100 Stories > Pals in Burnley

Formed at the start of the war, the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment, better known as the Accrington Pals, was the product of the rush to arms when friends and colleagues joined in the ‘great adventure.’

The picture shows when the battalion stopped in Burnley en route to camp at Ripon. At the same time, still suffering from wounds, Harry Watson (c1892-1970) was presented with his Distinguished Conduct Medal to a thrilled crowd.