On July 26, 1914 volunteers in the Territorial Army left Malton for their two-week summer camp, little knowing it would be five years, for the lucky ones, before they returned to their peace-time lives. JOHN HOWARD reports .

The Territorial Force was formed in 1908 to provide local volunteer troops for home defence.

Volunteers in the Malton area joined the 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (latterly named The Green Howards) with drill halls in Scarborough, Beverley, Driffield, Malton, Bridlington and Filey.

The 4th Battalion was located in the Middlesborough, Northallerton and Yarm area.

A full strength infantry battalion in those days numbered 1,000 men.

Both battalions were part of the 50th (Northumbrian Division) a selfcontained tactical formation with more than 18,000 men and 5,000 horses.

The highlight of the volunteers’ training year was two weeks annual camp. In 1914, the 4th and 5th Battalions were at summer camp in North Wales. As camp progressed news came through that Austria- Hungary had declared war on Serbia, and within two days Russia had ordered a general mobilisation.

At 8am on August 3, orders came through for the Northumbrian Division’s annual camp to finish early.

“The last two days of the first week of annual training were full of alarms and excursions, and then we upped sticks, leaving all our company stationery boxes with our mobilisation papers in them, and each company proceeded to its headquarters. Two days later came the orders to mobilise,” reported Lt Col M L Bell, 4th Battalion.

Within a few weeks 92 per cent had volunteered, and the total eventually reached 96 per cent.

“All training was done in full ‘marching order’, ie full pack and haversack, 120 rounds of ammunition in pouches, full water-bottle, rifle and bayonet and entrenching tool. Later, cross-country attacks in artillery formation, ending in bayonet charges were varied with long route-marches and sometimes digging of trenches.

On one occasion a trench system was dug outside Ponteland and was occupied for 10 days in snowy weather. Of course we grumbled and groused, cursing the weight of our kit, but the hard training made us ready and fit for the stern trials of the Ypres Salient in April,” reported Edwin King, B Company 5th Battalion.