Recruitment – nicknames for the Pals Battalions

Having relocated the Recruitment text to the main BradfordWW1 site I wanted to make sure the discussion started on the blog wasn’t lost so here it is...

The Leeds City Battalion - later 15th (Service) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment(1st Leeds Pals), had been given the rather unfortunate nick-name the "Feather-Bed" and "Titty-Bottle Battalion" in its early formation. Some locals had believed that members were cossetted and had a comfortable time of things; billets, training, issue of uniforms, etc. Instances are to be found in The Yorkshire Evening Post and Laurie Milner provides a good account in "Leeds Pals". Is there anything to suggest that 1st and 2nd Bradfords received similar taunts or had an unofficial nick-name?

AnonymousFeb 2, 2012 10:43 AM

Yes after the First Bradford Pals had first formed they enjoyed a nice life compared to the long hours of daily toil they were used to, including a 2 hour lunch break in which they could wander around the city.


The 'Bradford Pals' by David Raw confirms this "Afterwards many of them reflected that this was the best time of their lives. Compared with the Leeds Pals who were sent off to camp in the wilds of Colsterdale near Masham as early as September the Bradford men knew they were having a 'cushy time' They were determined to enjoy it."


"The fulsome media coverage began to cause a backlash, particularly from relatives of men in the regulars and the Territorials who were failing to get the same attention."


The two Bradford Pals battalions met up with the Leeds Pals at Fovant and together with the Durham Pals formed the 93rd Brigade of the 31st (Pals) Division.


I highly recommend this book which follows the Bradford Pals from recruitment to January 1918 when the British Army was reorganised.

BradfordWW1 Feb 2, 2012 12:21 PM

Many Thanks. It is some time since I read David Raw's book and I will certainly consider your recommendation and buy it this time. I hope to be visiting Owl Trench and Serre in the near future and will pay my respects to the Bradford lads while I'm there.

AnonymousFeb 3, 2012 04:07 AM

Regarding nicknames apparently the 1st Bradford Pals were called "chocolate soldiers" after a handsome brass case containing chocolates and cigarettes was presented to each man by Francis Laidler the owner of the Alhambra Theatre.


Anyone know of nicknames for the other ‘Pals’ Battalions?

BradfordWW1 Feb 3, 2012 04:25 AM

Recruitment and more

I have just transferred the blogs about recruitment in Bradford to the main website and have added the latest update “Reserves for the Pals – Weeding out the unfit.”

I want the content of the BradfordWW1 site to cover the main issues faced by Bradford at the time of the First World War and to keep the blog for more informal discussion with you all about the issues.  Please join in the discussions!

I will continue to post updates on my visits to the archives on the blog as and when I have time. I have taken to live tweeting from the archives as so often by the time I have returned home and found time to get to the computer I have forgotten what it was that I had found so interesting/amusing at the archives so it is easier if I tweet about it while I am there.

So please follow my twitter feed where I also tweet notable dates from Bradford’s history or watch the home page where the twitter feed is available.

Yorkshire soldiers – wounded

While going through one soldiers service record I came across a sheet detailing the names of other soldiers who had been wounded. As it included information which may not be available anywhere else I have transcribed it here. I hope it is of use to someone.

2^nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment

19226              Pte       Smith H           Injured             5.7.18

63431              Pte       Davidson J       Injured             6.7.18
                        Auth O.C.                   Bn 13.7.18

5^th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

62494              Pte       Blenkinsop L    Injured             11.7.18 Admitted
                        Auth O.C. 2/2              W.R.F.A 13/7/18

1/4^th Battalion West Riding Regiment

203728            Pte       Haggas E         Wounded         12.7.18           
                        Auth O.C. No 10          C.C.S. 13.7.18

34019              Pte       Hardman J P    Wounded         9.7.18
Auth O.C. No 44          C.C.S 13.7.18

9^th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment

????8               Pte       Allon J             W                     12.7.18 Admitted
Auth O.C. No 51          F.A. 13.7.18

On this day 18th January...

