British Army First World War reserve brigades

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The article lists British Army reserve brigades in World War I. At the start of the war volunteers in the vast majority of cases joined their local infantry regiment's reserve battalion. As the army expanded rapidly, further reserve battalions and brigades were formed. After conscription was introduced in 1916 the existing regimental system could not cope with the large influx of recruits and the existing reserve brigades were incorporated into the Training Reserve, with an official complement of over 209,000 soldiers, in addition to the regimental training units.

Contents

Recruitment

On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army, and the newly-appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'. 'K2' and 'K3', followed shortly afterwards. [1] In addition, recruits flooded into the drill halls of the part-time Territorial Force (TF), which had largely volunteered for overseas service. [2] The flood of volunteers overwhelmed the ability of the army to absorb and organise them, and by the time the Fifth New Army ('K5') was authorised on 10 December 1914, many of the units were being organised as 'Pals battalions' under the auspices of mayors and corporations of towns up and down the country. Many of these pals who had lived and worked together, joined up and trained together and were allocated to the same units. The policy of drawing recruits from amongst the local population ensured that, when the Pals battalions suffered casualties, whole towns, villages, neighbourhoods and communities back in Britain were to suffer disproportionate losses. [3] [4] [5]

By the end of August 1914, 300,000 men had signed up to fight, and another 450,000 had joined up by the end of September. [6] Voluntary recruitment remained fairly steady through 1914 and early 1915, but it fell dramatically thereafter. Conscription for single men was introduced in January 1916. Four months later, in May 1916, it was extended to all men aged 18 to 41. [7] The Military Service Act March 1916 specified that men from the ages of 18 to 41 were liable to be called up for service in the army, unless they were married (or widowed with children), or served in one of a number of reserved occupations, which were usually industrial but which also included clergymen and teachers. This legislation did not apply to Ireland, despite its then status as part of the United Kingdom (but see Conscription Crisis of 1918). [8] By January 1916, when conscription was introduced, 2.6 million men had volunteered for service, a further 2.3 million were conscripted before the end of the war; by the end of 1918, the army had reached its peak strength of 4 million men. [5]

Training

Before the war I British Army infantry regiments trained their recruits at their home depots from where they were drafted to one of their regiment's Regular Army battalions. On the outbreak of the war the part-time Special Reserve (SR; formerly Militia) battalions were mobilised to supply these reinforcement drafts from Reservists, Special Reservists, returning wounded, and new recruits. The voluntary TF was also mobilised, and after its units volunteered for overseas service in August 1914 they began forming 2nd Line battalions to train their own recruits. By May 1915 the 2nd Line was also being prepared for overseas service, and the TF began forming 3rd Line (in some cases 4th Line) units for training. Meanwhile, the battalions of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd New Armies ('K1', 'K2' and 'K3' of 'Kitchener's Army') were quickly formed at the regimental depots. The SR battalions also swelled with new recruits and were soon well above their establishment strength. By the autumn the depots were overwhelmed, and on 8 October 1914 each SR battalion at its coast defence station was ordered to use its surplus to form a service battalion of the 4th New Army ('K4'). These were organised into six new divisions (30th–35th) divided into 18 brigades (89th–106th). However, on 10 April 1915 the War Office decided to convert the K4 battalions into reserve units, to provide drafts for the K1–K3 battalions in the same way that the SR was doing for the Regular battalions. The K4 divisions were scrapped and their brigades renumbered as 1st–18th Reserve Brigades (the original brigade and division numbers were re-allocated to the 'Pals battalions' of K5). Later the depot companies of the K5 battalions were combined into reserve battalions, and grouped into 19th–26th Reserve Brigades. [2] [9] [10] [11]

On 1 September 1916 the whole training system was centralised with the formation of the Training Reserve (TR). The K4 and K5 reserve battalions lost their regimental affiliation and were redesignated as 1st–112th TR battalions, to which all recruits not required for the regimental reserves (SR and TF) were posted. They were issued with 'General Service' badges and could be drafted to any regiment, but the training officers and non-commissioned officers remained part of their parent regiments. The reserve brigades had now been concentrated at large training camps, and the TR had a total establishment of 209,537 men. Reserve brigades for the Machine Gun Corps were introduced in 1918. [12] [11] [13] [14] There was no change to the status or organisation of the SR battalions, but on 1 September 1916, the 3rd Line TF battalions (referred to as reserve battalions since 1 April) were amalgamated into only one, two or at most three per infantry regiment, and grouped into new reserve brigades bearing the titles of the TF divisions they were reinforcing. [15]

The scheme was further developed to provide for the progressive training of recruits under 19 years old (when they could be sent overseas). Of the 112 TR battalions, 42 were selected: 14 became 'Young Soldier Battalions' and 28 became 'Graduated Battalions'. When a recruit had finished initial training in the Young Soldier Battalion he was sent to one of two associated Graduated battalions, in which the four companies were organised by age, for training in 3-monthly steps between 18 and 19 years. As a result, every 3 months, 28 companies of newly trained 19-year-old soldiers were ready for drafting to France. In due course the War Office decided that Graduated battalions could be used for home defence while the men completed their training (as was the case with the SR). The Graduated battalions then began to be transferred from the Reserve brigades to replace 2nd Line TF battalions in the Home Service divisions. They were renumbered from 201st upwards, but later were once again affiliated with a particular regiment and numbered as the 51st (G), 52nd (G) or 53rd (YS) battalions of their regiment. [13] [14] [16]

