1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Lichfield. Part of 18th Brigade in 6th Division. Moved on 7 August to Dunfermline then six days later to
Cambridge.
Landed St Nazaire (France) on 10 September 1914.

2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Malta.
Returned to England and landed at Southampton on 25 September 1914.
25 September 1914 : came under orders of 23rd Brigade, 8th Division, forming up at Hursley Park near Winchester.
Landed at Le Havre 5 November 1914.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in York. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved in August 1914 to Whitley Bay and played
a part as Tyne Garrison.

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in York. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved in August 1914 to Falmouth, going on in
December 1915 to Redcar and in April 1916 to West Hartlepool, where it played a part as Tees Garrison.

1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : in York. Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on 10 August to Selby, end of the month to
Strenshall and late October to York. In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
15 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
15 May 1915 : formation became 146th Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Division.

1/6th Battalion
August 1914 : in Bradford. Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on 10 August to Selby, end of the month
to Strenshall and late October to York. In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
Record same as 1/5th Bn.

1/7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion
Carlton Barracks, Leeds. Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on 10 August to Selby, end of the month
to Strenshall and late October to York. In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
Record same as 1/5th Bn.

1/8th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion
Carlton Barracks, Leeds. Part of West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. Moved on 10 August to Selby, end of the month to
Strenshall and late October to York. In March 1915 moved to Gainsborough.
Record same as 1/5th Bn.
30 January 1918 : transferred to 185th Brigade, 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division, absorbing 2/8th Bn and renamed 8th Bn.

2/5th Battalion
Formed at York on 28 September 1914.
1 March 1915 : came under orders of 185th Brigade, 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. Moved on 1 March 1915 to Matlock and
on in May to Thoresby Park, going on in October 1915 to Retford, November to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain
and June 1916 to Somerleyton near Lowestoft. In October 1916 to Bedford and finally landed at Le Havre in January 1917.
13 August 1918 : disbanded in France.

2/6th Battalion
Formed at Bradford on 12 September 1914.
record same as 2/5th Bn.
31 January 1918 : disbanded in France.

2/7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion
Formed at Leeds, 15 September 1914.
1 March 1915 : came under orders of 185th Brigade, 62nd (2nd west Riding) Division. Moved on that day to Matlock and on in
May to Thoresby Park, going on in October 1915 to Retford, November to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain and
June 1916 to Somerleyton near Lowestoft. In October 1916 to Bedford and finally landed at Le Havre in January 1917.
16 June 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
Cadre returned to England and was absorbed into 18th York & Lancs on 19 June 1918.

2/8th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion
Formed at Leeds, 14 September 1914.
Record same as 2/7th Battalion.
1 February 1918 : absorbed by 1/8th Bn.

3/4th to 3/8th Battalions
Formed at home stations in March 1915.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Bns, all being at Clipstone Camp in Nottinghamshire at this time.
1 September 1916 : became 5th (3/5th absorbing 3/6th) and 7th (3/7th absorbing 3/ 8th) Reserve Bns in West Riding Reserve
Brigade. Moved to Rugeley on Cannock Chase in October 1917. In summer 1918 5th Battalion moved to Suffolk and 7th
Battalion went to Ireland.

9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at York on 25 August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 32nd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division.
3 July 1915 ; sailed from Liverpool for Gallipoli via Mudros and landed at Suvla Bay 6 August 1915.
1 July 1916 : landed at Marseilles.
13 November 1917 : absorbed all 400 men of the 1/1/st Yorkshire Hussars and became 9th (Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry)
Bn.

10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at York on 3 September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 50th Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division.
14 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.

11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at York on 10 October 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 69th Brigade, 23rd Division.
26 August 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
November 1917 : transferred with Division to Italy.

12th (Service) Battalion
Formed at York on 16 September 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 63rd Brigade, 21st Division.
september 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
16 November 1915 : transferred to 9th Brigade, 3rd Division.
17 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Formed 10th Entrenching Bn with 8th East Yorks.

13th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in York in October 1914 as a Service battalion, part of K4, and came under orders of 90th Brigade, original 30th
Division.
10 April 1915: became a Reserve Battalion.
1 September 1916 : converted into 8th Training Reserve Battalion in 2nd Reserve Brigade.

= The Battle of the Somme

= Third Battle of Ypres     

= Defence against First Phosgene attack

= Second Battle of Ypres

We have no Service Record for George Houseman but we know from his Medal Card that he was firstly
in the West Yorkshire Regiment, service number 2293, then the Yorkshire Light Infantry, service number
263268 and finally the West Yorkshire Regiment again, service number 200631.

We know from a photograph in the 20/11/1918 edition of the Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale Herald
newspaper that he was in the 1st/5th  Btn West Yorkshire Regiment.

On the 15 April 1915 George arrived in France as part of the 146th (1st  West Riding) Brigade of the 49th
West Riding Division.

The West Riding Division was a formation of the Territorial Force. It was formed as a result of the reforms
of the army carried out in 1908 under the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane and was
one of 14 Divisions of the peacetime TF.

1914

The units of the Division had just departed for annual summer camp when emergency orders recalled
them to the home base. All units were mobilised for full time war service on 5 August 1914 and moved to
concentrate in the South Yorkshire / Lincolnshire area by mid August 1914.

