HISTORY OF THE LOCALLY RAISED 20TH (SERVICE) BATTALION THE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY (June 1915 – January 1919)

A detailed history of a fairly typical service battalion. The 20th (Service) Wearside Battalion was raised in July 1915 in an initiative by the Mayor of Sunderland. The battalion moved to Wensleydale in Yorkshire in August, and then to Barnard Castle for intensive training. In January 1916 the battalion moved to Aldershot, where it came under the orders of the 123rd Brigade in the 41st Division. On the 5th May, the Battalion arrived in France, landing at Le Havre in time to join the Somme offensive in September. A year later the 20th fought at Third Ypres (Passchendaele). In October 1917 the battalion was transferred to the Italian front, returning to France in February 1918 just in time to plug the line when the German Spring offensives were unleashed in March. Finally, the battalion took part in the Allied counteroffensive which rolled the Germans back until the Armistice in November. This is an excellent Battalion history, the narrative is full of incident and individual names (Officers and some OR’s) illustrated with photographs, maps, Roll of Honour, Honours and Awards complete this history.