The Scope of the Talk

When the First World War broke out West Hertfordshire became a garrison "town" overnight, with the Division headquarters in St Albans. The area became the training ground for troops for much of the war, and this had a very significant effect on life in the area, in addition to the effects that the war had throughout the country.

In a talk of about an hour one has to be selective and I am therefore concentrating on the troops of the 2nd London Division (Territorial Force) who were stationed in the area in the early part of the war.

Web Page Index

1. Title  

2. The Scope of the Talk, and Index

3. A Note on the London Gunners book

4. The Territorial Force in Hertfordshire

5. The Summer Camp at Ashridge

6. The Outbreak of War

7. The Hertfordshire Yeomanry go to War

8. The Hertfordshire Gunners go to War

9. The Hertfordshire Infantry march away

10. Harry Reynolds joins the Royal Army Veterinary Corps

11. Introducing the 2nd London Division

12. Preparing the move to War Stations

13. The March from London

14. Division HQ in St Albans

15. Where the Troops were stationed

16. The Royal Field Artillery at Hemel Hempstead

17. Billeting the Troops

18. Living in Tents

19. Down on the Farm

20. The YMCA and Photos Home

21. Grand Inspection by Lord Kitchener at Gorhambury

22. Inspection by Lord Roberts

23. Hard at Work

24. The Fair Sex

25. Christmas in 1914

26. Military Exercises

27. Off to France ...

28. The following waves of troops - and some notes on "missing" records

29. More permanent accommodation - The Camp at Gadebridge

30. Britons Camp, St Albans

31. Meanwhile more local men joined the armed forces

32. ... and back came the wounded

33. ... and news of the dead 

34. Sources

Many of the pages include extracts from
The London Gunners come to Town