1887 – Manchester Road Baths opened

They were opened largely as a result of corporation and municipal officials being shocked by the large numbers of the “great unwashed” when they went to open Bowling Park on the 4^th September 1880.

The Baths were situated midway between West Bowling and Little Horton so that they are convenient to residents from both districts.

It was considered desirable to make provision for a branch free library and reading room, the Free Library Committee paying the Sanitary Committee £40 a year to rent the space. The building is therefore larger than would have been required for baths only.

“It is in gothic style, and the main feature of the exterior is a tower of octagonal form, which rises from the front at the junction of Manchester Road and Cotewall Road. There is an entrance to the building on each side of the tower. The ground floor, on the Manchester Road side is arranged for the free library and reading room. The space is 47feet by 23 feet, a high partition being introduced to form separate departments for male and female readers, the part set aside for the later being reached by a doorway which leads to the women’s bath room. The library will be accommodated in a recess erected at the rear of the reading room, from which it will be separated by a counter, across which the librarian will hand books to borrowers in both departments. The arrangements for the baths are a very complex nature. The department for males is on the Cotewall road side of the building, and it is reached through a spacious entrance hall, from which also the curators rooms are accessible. The swimming bath is very capacious, being 60ft in length and 30ft in width. There are 48 dressing boxes, each with a separate compartment for shower baths. Above these dressing boxes there is a balcony supported by cast iron columns and here there are 10 first class and 19 second class slipper baths and accommodation for vapour baths. This portion of the premises is reached by a stone staircase from the entrance hall. The baths for females are situate on the first floor over the reading room, the accommodation comprising four first class and 8 second class slipper baths; there are also a first class and second class vapour bath.”

The baths were also heated by a new more modern method which enabled the bath to be filled with warm water in a tenth of the time of the old method.

The overall cost of the building was £8,000

It was stated that “to some it will be a matter of regret that in the new premises there is no provision for a Turkish bath, but the town is not badly accommodated in this respect. The Corporation, in addition to having department for the Turkish baths at the Thornton Road establishment, about two years since fitted up premises in Horton Road for use as a ladies’ Turkish bath; and there are also private baths of a similar character in another part of the town.”

Source

The Leeds Mercury, Wednesday November 24^th 1886

Trim awr sails and hooap for th’ best – wonderful Yorkshire dialect and storytelling

"A new year brings new responsibilities, - new joys an new sorrows, an we mun try to face em wi new strength. It’s like startin wi a new wife, - yo can nivver tell ha things will turn aght. Ther’s hooap one minnit an fear th’ next... Ther’s noa bigger mistak for a chap to mak nor to lay daan a hard an fast line for his futer conduct, for he’ll nivver be able to stick to it, an if he did he’d miss a deal moor nor he’d gain. When a captain starts on a voyage he knows his destination, but that’s abaat all. He cannot tell what storms he’ll meet, an ha far he’ll be driven aght ov his coorse, but he prepares as weel as he can for emergencies, an then trusts to luck. Well, let’s all trim awr sails an hooap for th’ best”

Just one example of the wonderful use of the Yorkshire Dialect by John Hartley in his 1910 Clock Almanack.

Source

Hartley, John 1910 The original Clock Almanack in the Yorkshire Dialect

Yorkshire Dialect – Rambling Remarks December

“Now all our neighbours’ chimneys smoke
And Christmas logs are burning,
With baked meats all their ovens’ choke,
And every spit is turning.

