 A vigorous recruiting campaign involving pre @-@ war personalities such as Lord Kitchener and Lord Derby facilitated the rapid expansion of the British Army . Territorial units formed duplicate battalions from August 1914 to May 1915 . To differentiate them , they were , for instance , designated the 2 / 5th and 3 / 5th battalions , respectively . Second @-@ line battalions had been raised for home service and recruit training , but were ultimately dispatched to the Western Front and replaced by the third @-@ line . Driven by a conviction that the war would not be resolved quickly and seeking an alternative to the Territorial Army , Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener appealed for an initial 100 @,@ 000 volunteers to form a " New Army " . The 17th Earl of Derby proposed forming a battalion of " Pals " for the King 's Regiment , to be recruited from men of the same workplace . His proposal proved successful . Within a week , thousands of Liverpudlians had volunteered for service , to eventually be formed into the 17th , 18th , 19th , and 20th Battalions . Collectively , the battalions became known as the City of Liverpool battalions or " Liverpool Pals " . Lord Derby addressed recruits on 28 August : 
