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11th (Service) Battalion Border Regiment in the First World War
| All will be more comfortable when our division takes over. The Commanding Officer's are well enough off always, apparently, having pretty good dug-outs and a chance of drying up, but I feel very bad about the men, and one can’t do enough for them. —Lt. Col. P.W. Machell, Commanding Officer |
For the first six months there was never a night that the C.O. did not go round the trenches. Not a casual walk round, but four or fives hours out…We had the name of being the best Infantry Battalion in France, among any of those who had to do with us. —Major P.G.W. Diggle, 2nd in Command |
| Battalion History | War Diary | Document Library | ||
| The Lonsdale Battalion was formed by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, and an Executive Committee with the approval of the War Office on 17 September, 1914. The Executive Committee raised four companies, all financed by the Earl of Lonsdale himself from his personal funds. Discover almost four years of the Battalion's history through formation, training and front line action. |
Some regimental war diaries were sparse in detail, whilst others were incredibly descriptive. Today, they are pivotal to learning about the daily lives of the men and the bitter fighting they endured. The Lonsdale's war diary offers a complexity of daily reports on operations, intelligence summaries, casualties, maps and various other appendices covering their time in France and Flanders. |
There were a wide range of documents recorded and compiled between the Lonsdale's formation and eventual disbandment in 1918. The documents offer detailed information on the actions and day-to-day running of the Battalion at a time of war. These include, but are not limited to: orders, reports, notes, instructions, messages, honours, awards and press appreciations.
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| The Lonsdale Battalion – On This Day (17 May) | ||||
| On this day is a listing of historical events associated with the actions of the Lonsdale Battalion, from formation in 1914 through to its disbandment in 1918. The Lonsdales were a 'Pals' battalion, volunteers answering Field Marshal Earl Kitchener's call to arms - to fight for King and Country. The actions of this Pals battalion throughout its four year's existence are included here as daily events 'on this day'. In this case, an event is the term used broadly to describe a particular action or set of actions. An event could be a reference to bayonet training, digging entrenchments, receiving orders by the commanding officer, detailed fighting on the front line, or it could be a simple report on casualty figures, among many others. | ||||
| Roll of Honour | Quotes | Image Galleries | ||
| Roll of Honour
The 11th Battalion Roll of Honour has been transcribed as it was printed in HMSO’s Soldiers Died in the Great War, Volume 39, The Border Regiment. This is a complete list of men killed whilst serving in the Lonsdale Battalion during the war. Many men listed here served in many other regiments, the most common ones being the Herefordshire, Essex and Liverpool Regiments. |
Lonsdale quotes
Read a selection of quotes from various source materials. The words offer the reader a glimpse into the lives of the men and officers and the very things they bore witness to first-hand. Quotes from the Battalion war diaries give a unique insight to the mundane duties of trench warfare, the horrors of battle and the praising of their fellow brothers in the course of their duties. |
Image gallery
Peruse over a collection of images of the Lonsdales during their initial training period at Blackhall Camp, Carlisle, before being shipped over to France. See the men in their civvies lining up for roll call, engaged in bayonet training and aiming drills, digging entrenchments and physical exercise. Plus, see photos of officers, individuals, groups, obituaries, cap badges and other insignia. | ||
| Image Galleries | ||||
Peruse over a collection of images of the Lonsdales during their initial training period at Blackhall Camp, Carlisle, before being shipped over to France. See the men in their civvies lining up for roll call, engaged in bayonet training and aiming drills, digging entrenchments and physical exercise. Plus, see photos of officers, individuals, groups, obituaries, cap badges and other insignia.
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The LonsdalesThe Lonsdales were a 'Pals' battalion, volunteers answering Field Marshal Earl Kitchener's call to arms - to fight for King and Country.
Interested? Get started here
Battalion HistoryThe Lonsdale Battalion was formed by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, and an Executive Committee with the approval of the War Office on 17 September, 1914. The Executive Committee raised four companies, all financed by the Earl of Lonsdale himself from his personal funds. Discover almost four years of the Battalion's history through formation, training and front line action.
A history of the Lonsdale Battalion
The Lonsdale Battalion – On This Day (17 May)On this day is a listing of historical events associated with the actions of the Lonsdale Battalion, from formation in 1914 through to its disbandment in 1918. The Lonsdales were a 'Pals' battalion, volunteers answering Field Marshal Earl Kitchener's call to arms - to fight for King and Country. The actions of this Pals battalion throughout its four year's existence are included here as daily events 'on this day'. In this case, an event is the term used broadly to describe a particular action or set of actions. An event could be a reference to bayonet training, digging entrenchments, receiving orders by the commanding officer, detailed fighting on the front line, or it could be a simple report on casualty figures, among many others.
On this day 17 May · Learn more about this project
Document LibraryThere were a wide range of documents recorded and compiled between the Lonsdale's formation and eventual disbandment in 1918. The documents offer detailed information on the actions and day-to-day running of the Battalion at a time of war. These include, but are not limited to: orders, reports, notes, instructions, messages, honours, awards and press appreciations.
Browse through the library
QuotesRead a selection of quotes from various source materials. The words offer the reader a glimpse into the lives of the men and officers and the very things they bore witness to first-hand. Quotes from the Battalion war diaries give a unique insight to the mundane duties of trench warfare, the horrors of battle and the praising of their fellow brothers in the course of their duties.
Browse the quotes
Image GalleriesPeruse over a collection of images of the Lonsdales during their initial training period at Blackhall Camp, Carlisle, before being shipped over to France. See the men in their civvies lining up for roll call, engaged in bayonet training and aiming drills, digging entrenchments and physical exercise. Plus, see photos of officers, individuals, groups, obituaries, cap badges and other insignia.
Check out the galleries
Lonsdale Battalion War DiarySome regimental war diaries are sparse in detail, whilst others are descriptive. Today, they are pivotal to learning about the daily lives of the men and the bitter fighting they endured. The Lonsdale's war diary offers a complexity of daily reports on operations, intelligence summaries, casualties, maps and various other appendices covering their time in France and Flanders.
Flick through the diary for more details
Roll of HonourThe 11th Battalion Roll of Honour has been transcribed as it was printed in HMSO’s Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19, Volume 39, The Border Regiment. This is a complete list of men killed whilst serving in the Lonsdale Battalion during the war. Many men listed here served in many other regiments, the most common ones being the Herefordshire, Essex and Liverpool Regiments.
Scroll through the roll
Newspaper ArticlesSeveral Cumberland and Westmorland newspapers reported on the Lonsdales between 1914 – 1918. Reports on the war, notes of the week, the terrible conditions at the front, casualties and obituaries, to name a few provide the reader with a glimpse into a world where hardships were a fact of life, and the horrors of war and losing your friends were a daily routine.
Living day to day surrounded by death and the fear of never seeing loved ones again made the propaganda drive all the more effective as those at home learned about their sons and fathers fighting for the freedoms that many of us today take for granted. The press in recent times, however, enlighten us with stark reminders of bygone times and more often than not, heartwarming tributes of those who served over 100 years ago.
