RECRUITMENT

Conscription to the British army was not introduced until 1916 ; so British troops at the Battle of the
Somme included regular soldiers and tens of thousands of volunteers who joined up in response to a
powerful recruitment campaign led by Lord Kitchener. The War Propaganda Bureau was created in
1914 to encourage men to enlist and called upon the skills of writers such as Thomas Hardy and H. G.
Wells along with the newspaper and advertising industries. Popular music hall artists of the time also
devoted their skills to the cause. Harry Lauder who was a famous singer and entertainer toured music
halls, recruiting young soldiers on stage in front of the audience, sometimes offering money for the first
recruit of the night.

Many of these volunteers joined 'Pals' Battalions, which were drawn from local communities, sports
clubs and places of work. They developed very close bonds serving alongside relatives, friends and
workmates from their local area. They joined up together, trained together and fought together. This
initiative was encouraged by politicians such as Lord Derby, who organised one of the most successful
recruitment campaigns in Liverpool. Over two days, 1,500 Liverpudlians joined the new battalion.
Speaking to the men he said : 'This should be a battalion of pals, a battalion in which friends from the
same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honour of Britain and the credit of Liverpool.

The White Feather movement was another propaganda campaign to encourage men to enlist. White
feathers seen as symbol of cowardice were given to men not in uniform by women to shame them into
joining the army.

THE PALS BATTALIONS AND THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

The Battle of the Somme was the first experience of fighting for many of the Pals battalions and they
received very heavy casualties. In some cases a town lost most of its military-aged menfolk in a single
day. This had devastating effect on their communities back in Britain. A notable example was the
Accrington Pals battalion from Lancashire. Approximately 700 men took part in the attack and suffered
devastating losses of the first day of the Battle when 235 men were killed and 350 wounded within the
space of twenty minutes.

The losses were very hard on the community back in Lancashire where nearly everyone had a relative
or friend who was killed or wounded.

CONSCRIPTION

The Military Service Act of 1916 introduced compulsory conscription to Great Britain for the first time
after the heavy losses of the Battle of the Somme. The Act specified that men from 18 to 41 years old
were to be called up for service in the army unless they were married, widowed with children, serving
in the Royal Navy, a minister of religion, or working in a reserved occupation.

Those men who refused to fight and were not prepared to take up arms whatever the penalty were
called conscientious objectors. Most of these men were pacifists or of a religious faith who believed
that even during wartime it was wrong to kill another person.

Taken from The British Council Somme Resources

Name : ________________________________ Date : ________________________________

Reading comprehension 
RECRUITMENT

Conscription to the British army was not introduced until 1916 ; so British troops at the Battle of the
Somme included regular soldiers and tens of thousands of volunteers who joined up in response to a
powerful recruitment campaign led by Lord Kitchener. The War Propaganda Bureau was created in
1914 to encourage men to enlist and called upon the skills of writers such as Thomas Hardy and H. G.
Wells along with the newspaper and advertising industries. Popular music hall artists of the time also
devoted their skills to the cause. Harry Lauder who was a famous singer and entertainer toured music
halls, recruiting young soldiers on stage in front of the audience, sometimes offering money for the first
recruit of the night.

Many of these volunteers joined 'Pals' Battalions, which were drawn from local communities, sports
clubs and places of work. They developed very close bonds serving alongside relatives, friends and
workmates from their local area. They joined up together, trained together and fought together. This
initiative was encouraged by politicians such as Lord Derby, who organised one of the most successful
recruitment campaigns in Liverpool. Over two days, 1,500 Liverpudlians joined the new battalion.
Speaking to the men he said : 'This should be a battalion of pals, a battalion in which friends from the
same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honour of Britain and the credit of Liverpool.

The White Feather movement was another propaganda campaign to encourage men to enlist. White
feathers seen as symbol of cowardice were given to men not in uniform by women to shame them into
joining the army.

1st paragraph : read the paragraph several times before answering these questions

1) What kind of soldiers were the British troops composed of at the Battle of the Somme ?
2) Who was at the head of the recruitment campaign ?
3) What was the War Propaganda Bureau created for ?
4) What kind of people contributed to convincing young Britons to enlist ?

2nd and 3rd paragraphs : are these statements TRUE or FALSE ? Justify by quoting from the text.

5) Soldiers in the Pals battalions often knew the soldiers of the battalion before they enlisted.
6) Lord Derby was opposed to the campaign of recruitment of young Britons.
7) Receiving a white feather from a woman was a compliment for a young man.

Words :
Find in the text the English for : What's the French for :
1) les talents, les compétences 6) a recruit
2) la scène 7) cowardice
3) des liens (= relations) 8) shame
4) une plume
5) un bureau (= lieu de travail)
Brothers in Arms : The Pals Army of World War One – ITV documentary - 1'20''

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week32/brothers-arms-pals-army-world-war-one

One hundred years ago on the 4th of August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. It was
famously supposed to be the war to end all wars. Within days Britain sent its regular army to fight
but this British expeditionary force of 80,000 professional soldiers was no match for the German
army of three and a half million conscripts and reserve troops. Something urgent needed to be
done.
Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War proposed to raise a new volunteer soldier army. This
civilian army drawn from cities, towns, villages, factories and farms was different from those before
or since. It was formed by young men from the heart lands of Britain who were friends, neighbours
and work colleagues. Kitchener's call appealed to their strong sense of moral duty. Within weeks in
a week of patriotic fervour and of their free will more than three quarters of a million young men
volunteered.
Name : ________________________________ Date : ________________________________

Listening comprehension : Brothers in Arms : The Pals Army of World War One – ITV
documentary - 1'20''
http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week32/brothers-arms-pals-army-world-war-one

One hundred years ago on the (1,2,3) _________________________ Britain (4)_______________

war on Germany. It was famously supposed to be the war to (5)____________ all wars. Within
(6)___________ Britain sent its regular army to fight but this British expeditionary force of
(7)______________________ (8) _________________ soldiers was no match for the German
army of (9)_________________________ conscripts and reserve troops. Something urgent
needed to be done.
Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for (10)______________ proposed to raise a new volunteer soldier
army. This (11) _______________ army drawn from (12)____________, towns,
(13)________________, factories and (14)________________ was different from those before or since.
It was formed by young (15) __________ from the heart lands of (16)______________ who were
(17)______________, neighbours and (18)_____________ colleagues. Kitchener's call appealed to
their strong sense of moral (19)____________. Within weeks in a wave of (20)_____________ fervour
and of their free will more than (21)____________________________ young men volunteered.

Name : ________________________________ Date : ________________________________

Listening comprehension : Brothers in Arms : The Pals Army of World War One – ITV
documentary - 1'20''
http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week32/brothers-arms-pals-army-world-war-one

One hundred years ago on the (1,2,3) _________________________ Britain (4)_______________

war on Germany. It was famously supposed to be the war to (5)____________ all wars. Within
(6)___________ Britain sent its regular army to fight but this British expeditionary force of
(7)______________________ (8) _________________ soldiers was no match for the German
army of (9)_________________________ conscripts and reserve troops. Something urgent
needed to be done.
Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for (10)______________ proposed to raise a new volunteer soldier
army. This (11) _______________ army drawn from (12)____________, towns,
(13)________________, factories and (14)________________ was different from those before or since.
It was formed by young (15) __________ from the heart lands of (16)______________ who were
(17)______________, neighbours and (18)_____________ colleagues. Kitchener's call appealed to
their strong sense of moral (19)____________. Within weeks in a wave of (20)_____________ fervour
and of their free will more than (21)____________________________ young men volunteered.