SIR – As Remembrance Day approaches, our thoughts turn to Bradford men of all wars who have served their country. The Pals regiments raised in the city in the First World War are often the first to come to mind, but we must not overlook other men in the West Yorkshire Regiment. The Territorials, from 1908 onwards, had practised their soldiering skills during weekend and evening exercises and a very special bond had formed between them. The Army ‘top brass’ was suspicious of this camaraderie, but the achievements of many territorial battalions in battle dispelled these reservations.

When the war began in August 1914, the 6th Battalion (Bradford Territorials), based at Belle Vue barracks, was the first in the country to report ‘Ready to Move’. They left for service training on August 10, and crossed to France in April 1915. Their losses, particularly on the Somme, at Passchendaele, and in the final push in 1918, were very heavy. Many stories of heroism and shared hardships emerged and it has been fascinating to uncover some of these during my research in recent years.

If any of your readers have family accounts or memorabilia which they would be willing to share, please contact me at bradfordww1@hotmail.co.uk, or on (01943) 875176.

Tricia (Platts) Restorick, secretary Bradford WW1 Group, Mechanics Institute Library Kirkgate BD1 1SZ