an only assume men were moved as and when needed .

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Mike Alexander (U1706714) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  Of course it wasn't just the Pals battalions that were cut to bits. Throughout the war, battalions would be reduced to 20 or 30 percent of their original number over the course of a major battle. Their numbers would generally be made up by new drafts - though by the end of the war (if memory serves) the standard size of a British infantry battalion was reduced from about 1000 to about 750 men, and from 4 companies to 3 companies.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  Hi Mike. I know that it wasn't just the Pals that fought, but I was interested in what happened to the survivors. A regular or T A Battalion would take in new recruits, or their battalions would be joined together. Most pre war regiments would have two regular battalions, and at least one T A. But the Pals were different.

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• Message 8

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  Posted by ex4thhussar (U520216) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  Hi
  
  It was not just in WW1 that Regiments were broken up and servicemen transferred to other units.
  
  In December 1944 my unit, the 49th Light Anti Aircraft unit was dis-banded simply because by that stage in the war the German Luftwaffe no longer posed a threat in Italy.
  
  We were all posted, according to our skills, to various training units and from there to completely new regiments.
  
  I found myself being re-trained as a Loader/Operator on Sherman Tanks and finished up in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars.
  
  As I have said before, the Army, using Kings Regulations, could do anything they liked to you except give you a baby.
  
  This was later amended to "Yes they CAN give you a baby, but they can't make you love it"
  
  

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper (U519668) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  I can only agree with ex 4th Hussar as when we heard that he had joined a Tank battalion - we in the 145th Regt RAC - along with 142 Regt RAC disbanded ourselves as being surplus to establishment , and no further use to the war effort !

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