1st Battalion Page

The 1st battalion moved from its initial location in Newcastle City centre to billets in the grounds of Alnwick castle on 29th January where it would stay for most of 1915 while training took place. The battalion would not arrive in France until January 1916. Much weeding out of unfit or unsuitable recruits took place. Although the official battalion strength was 1,100 men plus 250 for the depot company, numbered sequentially from sergeant Mooney at 20/1 the highest number traced so far is 20/1719 Private James Weatherhead.

The Tyneside Scottish camp was at Alnwick, North Northumberland. Here the daily routine was route marches and drill.Once in France a period of 'Trench Hardening' took place with numbers of men being gradually introduced into the front line before the battalion as a whole would take a section of the front line.
By the end of June the battalion would find itself near the Town of Albert to the North of a small village called La Boisselle. It was here that the battalion would take part in the beginning of what became known as the battle of the Somme.