List of brigades

Reserve Brigades

Reserve
brigade [9] [10]
Training camp
September 1916 [15] [17]
Original
battalions [9] [14]
TR battalion
number
September 1916 [15]
1st Reserve Brigade
(former 89th Brigade)
Rugeley 16th (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 1st
17th (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 2nd
10th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment 3rd
11th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment 4th
10th (Reserve) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment 5th
2nd Reserve Brigade
(former 90th Brigade)
Brocton 13th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment 6th
9th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment 7th
11th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 8th
11th (Reserve) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment 9th
15th (Reserve) Battalion, Green Howards 10th
3rd Reserve Brigade
(former 91st Brigade)
Brocton9th (Reserve) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment 11th
13th (Reserve) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters 12th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters 13th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment 14th
13th (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers 15th
4th Reserve Brigade
(former 92nd Brigade)
Seaford 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 16th
11th (Reserve) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 17th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps [lower-alpha 1]
15th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps 18th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade 19th
15th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade20th
5th Reserve Brigade
(former 93rd Brigade)
Shoreham 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 21st
11th (Reserve) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment [lower-alpha 2]
16th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 22nd
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) [lower-alpha 3]
10th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment 23rd
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 24th
15th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment [lower-alpha 4]
6th Reserve Brigade
(former 94th Brigade)
Harwich 10th (Reserve) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment 25th
10th (Reserve) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment 26th
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment [lower-alpha 5]
10th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment 27th
8th (Reserve) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment 28th
7th Reserve Brigade
(former 95th Brigade)
Dover 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 29th
10th (Reserve) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment 30th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 31st
15th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 32nd
8th Reserve Brigade
(former 96th Brigade)
Wool 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 33rd
13th (Reserve) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 34th
7th (Reserve) Battalion, Dorset Regiment 35th
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 36th
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment 37th
8th (Reserve) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment [lower-alpha 6]
9th Reserve Brigade
(former 97th Brigade)
Dunfermline 11th (Reserve) Battalion, Black Watch 38th
10th (Reserve) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders 39th
8th (Reserve) Battalion, Cameron Highlanders 40th
13th (Reserve) Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 41st
11th (Reserve) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders 42nd
10th Reserve Brigade
(former 98th Brigade)
Wareham 10th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) 43rd
11th (Reserve) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment 44th
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry 45th
13th (Reserve) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 46th
10th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment 47th
11th Reserve Brigade
(former 99th Brigade)
Prees Heath 9th (Reserve) Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry 48th
15th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) 49th
16th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) [lower-alpha 7]
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 50th
10th (Reserve) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment 51st
12th Reserve Brigade
(former 100th Brigade)
Kinghorn 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry 52nd
9th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 53rd
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots 54th
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers 55th
12th (Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles 56th
13th Reserve Brigade
(former 101st Brigade)
Kinmel Park 9th (Reserve) Battalion, South Wales Borderers 57th
12th (Reserve) Battalion, Welsh Regiment 58th
13th (Reserve) Battalion, South Wales Borderers 59th
20th (Reserve) Battalion (3rd Rhondda), Welsh Regiment60th
21st (Reserve) Battalion, Welsh Regiment61st
14th Reserve Brigade
(former 102nd Brigade)
Kinmel Park12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers 62nd
18th and 20th (Reserve) Battalions, Royal Welsh Fusiliers63rd
21st and 22nd (Reserve) Battalions, Royal Welsh Fusiliers64th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, South Wales Borderers 65th
22nd (Reserve) Battalion, the Welsh Regiment66th
15th (Ulster) Reserve Brigade
(former 103rd Brigade)
Ireland3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers [lower-alpha 8]
3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
16th Reserve Brigade
(former 104th Brigade)
Altcar 21st (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) 67th
22nd (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) 68th
25th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment 69th
26th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment 70th
27th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment 71st
17th Reserve Brigade
(former 105th Brigade)
Prees Heath21st (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers 72nd
22nd (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers73rd
17th (Reserve) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 74th
12th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment 75th
12th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 76th
18th Reserve Brigade
(former 106th Brigade)
Dundee 18th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots 77th
19th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry 78th
20th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry79th
19th Reserve Brigade Newcastle upon Tyne 32nd (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers 80th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment 81st
11th (Reserve) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment 82nd
12th (Reserve) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment 83rd
20th Reserve Brigade
(1st Training Brigade,
MGC, early 1918) [14]
Hornsea 29th (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "A" Battalion, MGC 84th
30th (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "B" Battalion, MGC85th
31st (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers re-designated "C" Battalion, MGC86th
21st (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry re-designated "D" Battalion, MGC87th
23rd (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry [lower-alpha 9]
21st Reserve Brigade Blyth, Northumberland 19th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment88th
20th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment89th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (Hull) 90th
15th (Reserve) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment 91st
15th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment [lower-alpha 10]
22nd Reserve Brigade Chiseldon 17th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment92nd
15th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 93rd
16th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 94th
11th (Reserve) Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 95th
16th (Reserve) Battalion, (Portsmouth), Hampshire Regiment 96th
23rd Reserve Brigade Aldershot 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 97th
14th (Reserve) Battalion, Essex Regiment 98th
12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal West Kents 99th
24th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 100th
27th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 101st
28th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment102nd
24th Reserve Brigade Edinburgh 27th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 103rd
28th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 104th
29th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 105th
30th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 106th
31st (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers107th
26th Reserve Brigade Wimbledon 13th (Reserve) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (Cambridgeshire) 108th
19th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps109th
22nd (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps110th
23rd (Reserve) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps111th
17th (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade 112th
28th Reserve Brigade
(Formed early 1918,
became 2nd Training
Brigade, MGC) [14]
"E" Battalion, MGC 113th
"F" Battalion, MGC114th
"G" Battalion, MGC115th
"H" Battalion, MGC116th

