Leeds Pals
Open-knowledge reference entry
The Leeds Pals were a First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in the West Yorkshire city of Leeds. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 15th Battalion (1st Leeds), The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment).
The battalion was formed in September 1914 by a committee led by Lord Brotherton, politician Francis Martineau Lupton and his brother Arthur G. Lupton. The brothers' brother, Lord Mayor of Leeds Sir Charles Lupton, was filmed in 1915 inspecting the Leeds Pals at a camp near Colsterdale in the Yorkshire Dales where the battalion underwent training. The Lord Mayor's brothers were also present at the event. The three sons of Francis Martineau Lupton - all educated at Rugby and Cambridge University - were killed during the Great War.
The battalion became part of the 93rd Brigade of the 31st Division, along with the two Bradford Pals battalions (16th and 18th Battalions, The West Yorkshire Regiment). In December 1915 the Leeds Pals were deployed to Egypt to defend the Suez Canal from the threat of the Ottoman Empire.
In March 1916 the battalion landed in France, joining the British build up for the Battle of the Somme. On the first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, the 31st Division attacked towards the village of Serre and the Leeds Pals advanced from a line of copses named after the Gospels.
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