15th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (1st London Welsh)

The 1st London Welsh Battalion, later the 15th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, ('15th RWF') was a 'Pals battalion' of 'Kitchener's Army' recruited during World War I from Welshmen living in London. It served in 38th (Welsh) Division and took part in the division's costly attack on Mametz Wood during the Battle of the Somme. The battalion continued to serve on the Western Front, including the Third Battle of Ypres, until February 1918 when it was broken up to provide reinforcements to other units.

Recruitment & training

On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army, and the newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward. A flood of volunteers poured into the recruiting offices across the country to be formed into 'Service' battalions of the county regiments, and the 'first hundred thousand' were enlisted within days. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'. K2, K3 and K4 followed shortly afterwards.

However, these were soon joined by groups of men from particular localities or backgrounds who wished to serve together. Starting in London and Liverpool, the phenomenon of 'Pals battalions' quickly spread across the country, as local recruiting committees offered complete units to the War Office (WO), which soon constituted the Fifth New Army (K5). One such unit was raised after a meeting of Welshmen living in London was held on 16 September under the presidency of Sir Vincent Evans.