After the appalling casualties in that campaign it was relegated to a training organisation preparing US Army units for active service.

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.

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.

The 'Pals' phenomenon quickly spread across the country, as local recruiting committees offered complete units to the War Office (WO).

Following their crippling losses during the German spring offensive, the infantry brigades of 39th Division were withdrawn from active service.

Their battalions were reduced to training cadres (TCs) and the TMBs broken up, the surplus personnel being drafted as reinforcements to other units.

On 7 June 39th Divisional HQ moved to Wolphus, also near Saint-Omer, and over the next two months its TCs trained the 30th, 78th and 80th US Divisions in turn.