The ‘Pals” battalions were a phenomenon of the Great War. Local communities raised (and initially often paid for) entire battalions for service on the Western Front. Their experience was all too frequently tragic, and they encountered the fury of battle on the Somme in July 1916. Yet their spirit and fighting qualities have gone down into history.

This is a comprehensive history of the Tyneside Irish Brigade raised in the North East. It covers their raising, training and active service as well as the aftermath of the war and how it affected their community.