51:
504:
75:
92:
420:
292:
and form a defensive flank for the rest of the
British advance. The 31st Division's attack on Serre was a complete failure although some of the Accrington Pals made it as far as the village where they were killed or captured. One of the battalion's signallers, observing from the rear, reported:
307:
Approximately 700 men from the
Accrington Pals went into action on 1 July; 585 men became casualties, 235 killed and 350 wounded in about half an hour. The battalion's commander, Lieutenant-Colonel A. W. Rickman, was among the wounded. A rumour spread around Accrington that only seven men had
311:
The
Accrington Pals were effectively wiped out in a matter of minutes on the first day on the Somme. The battalion was brought back up to strength and served for the remainder of the war, moving to the
1028:
895:
History of the Great War: Order of Battle of
Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,
1023:
522:
340:
battalion, that is, a reserve battalion for the locally raised (pals) battalion intended to provide trained reinforcements for its parent unit. In the autumn of 1915 it was at
1018:
234:
that made up the original battalion, only one was actually composed of men from
Accrington. The rest volunteered from other nearby East Lancashire towns such as
706:
591:
352:
230:'s call for volunteers, and it took only ten days to raise a complete battalion. The battalion's nickname is somewhat misleading since of the four 250-strong
492:
and dedicated in 1991, the memorial stands close to the location of the trench line from which the
Accrington Pals advanced on the first day of the Somme.
246:. The men from Chorley, who formed Y Company, were known as the Chorley Pals. The men from Burnley, who formed Z Company, were known as the Burnley Pals.
404:
399:, where it remained for the rest of the war. After the war it was converted into a service battalion on 8 February 1919 and sent to join the
227:
742:
998:
947:
808:
257:, a "pals" division containing many North Country pals battalions. With the 31st Division. The division was initially deployed to
364:
408:
341:
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135:
380:
313:
250:
1008:
447:
925:, London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
902:
History of the Great War: Order of Battle of
Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division
471:
167:
28:
643:
446:, 1st Battalion attached to the 11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, won the award on 21 March 1918, between
17:
783:
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179:
41:
695:
517:
436:
231:
175:
285:
183:
509:
443:
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is the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
302:, only to be mown down like meadow grass. I felt sick at the sight of the carnage and remember weeping."
308:
survived from the battalion, and an angry crowd surrounded the mayor's house and demanded information.
289:
345:
171:
904:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-41-X.
1013:
603:
281:
207:
163:
95:
50:
897:
London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
763:
768:
943:
804:
440:
726:
489:
299:
419:
329:
91:
488:
A memorial to the battalion stands in the
Sheffield Memorial Park in France. Built from
466:
A song telling their story was written and recorded by
English folk singer and comedian
363:, (for those who had completed basic training) on 9 July 1917, and on 23 July it joined
432:
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105:
80:
992:
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451:
738:
843:
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372:
396:
274:
215:
499:
392:
262:
211:
145:
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The
Accrington Pals next moved to France, where they first saw action in the
388:
239:
125:
787:
940:
Pals: the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment
115:
376:
270:
243:
235:
298:"We were able to see our comrades move forward in an attempt to cross
455:
411:
until October 1919. It was disbanded in Germany on 13 February 1920.
333:
973:
821:
269:
The troopship carrying the Accrington Pals was narrowly missed by a
865:
258:
963:
911:, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
288:, on 1 July 1916, the 31st Division was to attack the village of
273:, a fortunate miss because the ship also carried sixty tons of
226:
Recruiting was initiated by the mayor of Accrington following
523:
Recruitment to the British Army during the First World War
918:, Barnsley, Pen & Sword, 2013, ISBN 9781-84884-469-8.
336:, from the depot companies of 11th Battalion. This was a
198:, officially the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington),
439:
forces. One member of the battalion won the award.
359:
in 17th Reserve Brigade. It was redesignated as the
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
159:
151:
141:
131:
121:
111:
101:
86:
68:
60:
37:
866:"Accrington Pals | Visiting the Serre Battlefield"
18:12th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment
1024:Military units and formations established in 1914
326:12th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regimen
707:King's (Liverpool Regiment) at Long, Long Trail.
379:. On 1 November 1917 it was transferred to the
909:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
592:East Lancashire Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
8:
1019:Military units and formations in Lancashire
553:
551:
549:
351:On 1 September 1916, it transferred to the
49:
655:
653:
651:
639:
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635:
625:
623:
621:
587:
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55:Cap badge of the East Lancashire Regiment
772:(Supplement). 21 May 1918. p. 6058.
418:
569:
567:
565:
563:
534:
316:of the 31st Division in February 1918.
931:The Original British Army of the Rhine
541:
391:, and in the spring of 1918 it was at
34:
696:Training Reserve at Long, Long Trail.
