Alexandra, 1844 to 1920, was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901 and Queen to Edward VII
1901 to 1910.
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Whenever Britain has been under threat, Volunteers have always responded to the call of the Government and local leaders.
In Anglo-Saxon times men accepted the obligation to serve, if required, in the Fyrd or local militia.
The Vikings divided the North into Wapentakes, literally the "taking of weapons", for the purpose of administration
and the raising of armies. And so it has been throughout Britain's long History.
22 SEPTEMBER 1801. In
response
to Napoleon's army of invasion at Boulogne the Government demanded that
each area of the country make a return of all available men, weapons, horses etc.
Local Volunteer Associations were
formed and these continued after the threat had receded.
7 JULY 1860. The 1st Administrative
Battalion, Yorkshire
North Riding Rifle Volunteers was constituted with a
Headquarters at Richmond, N Yorkshire.
Local Volunteer Corps were raised at over 15 places throughout the
North Riding.
15 JUNE 1880. Re-named the
1st Yorkshire North
Riding Volunteer Corps.
1 FEBRUARY 1883. Re-named the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
and the Headquarters was moved to Northallerton, the administrative HQ of the North Riding.
1890. Bulmers Directory for Richmond. 4th Battalion (P.W.O.) Yorkshire Regiment (formerly North. York Rifles) -
R. G. Hopkinson, Colonel; Captain Charles T. Hennah, Adjutant; J. G. Downs, Quartermaster.
24 JUNE 1893. The Volunteers held their annual camp at Helmsley. "The Corps has grown considerably in number and
the addition of a bicycle Company adds greatly to to the attractions", says one local magazine.
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R B S Haldane. 1856 - 1928. As Secretary for War, he was responsible for creating the Territorial Force as well as
other major changes in British Military organisation.
9 JUNE 1894. Skelton - "Sergeant Treen, who has been drill instructor to the Corps for the last fifteen years has
retired on a pension and his place is taken by Sergeant Wright, who has lately been employed as recruiting officer at
Thornaby.
1902.The Battalion was renamed 1st Volunteer Battalion, Alexandra,
Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment).
1906 1st July - Skelton, N Yorks, Parish Magazine - "The Local Volunteers joined those from Scarborough and East
Riding for the annual training in Camp of the Yorkshire Regiment. The place selected was Yarmouth."
1 APRIL 1908.
An Act of Parliament, created by R.B.S. Haldane, the Secretary for War, re-organised the local volunteers nation-wide
into the Territorial Force.
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Henceforth they would be attached to their local Regular Army Regiment and use similar equipment and training methods.
The 4th Battalion, of Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment [The Green Howards] was born and
became part of the Territorial Force with Headquarters still at Northallerton.
The Battalion was divided into local Companies designated :-
A - Middlesbrough, [transferred from 1st Vol Bn, Durham Light Inf.]
B - Middlesbrough, [transferred from 1st Vol Bn, Durham Light Inf.]
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Officers of the 4th Battalion at Richmond in 1910.
Only identified is Capt [later Lt Col] W W Constantine, hatless in the very centre.
[Photograph kindly contributed by Christopher Constantine.]
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Men of the Bn in 1911.
A Postcard to mark the June Coronation of George V.
[Photograph kindly contributed by Simon Barnard.]
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 Officers of the 4th Bn at camp some time before the War.
Middle row second from right is Capt [later Lt Col] W W Constantine. Bottom row, far right is 2Lt [later Capt]
H N Constantine.
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 Men of the Bn in 1911.
Another Postcard to mark the
June Coronation of George V.
[Photograph kindly contributed by Simon Barnard.]
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Annual Camp Richmond.
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Message from the Annual Camp Richmond.
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C - Yarm-on-Tees (detachments at Great Ayton, Stokesley and Hutton
Rudby)
D - Guisborough (dets at Eston, South Bank and Grangetown)
E - Richmond (dets at Catterick, Eppleby and Reeth)
F - Redcar (det at Marske by the Sea)
G - Skelton (dets at Carlin How, Lingdale and Loftus)
H - Northallerton (dets at Bedale, Thirsk, Easingwold, Brompton and Helperby)
Each location usually had its own Drill Hall, often with an ex Regular soldier in charge.
Men who joined expected to be used only for Home Defence. like the Militias and Volunteers of old.
They had no obligation to serve overseas.
They trained for one or two nights per week and earned the nickname the "Saturday Night Soldiers".
Each Battalion had its own numbering system, with the first man to join being number 1 etc.
It was only in January 1917 that a comprehensive numbering system to cover the Army as a whole was introduced.
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After this date men had 6 digit number between 200001 and 240000.
Each year an annual Training Camp was held at different parts of the Riding and this was an enjoyable event
for many of the men, who in those days never ventured far from home.
While they were not as efficient as the Regulars, many territorials had been firing guns and accepting
orders since they were 15, having progressed from the Church Lads' Brigade, which was organised on military
lines with similar ranks, annual camps etc.
The Volunteers would turn out for local celebrations, Church Parades etc with the Band playing.
Proud to be members of the Great British Empire.
They were also used to doffing their cap to the local squire and readily accepting the leadership of their
"betters", something that the Great War was to alter.
The 4th Yorks Btn, of course, was one of many.
The Territorial Force nationwide would produce about 336 Infantry Btns to form 28 Divisions.
Well over a third of Britain's Armies.
To begin with the 4th Yorks Btn was a purely local force, of about 1000 men.
During the course of the War about a thousand Battalion men lost their lives and probably four or five times that number wounded, taken prisoner
or succumbed to the many ailments that Trench warfare brought on.
To replace this constant loss of personnel re-inforcements were sent out from the 2/4th and 3/4th Battalions that were
formed at home to take over the role of Home defence and training.
As losses increased, conscription was introduced in 1916 and from then on men were necessarily allocated and
transferred to Units on an "as required" basis and lost their purely local attachments.
Standing Orders, 1910. [Contributed by Christopher Constantine, Grandson of Lt Col W W Constantine.]
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