Territorial Force Reserve Brigades

Reserve brigade titleBattalions [15]
Highland Reserve Brigade4th (Reserve) Battalion, Black Watch
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Lowland Reserve Brigade 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots
9th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
4th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
6th (Reserve) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
West Lancashire Reserve Brigade 5th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
7th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
10th (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
4th (Reserve) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
East Lancashire Reserve Brigade5th (Reserve) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
4th (Reserve) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Border Regiment
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Manchester Regiment
Welsh Reserve Brigade 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Welsh Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1st (Reserve) Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment
1st (Reserve) Battalion, Brecknockshire Battalion
1st (Reserve) Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment
Northumbrian Reserve Brigade 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
4th (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
4th Reserve) Battalion, Green Howards
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
West Riding Reserve Brigade5th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
7th (Reserve) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
6th (Reserve) Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
4th (Reserve) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
North Midland Reserve Brigade4th (Reserve) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
5th (Reserve) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters
5th (Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment
South Midland Reserve Brigade 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
7th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
7th (Reserve) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment
East Anglian Reserve Brigade4th (Reserve) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
(later Cambridge and Suffolk Reserve Bn) [22]
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Essex Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment
1st (Reserve) Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment
1st (Reserve) Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
Home Counties Reserve Brigade 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
5th (Reserve) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment
7th (Reserve) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
Wessex Reserve Brigade 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
5th (Reserve) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Dorset Regiment
4th (Reserve) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
1st London Reserve Brigade 1st (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
3rd (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
5th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
6th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
8th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
9th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
10th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
1st (Reserve) Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company
2nd London Reserve Brigade 13th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
14th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
15th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
16th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
17th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
18th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
19th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
20th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
21st (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
22nd (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
3rd London Reserve Brigade
(formed January 1918) [23]
13th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
15th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
16th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment
17th (Reserve) Battalion, London Regiment

Note

  1. Absorbed into the other battalions of 4th Reserve Bde
  2. Amalgamated with 9th Queen's to form 21st TR Battalion
  3. Absorbed into 16th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers [18]
  4. Absorbed into the other battalions of 5th Reserve Bde
  5. Absorbed into the other battalions of 6th Reserve Bde [19] [20]
  6. Absorbed into the other battalions of 8th Reserve Bde
  7. Absorbed into the other battalions of 11th Reserve Bde
  8. Absorbed into 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
  9. Absorbed into the other battalions of 20th Reserve Bde
  10. Absorbed into 15th (Reserve) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment [21]

See also

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References

  1. Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 2, 8, 59, 108.
  2. 1 2 Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
  3. Middlebrook, Somme, pp. 9–11, 260, 270.
  4. "The Pals Battalions in World War One". BBC History. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  5. 1 2 Tucker & Roberts (2005), p. 504.
  6. Chandler, (2001) p. 11.
  7. Strachan, Hew Professor. "Britain and World War One, 1901–1918". BBC History. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  8. Simkin, John. "Pacifism". Spartacus Educational. Archived from the original on 22 April 1999. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 War Office Instruction 96 of 10 April 1915.
  10. 1 2 Becke, Pt 3b, Appendices 1 & 2.
  11. 1 2 James, Appendices II & III.
  12. Army Council Instruction 1528 of 1916, Appendix 136.
  13. 1 2 Becke, Pt 2b, Appendix 2.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Training Reserve at Long, Long Trail.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Army Council Instruction 1528 of 1916, Appendix 135.
  16. Ward p. 331-2
  17. James, p. 120.
  18. Frederick, pp. 208, 287.
  19. Frederick, p. 230.
  20. James, p. 100.
  21. Frederick, p. 182.
  22. James, p. 56.
  23. James, p. 117.

Bibliography

External sources