The 20th (service) Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry (Wearside), were raised by local comittee in August 1915 becoming part of Kitcener's New Army. Early enlistments were sent to a tented camp in Wensleydale before the Battalion moved to Barnard Castle in Co. Durham where it began serious training. In due course the Battalion was allocated to the 41st Division, based in Aldershot. Being the only battalion in the division with a high proportion of miners it became well knownfor its digging ability which was to stand it in good stead in the years ahead. They moved to France in May 1916 and initially spent much of their time in the trenches around Armentieres. They were moved to the Somme front at the end of August and were in reserve during the successful assault alongside the tanks at Flers. In late October they moved north to Ypres where they stayed until June 1917 when they were part of the leading wave during the costly Battle of Messines. They went on to distinguish themselves in action at the Menin Road and Polygon Wood. After being sent to the Italian Front fro a short relatively peaceful spell they were rushed back to France in March 1918 to help stem the GErman Spring Offensive. They fought on until the end of the war and then joined the Army of Occupation in Cologne. When the order of battle was changed the Battalion became the Divisional Pioneers of the Independent Division and was the last service battalion of the regiment to disband. As one of four locally raised Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry, the 20th Wearside Battalion can be proud of their fighting record as this well researched and superbly illustrated book reveals. AUTHOR: John Sheen has always been a Durham City man. In 1968 he enlisted in D (Durham) Company, Light Infantry (Volunteers) and the following year he joined the Regular Army (REME) and over the next 23 years he served in Germany, Canada, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, France, Denmark, Holland and Belgium. On retiring he returned to Durham where he now lives and works. His Great-Grandfather, John Connolly, served with the 24th Northumberland Fusiliers (1st Tyneside Irish) and research into this led to his writing Tyneside Irish. He followed this with Tyneside Scottish, written with Graham Stewart. He writes for historical magazines. b/w illustrations throughout
