A Volunteer Rifle Corps was formed in Preston in 1859 as a consequence of the talked-of possibilities of a French invasion. This Corps continued in existence as a Volunteer Corps until the territorialisation of Regiments about the year 1878, when it became a Volunteer Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment; later, on the formation of the Territorial Force it became the 4th (T.) Battalion of the same Regiment.
This Territorial Battalion succeeded to the traditions of the amalgamated units, and strove as best it might to emulate its Regular Battalions, but the Territorial scheme did not produce the full complement of officers and men, and it should be realised that those who served in it prior to the war did so in the face of a certain amount of ridicule, gave up nearly the whole of their spare time to camps and drills, and in most cases were seriously out of pocket over the whole business.
With the exception of a Company which was sent to South Africa to reinforce the Regular Battalion, the unit had not seen active service prior to August, 1914, but those who then belonged to it were keen, and had, in the face of discouragements, done their level best to master their job.
The beginning of August, 1914, found the Battalion, under strength in officers and men, in camp at Kirkby Lonsdale. When war was declared on the 4th of August, and the Territorial Force was embodied, the 4th were hurriedly recalled, and took up their quarters in the Public Hall, Preston. Within two or three days they had recruited to strength in all ranks, and had volunteered, practically to a man, for service abroad. Photographs of the original roll signed on that occasion will be found immediately preceding Chapter I.
That first fortnight in the Public Hall will never be forgotten by any of those who went through it. The Companies lived, ate, and slept on the floor, or on the benches in the gallery; the officers slept on the floor of one of the crush-rooms, and the whole business was a bit of a nightmare, but we were firmly under the impression at that time that any day might bring orders to go abroad, and we were kept fully equipped and issued with ammunition according to the mobilisation scale then in force.
On the 8th August, the Battalion paraded in the Market Square, Preston, and the colours were handed over to the Mayor for safe custody, no one at that time foreseeing that they would remain there for just on five years. A photograph of the colours appears as a frontispiece to this book: in the fulness of time, no doubt, the battle honours earned by the Battalion in the Great War will be embroidered upon them.
On the 22nd August, we moved down to Swindon, where the Battalion remained for nearly three months, billeted in schools, training, and generally improving discipline, but it was very difficult to get much real work done, as detachments were sent off to guard the main line of the Great Western Railway. These detachments, on the whole, had a pretty good time, as they were stationed at various places along the Thames Valley and the local people took a great interest in them, and were most hospitable. They learnt a good deal, especially in getting used to night sentry work, but no one was sorry when in November they were recalled and the Battalion moved as a whole to Sevenoaks.
Here we were allotted good training grounds and serious training was possible. Though the nature of the billets, mostly empty houses, threw us much on our own resources, it had the advantage that we began to learn to make ourselves comfortable under any circumstances.
We spent Christmas here, and had a very elaborate Christmas dinner, followed by a really good concert, in a large marquee provided by the generosity of one of the inhabitants. We found many hospitable folk at Sevenoaks, and made many friends.
The two King’s Own Battalions and the 5th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment were also billeted at the same place, and there was a good deal of unavoidable overcrowding. Up to this time we had been the only 4th Battalion, but in November, 1914, an order was issued that 2nd Line Territorial Battalions should be formed, for Home Service only, to find drafts for the 1st Line Battalions, and we took the title 1/4th, to distinguish ourselves from the 2/4th, then in process of formation at Blackpool. The latter was later on—early in 1916—sent overseas, and served in France and Belgium in the 57th Division.