December 15, 1914

The Glasgow Herald

THE SPORTSMAN’S BATTALION.

Another appeal is being made to sportsmen in Glasgow and the West of Scotland to join the Sportsman’s Battalion Royal Fusiliers. The regiment, which has been recruited from a fine class of men of more than average height and of good physique, is now in camp at Hornchurch, in Essex. Authority has been given to raise 250 additional men, and for that purpose Captain Westhead, who was in Glasgow six weeks ago, has again opened a recruiting office at the Central Station Hotel, where he hopes to remain until the end of this week. On the occasion of his last visit he succeeded in enlisting about 70 men, who are now being trained in one of the companies of the battalion. As far as possible recruits who are drawn from a particular district are being kept together. The minimum standard of height required from those who desire to enlist is 5ft. 6in., and the chest measurement should not be less than 36in. The battalion is open to men between the ages of 19 and 45. A good beginning was made yesterday with recruiting. In addition to those who joined were a number of inquirers, through whose efforts a considerable addition may be made to the contingent in the course of the week. It should be clearly understood that the men who join the Sportsman’s Battalion receive their full equipment, as do those who join any other unit, from the military authorities. Owing perhaps to the fact that a number of men who enlisted expressed a desire to provide their own uniform and were naturally permitted to do so, an impression seems to have got abroad that all men who join the Sportsman’s Battalion must provide their own outfit. That is entirely erroneous. All that is asked of recruits is that they attain the necessary standard of physique and are men of intelligence. The battalion prefers men who have lived a healthy, open-air life, and appeals especially to old-time athletes or athletes of the the present day.

Glasgow Daily Record and Mail

Two professional footballers were among the first to sign attestation forms for the Sportsmen’s Battalion at the Central Hotel, Glasgow, yesterday. Captain Westhead considers the response for the first day of his second recruiting visit to the city as quite good as he could hope for. But there is plenty of room for many more, and an increase of the number of recruits for his special battalion would be welcomed by him.