[3] On 8 September 1914, a circular was sent around the railway company informing staff of the proposed formation of a Pals Battalion made from the men of the NER.
At this time the battalion officers were accommodated aboard the SS Rievaulx Abbey, a ship of the NER's subsidiary the Hull & Netherlands Steamship Company.
[5] In November 1914, the battalion was posted to the East Yorkshire Coast near Easington and Kilnsea to undergo coastal defences.
The battalion returned from the East Yorkshire coast to Hull in February 1915 where they undertook training for service overseas.
In November, the general manager of the NER, Sir Alexander Kaye Butterworth, traveled down to Salisbury to inspect the battalion before they left for service overseas.
On 20 November 1915, the battalion, apart from the Transport and Machine Gun Sections, embarked from Southampton on SS Empress Queen.
The troops were joined by the Transport and Machine Gun Sections on 24 November, and soon the battalion moved to the Somme Valley.
[4] The Battalion entered the Trenches on the Western Front on 2 December 1915, here they undertook works such as drainage, wiring and building dugouts.
The battalion also helped wounded soldiers by transporting water to No Man's Land to members of the Highland Light Infantry.
In the early stages of 1917, the battalion was involved in the construction of a Light Railway Workshop at Berguette, this was completed in March.
The battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres, where they undertook light railway construction following units over the front line.
At the beginning of September 1917, the battalion returned to the 32nd Division as divisional pioneers, moving to the French / Belgium coast near Ghyvelde.
However, in November they were placed under the command of the chief engineer of the 18th Corps to work on road construction between St. Julien and Poelkapelle.
"B" Company also had a football match, this time against a local Kite Balloon section, also of the Royal Flying Corps.
In August 1918, the division was found fighting on Vimy Ridge, with the battalion remaining in reserve, other than some night work.
On 26 November the battalion was assembled at Masnuy St. Jean where they undertook training to prepare men for being demobilised and returned to civilian life.