The Sportsman's Battalions, also known as the 23rd (Service) Battalion and 24th (Service) Battalion (2nd Sportsman's), Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) were among the Pals battalions formed by the British Army in the early stages of the First World War (1914–1918). Rather than be taken from a small geographical area, these particular battalions were largely made up of men who had made their name in sports such as cricket, golf, boxing and football or the media. It was intended for upper and middle class men, physically fit, able to shoot and ride, up to the age of 45. The first battalion, which accepted men up to the age of 45, was formed at the Hotel Cecil in The Strand in early September 1914 by Mrs E. Cunliffe-Owen after she gained permission from Lord Kitchener. From November 1914 until June 1915, training took place at a purpose-built camp at

Grey Towers Grey Towers was a crenellated mansion with 85 acres of grounds on Hornchurch Road in Hornchurch, England. It was built in 1876 and brought into public use as the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital during the First World War. In the interwar period ...

Hornchurch Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed ...

, Essex. In June 1915 the battalion was attached to 99th Brigade, 33rd Division, and landed at Boulogne in November 1915 and on 25 November transferred with the 99th Brigade to the 2nd Division. The battalion saw action on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

at Vimy Ridge, the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...

and the battle for

Delville Wood The Battle of Delville Wood was a series of engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War, between the armies of the German Empire and the British Empire. Delville Wood , was a thick tangle of trees, chiefly beech and ...

. It included several first class cricketers, the lightweight boxing champion of England, an ex-mayor of Exeter, and the author

John Chesshire John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. Taking

Surrey County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club (Surrey CCC) is a first-class club in county cricket, one of eighteen in the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Surrey, including areas that now form South London ...

as an example,

Ernie Hayes Ernest George Hayes (6 November 1876 – 2 December 1953) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Surrey, Leicestershire and England. Ernie Hayes was a right-handed batsman, usually batting at No 3 and strong at driving and pull ...

, Bill Hitch and

Andy Sandham Andrew Sandham (6 July 1890 – 20 April 1982) was an English cricketer, a right-handed batsman who played 14 Test matches between 1921 and 1930. Sandham made the first triple century in Test cricket, 325 against the West Indies in 1930, and ...

joined the battalion. The 24th (Service) Battalion (2nd Sportsman's) was raised in London on 20 November 1914 by Mrs Cunliffe-Owen, became attached to 99th Brigade, 33rd Division in June 1915 and transferred to 5th Brigade in 2nd Division in December 1915. Famous recruits included the millionaire politician Sir Herbert Raphael and cricketer C. P. McGahey. Training took place at

Hare Hall Hare Hall is a house and grounds located in Gidea Park in the London Borough of Havering, east London. It was built in 1769–70 as a country house for John A. Wallinger and since 1921 has housed the Royal Liberty School. The Palladian mansion ...

near Romford. Amongst those recruited was Frederic Thomas Horne, the Liberal Agent for West Gloucestershire, who fell at the

on 5 September 1916. A third Sportsman's Battalion, the 30th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, was formed in July 1915 from remaining depot companies of the First and Second battalions. During 1915 its headquarters were in Hornchurch,

Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington (), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following ...

, Oxford, and finally at the Fort in Leith.

Soldiers

Footballers

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Glossop Glossop is a market town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is located east of Manchester, north-west of Sheffield and north of the county town, Matlock. Glossop lies near Derbyshire's borders with Cheshire, Greater Manches ...

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Pas-de-Calais Pas-de-Calais (, " strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments ...

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Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...

, , 23rd , — , — , — , , - , Pte , style="text-align:left;" , , style="text-align:left;" , , Southend United , 23rd , 13 March 1916 (aged 34) ,

Souchez Souchez () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located northwest of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the missing First World War Canadian sol ...

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, 24th , ,

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References

* ''Hard as Nails: The Sportsmen's Battalion of World War One'': The Sportsman's Battalion of World War I by Michael Foley Kitchener's Army Pals battalions Royal Fusiliers