Outside the door let sorrow lie;
And if for cold it chance to die
We’ll tomb it in a Christmas Pie,
And evermore be merry”

“Ther’s one thing ‘at allus should be deead and buried deep at Kursmiss, an that’s selfishness. If yo want to mak sewer o’th’ merriest kursmiss yo ivver had, aw’ll tell yo ha to do to get it. Begin, as sooin as yo con, to gether up ivverything yo can think on 'at’ll be likely to afford onny enjoyment to th’ time, an when yo’ve getten it all piled in a lump begin to share it, reight an left, amang those abaat yo, an dooant be afeeard yo’ll be robbin yorsen, for th’ happier yo mak others an th’ happier yo’ll be yorsen. Its noa use deckin yor picter frames wi holly an mistletoe, an trimming th’ gas pipe wi fancy paper unless yo’ve some smiling faces an lovein hearts araand yo...


God bless yo all! An if it isn’t a Merry Kirsmiss, may it be a happy one.”



Source

John Hartley (1910) The Original Clock Almanack

At the archives... nursery, lather-boys, school ships and dinner ladies

Yesterday was spent having lots of laughs with the staff at Bradford Archives as I uncovered some hidden gems of information.

Before that an update – the archives service is up and running as near normal service just in a different location within Bradford central library. The Bradford local studies library, now next to the archives is running a reduced service, you have to order books 2 working days in advance. On the positive side they have now managed to find a space for one microfiche which is bookable and have brought down the Telegraph and Argus newspaper microfiches. The staff have coped well under the difficult circumstances we just hope that the issue is resolved soon.

During 1920 the first nursery school was opened in Bradford at St Ann’s School. It had accommodation for 80 children aged 2-5 at a charge of 6d per day for children. Two more nursery schools were in the course of being built. For those that are interested there is a book The Nursery School, Bradford [St. Anne’s Nursery School, Broomfields] available from the local studies library.

 “It provides an account of a day’s activities at a nursery in an impoverished area of Bradford. Written in the early 1920s, this slim publication provides a historical and social study of the resources available at the time for disadvantaged pre-school children.”

The Education Act 1918 and the amendments to the Employment of Children Act 1903 came into effect on 1^st April 1920 and resulted in a new set of bylaws for Bradford passed on 10^th April 1920. At the time they were passed 165 children were being illegally employed and 271 offences against the Act and bylaws were being committed. The provisions of the Act were carefully explained to all persons found employing children and warnings were issued to those committing offenses with one exception where the employer was prosecuted and fined.

“One gratifying effect of the bylaws has been the abolition of the lather-boy and the substitution of adult labour in his stead. During the period only one boy was found to be employed in a hairdresser’s shop, and though at one period there was much talk of passive resistance, the hairdressers as a body have loyally observed the bye-laws.”

LATHER-BOY - a young lad who put the shaving foam on the faces of men in barbers shops, ready for the barber to shave. 

Definitions of old occupations

“Another noticeable feature has been the passing away from the streets of the city of the street trader of school age. Prior to the first of april there were 171 children licensed to trade in the streets, but at present only 12 persons under 16 hold licenses.”

The 1920’s also saw the introduction of lunchtime supervision in the school playground

“It has been deemed advisable that children who either stay at school for dinner or who on account of home circumstances return to school some considerable time before the opening of the afternoon session should be allowed to use the school premises under proper supervision. Head teachers should report back on progress and in all schools where there is a necessity for supervision teachers are requested to volunteer to undertake the duty. The teachers who take the duty for a week at a time in turn are paid a fee for their services.”

So teachers were expected to undertake the dinner lady role monitoring outside play at lunchtime. But it begs the question of what happened to the children previously did they feed them dinner then chuck them onto the street until school reopened in the afternoon?

Finally for today, the council seriously considered whether they should purchase a school ship in 1920 costing of £250,000. According to the National Archives currency converter that is equivalent to £5,302,500 in today’s money! They considered that it could actually be used to transport cargo to support it financially. An alternative was to put boys on existing cargo ships but this was ruled out due to the lack of educational facilities on board normal vessels. I knew that boys from the workhouses were often sent to “training ships” but I had not heard of a council wanting to purchase a ship for educational purposes before. It’s not like Bradford had its own port! The Ministry for Education did not completely dismiss the idea but considered that a decision should be deferred until more normal times returned.