IVB. 5th Battalion
The early war history of the 5th Battalion, which it will be remembered was also a Territorial one, resembles that of its twin the 4th. Indeed, the two were together in the Kentish Brigade of the Home Counties Division. On mobilization it was sent to Dover, afterwards to Canterbury and then to Sandwich, where it relieved the Kent Cyclists, and late in October it too sailed for India in the Corsican, under command of Lt.-Colonel Munn-Mace, T.D. It was quartered at Kamptee and formed part of the Jubbulpore Brigade, for on the arrival of the Territorial divisions from England in relief of the white part of the Indian garrison, their original home organization in brigades and divisions fell through, and each unit had to join the brigades and divisions already existing in India.
Whatever could be made of the existing British forces, however, could never suffice to meet the great emergency. Huge new armies must be formed, trained and, what was still more difficult, equipped to go direct to the seat of war; and so our island became for the first time in its history one vast training camp, and every man that was a man and young enough turned his hand to war. Times were almost as critical during certain periods of the Napoleonic Wars a hundred years before, but, of course, in those days campaigns, however important, were fought with very small armies because there was nothing to transport, feed and supply the same but a few sailing ships by sea and horse-drawn carts by land. But now times had changed in this respect and each nation put in the field the largest force it could muster and equip. So steps were at once taken in England.