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 Army, and on 11 August the newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Field Marshal 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.

[4][5][6][7] The initiative for the "Pals battalions" came from the Director of Recruiting at the War Office (WO), General Sir Henry Rawlinson, who suggested that many man working in finance in the City of London "would be willing to enlist if they were assured that they would serve with their friends".

Carver, a retired Militia officer (3rd Battalion, (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry), to command the new unit while it was being recruited.

Some came en masse, such as groups from Reckitt and Sons' chemical works and the North Eastern Railway Dock Superintendents' office.

Stanley, formerly of the 5th (Cyclist) Bn East Riding Regiment (TF), was placed in temporary command and set up battalion headquarters (HQ) in the cricket pavilion on Anlaby Road.

The Hon Stanley Jackson, the former England cricket captain, was the chief speaker at a public meeting held at the Park Street Artillery Barracks on 12 September to raise recruits for this battalion, which reached full strength in October.

[17][18] Until early 1915, most of the men were billeted in their own homes, attending daily training in the parks and squares around Hull, or route marches to the outlying villages.

The appeal was headed by Lady Nunburnholme, who also set up the Hull Voluntary Aid Committee, which distributed clothing to troops at the front, trained nurses, and sent parcels to prisoners of war.

[34] On Christmas Eve every officer and man in the Hull Pals and Heavy Artillery received a Christmas Card from Lord Nunburnholme consisting of a picture of St George slaying the dragon with the badge of the East Yorkshire Regiment and coloured bands representing the distinctive armbands worn by the different battalions and batteries.

moved to Hurdcott Camp at Fovant where the brigade received SMLE service rifles and carried out final intensive battle training on Salisbury Plain.

[23][47][48][49][51][52] On 29 November 1915 the 31st Division received warning orders to join the British Expeditionary Force in France, and advance parties set out for the embarkation ports of Folkestone and Southampton.

Although this was a quiet sector of the line, the battalions suffered their first casualties during this short tour, mainly from German Minenwerfers (trench mortars).

10th Battalion also provided working parties to assist the 252nd Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, digging the Hawthorn Ridge mine that was to be exploded to launch the forthcoming Battle of the Somme.

It held the front line trenches during the British bombardment in the days leading up to the battle, suffering significant casualties from the German counter-bombardment (about 100 killed and wounded for 10th Bn alone).

[d] The night before the battle, working parties of 10th Bn were out in No man's land cutting lanes through the British barbed wire for the assaulting troops to pass through.

Luckily, this order was cancelled: even if the brigade could have been brought up through the shattered communication and jumping-off trenches, which were full of dead and wounded, there were no British troops left in the German positions.

[62][63][64][65] On 2 July the shattered division was pulled out of the line and sent north to a quiet sector for rest and refit, though there was the usual trickle of casualties associated with trench holding and raiding.

Zero hour was 05.30 on 13 November, and 12th and 13th East Yorks led the way up the slope towards Serre, with 11th Bn in close support and 10th providing flank guards and carrying parties.

Fog, light rain and a smokescreen reduced visibility to a few yards, and initially the two battalions had little difficulty, 12th Bn achieving their objectives within 20 minutes.

The British creeping barrage started at 03.45 and the brigade set off in four waves, in the dark and mist, into severe machine gun fire.

The three attacking battalions withdrew from No man's land to their own trenches after dark, where they were relieved by the Accrington Pals while 13th East Yorks brought in the dead and wounded from the battlefield.

[73] 31st Division was not committed to the Third Ypres Offensive of Summer 1917, which culminated in the dreadful Battle of Passchendaele, possibly because it was still not considered to have recovered from its ordeal on the Somme a year before.

On 23 March the division was sent up to hold off the German attack at St Léger, but 92 Bde remained in reserve at Ervillers, improvising the defences.

The brigade withdrew in early morning mist the following day through a new line held by fresh Australian and British troops, who defeated the attacks and ensured the safety of Hazebrouck.

31st Division was scheduled for Operation Borderland, a limited attack on La Becque and other fortified farms in front of the Forest of Nieppe to be carried out on 28 June, chosen because it was the anniversary of the capture of Oppy.

After a relatively quiet period in July, during which 92 Bde achieved small advances through aggressive patrolling and seizing strongpoints (so-called "peaceful penetration"), the Allies began a coordinated offensive in August.

[98][99][100] Back in the line from 28 October, the brigade continued to advance slowly against machine gun and shell fire, from rearguards who "did not appear disposed to give ground".

[32][103][104] The division began to pull back on 13 November, and by the end of the month the Hull battalions were established in 'Hull Camp' south of St-Omer and engaged in road repair.

They arrived at Hull Paragon Station on 26 May and after being inspected by Lord Nunburnholme they marched through the city to the Guildhall and officially disbanded.

Later in Egypt, 92nd Bde adopted a white-over-red square or rectangle as its insignia, worn on the left side of the sun helmet pagri.