Please help Pals research

ELMET Archaeological Services Ltd recently conducted an archaeological survey of the training camp used by the Barnsley Pals during the First World War at Silkstone and I am appealing to your readers for help in gathering historical information on the camp

The camp is now used by the Scout Movement and is known as Silverwood Scout Camp, however during the war the camp was known as Newhall or Silkstone Camp and housed the 13th (Service) Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. This unit was known as the 1st Barnsley Pals and was recruited largely from the population of the town. A second battalion of Barnsley Pals was also formed, but these men were housed in public buildings in Barnsley, rather than the camp.

The 13th (Service) Battalion used the camp for their preliminary training between December 1914 and May 1915, before moving off to Ripon with the 14th (Service) Battalion. Our research has shown that the depot units from the 12th (Sheffield City Battalion), 13th and 14th (Service) Battalions of the Yorks and Lancs remained at Newhall Camp after May 1915 to help train the new recruits passing through on their way to joining the parent units.

A postcard dated to March 11 1917 shows a group of soldiers, named as Northumbria 1/2nd Field Company Royal Engineers, further to this, two postcards have also been found of the camp and are both dated to March 1917 showing the construction of a bridge. One mentions the construction work as having been carried out by ‘B Squad’. It is likely that the men who built the bridges shown in the three postcards are the same men of the Northumbria unit.

This is as far as our research has taken us, even with a thorough search of both the Rotherham and Barnsley archives for information there appears to be a lack of material regarding Newhall Camp. Therefore, I am appealing to your readers for information about the camp; this may be in the form of diaries, letters, postcards and other personal items from the men serving at Newhall. We would like to make copies of any material brought forward for our own archives that may be used in the historical background to our project, but we are also willing to keep material private should the current owners wish.

If anyone can help with this, please email me at [email protected], alternatively call our office on 01709 873053.

Alex Sotheran, Archaeological Manager Elmet Archaeological Services Ltd, Office 3

Wath Trinity Community Hall, Chapel Street, Wath-Upon-Dearne