The London Territorial Force in Peace and War, 1908-21

Join Charles Fair, Richard Hendry and Tom Thorpe as they discuss the formation, composition and wartime contribution of the London Territorial Force.

Established under the 1908 Haldane reforms, the Territorial Force (TF) was a volunteer component of the British Army, consisting of infantry, artillery, engineering, medical and logistical units.

Many TF units possessed distinct identities linked to class, occupation or heritage. The resulting cohesion endured through their participation in many of the major engagements of the First World War. By 1918, some had become elite fighting groups.  

The London Territorial Force was one such unit. However, until the outbreak of war in August 1914, it was beset by obstacles, both local and more general. Indifference, criticism and hostility from certain quarters often undermined efforts to recruit and retain men at prescribed establishment levels.

In this talk, the editors of the two-volume ‘London Pride: The London Territorial Force in Peace and War, 1908-1921’ (Helion 2025 and 2026) will explore the circumstances surrounding the unit’s troubled start. They will examine the social, economic and demographic factors at play in Edwardian London, the initial experiences of those who signed up, and how identity translated into battlefield performance.

About the speakers

Charles Fair is a defence analyst and was the third generation of his family to have served as a Territorial officer. He is writing his PhD at King's College London on the selection and training of junior officers in the British Army of the First World War. Published in 2012, his first book ‘Marjorie's War: Four Families in the Great War’ includes letters by two relatives who served in 47th Division.

Richard Hendry spent his working life first as a legal academic and then as an employment lawyer and company director. He gained a master's degree in The History of Britain in the First World War (University of Wolverhampton) in 2018. An independent scholar attracted to many aspects of military history, he has a particular interest in the work and experiences of London Regiment battalions and divisions on the Western Front during the First World War.

Tom Thorpe is a Belfast-based tour guide, historian and podcaster with a PhD from King's College London on British soldiers' morale and unit cohesion during the First World War. A trustee of the Western Front Association, he hosts the ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’ and ‘Combat Morale’ podcasts.