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The Preston Pals were a group of men from the town of Preston in Lancashire, England, who volunteered to fight in France during World War I, and took part in the Battle of the Somme. ==Formation== Soon after the outbreak of war between Great Britain and Germany on 4 August 1914, Earl Kitchener, the War Minister, laid plans to raise a "New Army" of volunteer recruits. To aid this scheme, he encouraged local councils to establish what became known as Pals battalions, made up of groups of friends and neighbours who were keen to fight alongside each other, rather than being individually assigned to regular army regiments. The raising of the Preston Pals was first proposed by Mr Cyril Cartmell, son of the Mayor of Preston, Councillor (later Sir) Harry Cartmell. On 31 August 1914, Cyril Cartmell placed the following advertisement in ''The Lancashire Daily Post'':
Within two days, 250 local men had volunteered for service, and the "Preston Businessmen and Clerks' Company" of the 7th (Service) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was formed. Three other companies making up the battalion were filled by Pals from Blackpool, Kirkham, and Chorley. The men were medically examined at the Public Hall, and on 7 September 1914, the Pals paraded before an enthusiastic and patriotic crowd in the Market Place before marching along Fishergate to the railway station and leaving the town for their training. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Preston Pals」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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