It saw action at the Somme, Arras, and Ypres before being sent to the Italian Front, where it took part in the final Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

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.

These were deployed at their war stations in coastal defence where they were training and equipping reservists to provide reinforcement drafts to the Regular Army fighting overseas.

[3][4] Initially, the K4 units remained in the coast defences alongside their parent SR battalions.

[8][10][14][15][16] After initial training at Morecambe[17] the brigade joined the rest of 30th Division at Belton Park outside Grantham soon after it was renumbered.

On 31 October it was ordered to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting on the Western Front.

22nd Manchesters were chosen as one of four British battalions to remain in Italy, and it was kept up to strength with men enlisted after 1916, volunteers, and recruits from the UK.