1915

On 31 March the Division was warned that it would go on overseas service and entrainment began on
12 April. Divisional infantry went via Folkestone-Boulogne while all other units went from Southampton to
Le Havre. By 19 April the Division had concentrated in the area of Estaires - Merville - Neuf Berquin.




George served in France and Flanders, with the 49th  Division, most probably taking part in:

1915

The Second Battle of Ypres (Battle of Aubers Ridge (9-10 May))

Defence against the first Phosgene attack (19 Dec)

1916

The Battle of the Somme (Battle of Albert(1-13 July), Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14-17 July), Battle of
Pozieres Ridge (23 July-3 Sept) and the Battle of Flers Courcelette (15-22 Sept)).

George is listed in the 15/07/1916 edition of the Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale Herald newspaper as
‘wounded’ so this was probably at the Battle of Albert.

We do not know if he continued to fight after being wounded or if he was discharged from service.

His regiment and division continued to fight at the following:

1917

Operations on the Flanders Coast (Hush)

The Third Battle of Ypres (Battle of Poelcapelle (9 Oct))

1918

The Fourth Battle of Ypres
The Battle of the Lys (Battle of Estaires (9-11 Apr), Battle of Messines (10-11 Apr), Battle of Bailleul -
incl the division’s defence of Neuve Eglise (13-15 Apr), First Battle of Kemmel Ridge (17-19 Apr), Second
Battle of Kemmel Ridge (25-26 Apr), Battle of Scherpenberg (29 Apr)).

The Pursuit to the Selle

The Final Advance in to Picardy (Battle of the Selle (17-25 Oct), Battle of Valenciennes (1-2 Nov)).





The Division had been relieved and was resting at Douai on 11 November 1918. The demobilisation of the
Division began in early 1919 and the service of the Division came to an end on 30 March when the final
cadres left for England. The Division reformed as part of the Territorial Army in April 1920.

Because of his overseas service in a theatre of war he was qualified to wear the 1914-1915 Star Medal,
the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

22nd (Labour) Battalion
Formed April 1916 at Millington. Moved to France in May 1916 and was attached to Fifth Army as Army Troops. Became 18th
and 19th Labour Companies, Labour Corps in May 1917.

23rd Battalion
Formed at Aldeburgh in June 1918 but was soon absorbed into 13th Battalion.

1st (Garrison) Battalion
Formed in August 1915 then to Malta where it remained throughout the war.

2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion
Formed March 1916, remaining in UK throughout the war.
Became 7th Bn, Royal Defence Corps in August 1917.

51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 242nd Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had
been 10th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 15th (Reserve) Battalion of the Yorkshire
Regiment. A training unit based at Clipstone Camp, it was part of 207th Brigade in 69th Division. By May 1918 it had moved to
Thoresby but by September 1918 had returned to Clipstone.

52nd (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 277th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had
been 9th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the South
Staffordshire Regiment. A training unit based at Clipstone Camp, it was part of 207th Brigade in 69th Division. By May 1918 it
had moved to Thoresby but by September 1918 had returned to Clipstone.

53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 6th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had
been 13th (Reserve) Battalion of this regiment (West Yorks). A basic recruit training unit based at Rugeley Camp on Cannock
Chase, it was part of 2nd Reserve Brigade. In early 1918 it made the very short move to Brocton Camp but by September
1918 joined the regiment's Graduated Battalions at Clipstone Camp

14th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Falmouth in November 1914 as a Service battalion, part of K4, and came under orders of 103rd Brigade, original
34th Division.
10 April 1915: became a Reserve Battalion.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into Training Reserve Battalions in 3rd Reserve Brigade.

15th (Service) Battalion (1st Leeds)
Formed in Leeds in September 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City.
June 1915 : came under orders of 93rd Brigade, 31st Division.
December 1915 : moved to Egypt. Went on to France in March 1916.
7 December 1917 : amalgamated with 17th Bn to form 15th/17th Bn.

16th (Service) Battalion (1st Bradford)
Formed in Bradford in September 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City.
June 1915 : came under orders of 93rd Brigade, 31st Division.
December 1915 : moved to Egypt. Went on to France in March 1916.
15 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

17th (Service) Battalion (2nd Leeds)
Formed in Leeds in December 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City, as a bantam Bn.
June 1915 : came under orders of 106th Brigade, 35th Division.
1 February 1916 : landed at Le Havre.
16 November 1917 : left Division for XIX Corps on railway work.
Amalgamated with 15th Bn in December 1917.

18th (Service) Battalion (2nd Bradford)
Formed in Bradford on 22 January 1915 by the Lord Mayor and City.
Record same as 16th Bn.

19th and 20th (Reserve) Battalions
Formed at Clipstone Camp in August 1915 as Reserve Bns.
1 September 1916 : became 88th and 89th Training Reserve Battalions in 21st Reserve Brigade.

21st (Service) Battalion (Wool Textile Pioneers)
Formed in Halifax on 24 September 1915 by the Lord Mayor and City of Leeds.
Moved to Skipton in February 1916.
June 1916 : moved to France.
2 June 1916 : came under orders of 4th Division as Pioneer Battalion.