A COMMUNITY has retraced the steps of a tragic battalion of First World War soldiers who trained in the Yorkshire Dales.

To mark the centenary of the Leeds Pals arrival in Colsterdale, a troop of volunteers recreated the soldiers' six-mile march from Masham Old Station to Breary Banks, where they spent nine months training after answering Lord Kitchener's call for groups of friends to enlist.

After further training in Ripon, and a stint in Egypt defending the Suez Canal from the threat of the Ottoman Empire, the Leeds Pals were sent to the Somme, where in the first few minutes of the battle the battalion sustained 528 casualties, of which 15 officers and 233 other ranks were killed.

England and Yorkshire cricketer Lieutenant Major William Booth and England footballer Evelyn Lintott were among 750 from the battalion's 900 involved in the Somme who died.

Groups marking the anniversary included cadets of the Yorkshire North and West Army Cadet Force, members of Masham’s Peak Military Fitness group, Great War Society re-enactors wearing Leeds Pals uniforms, the Masham Scouts, Royal British Legion and students from the Army Foundation College, in Harrogate.

While the Leeds Pals had their baggage transported to Breary Banks by a light railway, several members of the Peak Military Fitness party carried 80lb packs for the walk to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.

The walk began with the unveiling of a blue heritage plaque at the former station by relatives of the Pals before passing Masham Recreation Ground, where Lord Masham unveiled a second plaque to remember the town’s sacrifice in the war.

Leyburn Brass Band played for crowds in the Market Place as the troop arrived at the town hall, which has staged a exhibition about Nidderdale Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty’s First World War project.

In nearby Fearby, groups of re-enactors created a First World War field kitchen and a tommie’s tent, while history groups staged displays in the village hall.

The walk ended with a service of commemoration, attended by more than 100 people, held at the Colsterdale memorial cairn.