Lord Kitchener's inspection of troopsAt the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Lord Derby, unofficially known as ‘England’s best recruiting sergeant’, came up with the idea of bringing men who worked and socialised together in a fighting regiment. This would hopefully make the idea of going to war more appealing to the men of Liverpool.
An advert was placed in the local press on 27 August 1914, suggesting that men wishing to join ‘a battalion of comrades, to serve their country together’ should report to the 5th Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) [narrative forthcoming] the next day. Lord Derby had also written to the heads of the large companies and businesses in Liverpool, such as the shipping lines and insurance houses, outlining his plans for the Pals battalions and requesting that efforts should be made to send eligible employees to the recruitment offices.
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The response to the adverts was so great that on the first day of recruitment, Lord Derby was able to form two battalions, to whom he gave a rousing welcome speech. These first 1,050 recruits were officially enlisted at St. George’s Hall on 31 August. By 7 September 1914, Lord Derby had over 3,000 recruits, and by mid-October a second advertisement appealing for recruits meant that there were a total of four ‘Liverpool Pals’ battalions, and two reserve battalions. They were officially known as the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Service Battalions of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, or sometimes as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th City Battalions of the King’s Liverpool Regiment.