Morale and cohesion in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment 1914-18

Parsons, Andrew D. (1995) Morale and cohesion in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment 1914-18. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

In 1914, Newfoundland was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. With the declaration of war, Newfoundland agreed to send five hundred men to serve in the British Army. Very quickly this nucleus of five hundred grew to form the Newfoundland Regiment. -- The Newfoundlanders fought as an infantry regiment of the British Army. National identity, however, was maintained through the institution of the regiment. The traditional British regiment functioned as a soldier's home and in this capacity of social organisation, it was significant in promoting troop morale and unit cohesion. -- The regiment, and its influence upon morale and cohesion is the focus of this thesis. Throughout the war, the regiment was manned by Newfoundlanders and it maintained a distinctive identity as was encouraged by the traditional regimental system. The support from home bolstered this distinctiveness with care packages which maintained the links with Newfoundland. -- This thesis examines the experience of Newfoundland's soldiers through the framework of the regiment. The importance of the "national" regiment and the support from the people in Newfoundland demonstrate the essential link between the soldier and the society from which he comes.

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