3 - ‘Cuff and collar battalions’: social change and its impact on the unit

Summary

On the outbreak of war the men of Liverpool clung to their existing social identities and on joining the army exercised their pre-war civilian prejudices and affiliations. The high-status Battalions of the Liverpool Rifles and the Liverpool Scottish performed an important recruitment role by attracting middle-class volunteers to their ranks who had never previously considered joining as alien an institution as the army. In the first years of the war, the elite nature and social homogeneity of the Battalions were perhaps their most distinctive and important features. They were also their most vulnerable. As casualties mounted, and drafts replaced original volunteers, the middle-class composition of the Battalions inevitably diminished. To investigate the loss of such a key Territorial characteristic, we need to establish the extent and timing of social change in both battalions. We will then be in a position to assess the impact of social change on morale and unit traditions to show how soldiers drew on different forms of civilian organization at different times to survive in the trenches.

Middle-class sociability in 1914

The middle class in Liverpool considered themselves a distinct and superior entity in 1914. They defined themselves not only by the nature of their employment and their place of residence, but also by their leisure activities. By joining clubs and societies in accordance with their professions and social status, they helped to reinforce their social position in the city.