7:
942:. Barnsley: The Barnsley Chronicle.
64:2 September 1914 – 20 November 1919
743:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
644:31st Division at Long, Long Trail.
25:
916:Accrington's Pals: The Full Story
210:raised in and around the town of
502:
90:
73:
357:75th Training Reserve Battalion
328:, was formed on 14 May 1915 at
249:The Accrington Pals joined the
668:James, Appendix II to Part II.
361:233rd (Infantry) Battalion, TR
1:
929:BAOR.pdf Richard A. Rinaldi,
470:. A play based on the unit,
458:. The award was posthumous.
476:, was also later written by
261:in early 1916 to defend the
155:Mayor and Town of Accrington
803:(play, 1984), Peter Whelan
395:. In June 1918 it moved to
381:King's (Liverpool Regiment)
1045:
168:Third Battle of the Scarpe
40:11th (Service) Battalion,
29:The Accrington Pals (play)
26:
923:British Regiments 1914–18
401:British Army of the Rhine
48:
999:East Lancashire Regiment
938:Turner, William (1990).
739:"Horsfall, Basil Arthur"
717:Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 83–90.
423:Basil Arthur Horsfall VC
320:12th (Reserve) Battalion
200:East Lancashire Regiment
42:East Lancashire Regiment
629:Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 11–9.
606:. Chorley Pals Memorial
518:List of pals battalions
265:from the threat of the
176:German spring offensive
424:
286:first day on the Somme
184:Hundred Days Offensive
974:"The Accrington Pals"
822:"The Accrington Pals"
510:United Kingdom portal
444:Basil Arthur Horsfall
422:
403:, where it served in
966:The Long, Long Trail
387:. Later it moved to
346:17th Reserve Brigade
172:Capture of Oppy Wood
972:Jackson, Andrew C.
846:. Munin Productions
820:Jackson, Andrew C.
801:The Accrington Pals
473:The Accrington Pals
409:Lancashire Division
385:52nd (Graduated) Bn
282:Battle of the Somme
164:Battle of the Somme
907:J.B.M. Frederick,
844:"Previous credits"
769:The London Gazette
677:Frederick, p. 130.
604:"The Chorley Pals"
557:Frederick, p. 187.
425:
290:Serre-lès-Puisieux
921:Brig E.A. James,
441:Second Lieutenant
189:
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180:Battle of the Lys
16:(Redirected from
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1009:Kitchener's Army
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353:Training Reserve
342:Prees Heath Camp
208:Kitchener's Army
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330:Chadderton Camp
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216:First World War
196:Accrington Pals
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38:Accrington Pals
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228:Lord Kitchener
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338:local reserve
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300:No Man's Land
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978:. Retrieved
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888:Bibliography
873:. Retrieved
869:
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848:. Retrieved
838:
826:. Retrieved
815:
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788:the original
778:
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758:
746:. Retrieved
733:
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691:
682:
673:
664:
659:James, p. 74
608:. Retrieved
598:
537:
487:
478:Peter Whelan
472:
468:Mike Harding
465:
448:Moyenneville
437:Commonwealth
426:
384:
373:Herringfleet
360:
356:
355:(TR) as the
350:
337:
325:
323:
314:92nd Brigade
310:
306:
297:
279:
251:94th Brigade
248:
225:
195:
193:
132:Part of
44:(Accrington)
32:
764:"No. 30697"
542:Turner 1990
397:Henham Park
277:explosive.
214:during the
160:Engagements
142:Garrison/HQ
1014:Accrington
993:Categories
875:20 October
529:References
393:Saxmundham
263:Suez Canal
212:Accrington
146:Accrington
69:Allegiance
27:See also:
784:"Harding"
389:Lowestoft
365:205th Bde
284:. On the
240:Blackburn
232:companies
126:Battalion
727:Rinaldi.
496:See also
484:Memorial
405:14th Bde
202:, was a
116:Infantry
96:New Army
933:, 2006.
433:British
407:of the
377:Suffolk
344:in the
275:lyddite
271:torpedo
253:of the
244:Chorley
236:Burnley
222:History
980:24 May
946:
850:24 May
828:24 May
807:
748:24 May
610:24 May
462:Legacy
456:France
334:Oldham
242:, and
152:Patron
87:Branch
78:
61:Active
259:Egypt
982:2015
944:ISBN
877:2018
852:2015
830:2015
805:ISBN
750:2015
612:2015
450:and
435:and
427:The
324:The
194:The
122:Size
112:Role
102:Type
383:as
375:in
371:at
367:of
206:of
995::
868:.
766:.
741:.
650:^
634:^
620:^
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562:^
548:^
480:.
454:,
348:.
332:,
238:,
218:.
984:.
952:.
879:.
854:.
832:.
752:.
614:.
20:)
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