On 7th August 1914, three days after the UK declared war on Germany, Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener appealed for young men aged 19 to 30 to reinforce the army. The age limit was higher (45) for ex-soldiers and was soon raised to 35 for new recruits.

Although they were volunteers, they were to be trained to join the ‘regular’ army, as distinct from the Territorial Force which consisted of part-time volunteers organised on a county basis, typically serving in the UK only. Kitchener’s recruits were sometimes referred to as the ‘New Army’.

Langholm already had a number of men in the regular army and an active local Territorial unit. Some in the town had fought in South Africa in the Second Boer War (1899-1902).

A meeting was held in the Langholm Town Hall on … to promote New Army and Territorial service. A recruiting tribunal was set up, with activities led by Provost Easton and solicitor Robert McGeorge.

A week after the declaration of war, existing Langholm Territorials were called upon to report for training in Dumfries with one day’s notice. In the morning of Thursday 13th August they gathered at the Buccleuch Hall under the command of Lieutenant James McGeorge, Robert’s son, and made their way to Market Square. The town band led them from there to the railway station to catch the 7.10 am train, sent off by many townsfolk.

The local newspaper, the E&L, established a Roll of Honour of serving residents and former residents with close links to the town. By January 1916, there were 474 on the list, belonging to a wide variety of units but mostly the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB):

Regiment/Corps/Service	Number
King’s Own Scottish Borderers	140
Army Service Corps	31
Gordon Highlanders	27
Canadian Corps	25
Royal Scots	23
Black Watch	15
Yeomanry	15
Royal Army Medical Corps	12
Royal Engineers	12
Royal Garrison Artillery	12
Navy	12
Others	150
Total	474