Salford Pals: A History of the Salford Brigade: 15th, 16th, 19th and 20th Battalions Lancashire Fusiliers

Covers the story of raising of Salford Pals during WW1. This book covers the raising of the battalion, training and where they fought, and the impact on Salford. It records the impact of war from start on Salford and follows the difficulties and triumphs. It also includes rare photographs

Salford was late in recruiting for its Pals battalions, with many of its men already joining Territorial units and a new Pals battalion in Manchester. Yet within a year it had raised four Pals battalions and a reserve battalion. Raised mainly from Lancashire's most notorious slums, the men trained together in Wales, North East England and on Salisbury Plain, they had great expectations of success. On the 1st of July 1916 the Somme offensive was launched and in the very epicentre of that cauldron the first three of Salford's battalions were thrown at the massive defences of Thiepval - the men were decimated, Salford was shattered. Michael Stedman records the impact of the war from the start on Salford and follows the difficulties and triumphs. Whether the actions small or great the author writes graphically about them all. Unusual photographs and a variety of sources make this both a readable and a scholarly account.