There came on the 4th August, 1914, a telegram to Headquarters containing
only the one word "Mobilize." On that day Great Britain declared war on
Germany. Notices were sent out ordering the men to report, and at 2-0 p.m.
on the 6th there was only one man unaccounted for. The mobilization was
satisfactory.

Difficulties immediately presented themselves, for the men had to be
housed and fed. The first night the men spent in the Hippodrome Theatre,
where the artists gave them a special performance in addition to the
public performances. Afterwards sleeping accommodation was found in the
Liverpool College. Through the kindness of the committee of the Newsboys'
Home in Everton Road arrangements were made to feed the men. There were
too many for them to be fed all at once, so that meals had to be taken in
relays. At Headquarters there was a certain amount of congestion, for
equipment, picks, shovels and other mobilization stores took up a
considerable amount of room. Besides this there were collected at
Headquarters civilian milk floats, lorries, spring carts and other
vehicles which had been pressed into service as regimental transport.
Horses with patched civilian harness gave the transport the appearance of
a "haywire outfit." After the officers had gone to the trouble of
collecting this transport it was taken away by the Higher Command and
given to another unit. The same fate befell the second set of horses and
waggons. The third was retained.

According to orders the Battalion entrained under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Luther Watts, V.D., on the 13th August, at Lime Street
Station, Liverpool. It was not known at the time whither the Battalion was
bound. In the afternoon Edinburgh was reached, where there was
considerable bustle on account of the departure of some regular regiments