The 23rd (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers (First Sportsman's) During the First World War 1914-1918

by Fred W. Ward

A famous battalion on the Western Front The appalling losses to the British regular army during the first period of the Great War prompted the creation of the New Army-an enormous influx of citizen soldiers driven by feelings of patriotism determined to 'do their bit' for the cause. Such a massive increase in the size of the army required a huge expansion in the number of battalions to accommodate them. These came under a myriad of identities-public schools, chums, footballers etc-and included adding battalions to well known regiments of the regular army. The Royal Fusiliers gained many such battalions and the subject of this book, the 23rd, was one of the most notable. As its name suggests the battalion attracted a distinctive type-particularly those with a spirit of sportsmanship and adventure. The war service of this battalion was as exemplary as any that served on the Western Front and the places it fought-listed in detail within these pages-are a catalogue of the famous actions of the conflict, though perhaps its greatest day of reckoning came at Delville Wood in 1916 during the Somme offensive. Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket for collectors.

120 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2010

Reviews

[Skye Knights · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for research purposes and it was very helpful in giving insight into the life of the Battalion. To fully understand this book, it would be helpful for the reader to have a prior knowledge of military history. Regardless, this book is written incredibly well and shows the importance this Battalion was to the war effort. I would recommend this book to anyone who had a family member in the Battalion as this can help to give an insight into what they went through on the front line.