The 2/7th Battalion Welsh Cyclists  (T.F)                          The first ten recruits for the 16th (Cardiff City)Battalion at Porthcawl beach.

Kitchener's Army

PicturePrivate John Coleman South Wales Borderers

Lord Kitchener was Secretary of State for War in August 4th 1914. Kitchener did not agree that the war would be over by Christmas but that it would last between three and four years.He also advocated that to win the war that Britain would have to mobilise millions of men. He wanted an army of committed volunteers but did not accept the Territorials as fitting this description. As a result on the 7th August Kitchener made his appeal for 100,000 volunteers. However, the well-known poster "Your Country Needs You" with Kitchener pointing at you encouraged 2,467,000 men to join within 18 months. This huge response meant that, initially, there were not enough uniforms. Consequently , many regiments were issued with emergency blue uniforms. 

Conditions of Service as displayed in the Porthcawl News 14th August 1914:-

It has been decided that in addition to enlistments under existing conditions, enlistments in the Regular Army will be opened in the following conditions for men who are anxious to serve their country during the continuance of the present war:-
  1. Enlistments will be for a period of three years with the colours.
  2. Aged 19-30yrs.
  3. All such enlistments to be for general service.
  4. Standards of height and chest and all other conditions as at present in force.
  5. Attestation will be carried out in Army form.



If ,however , the war lasts for less than three years, men so enlisting will be discharged with all convenient speed.


                                                                                                                            "By Command of the Army Council."

Picture17th Welsh Service Battalion (The Bantams) January 15th 1915


























David James Watts was one of 1040 men that made up what at the time was hailed as "probably a record for rapid recruiting for a single unit." It took a fortnight. 


"Headed by the "Buglers" they were wildly cheered to the station by the large number of people who had come to see them off. Smilingly they sang "Tipperary" and "Who killed Cock Robin?."but the general expression amongst them was "We are sorry to leave Porthcawl."


"Porthcawl News" February 2nd 1915.



Prior to this, the 16th Welsh (Cardiff City) Service Battalion had been raised at Cardiff but was formed at Porthcawl in November 1914 under Lt Colonel Frank Hill Gaskell.




Lt Col Frank Hill Gaskell is one of the fallen commemorated on Porthcawl's Memorial.







The 16th Welsh (Cardiff City) Service Battalion left Porthcawl for training at Colwyn Bay in December 1914. 




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