Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates/Territorial Force/archive1

TFA blurb review
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry into a unified auxiliary, commanded by the War Office and administered by local County Territorial Associations. Members were liable for service anywhere in the UK and could not be compelled to serve overseas. In the first two months of the First World War, territorials volunteered for foreign service in significant numbers, allowing territorial units to be deployed abroad. They saw their first action on the Western Front during the initial German offensive of 1914, and the force filled the gap between the near destruction of the regular army that year and the arrival of the New Army in 1915. By the war's end, there was little to distinguish between regular, territorial and New Army formations.

See WT:TFA. This is just a suggested blurb ... thoughts and edits are welcome. - Dank (push to talk) 19:22, 21 June 2019 (UTC)


 * Can't remember what the word limit is, but the following is basically the story that needs to be told in the blurb:
 * The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. It was designed to reinforce the regular army in operations abroad, but because of political opposition it was legally restricted to home defence. It was denigrated by the proponents of conscription and ignored in favour of raising completely from scratch the New Army on the outbreak of the First World War. Territorials volunteered for foreign service in significant numbers, and the force filled the gap between the near destruction of the regular army during the initial German offensive of 1914 and the arrival of the New Army in 1915. Territorial units provided the bulk of the British forces in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The territorial identity was eroded by heavy casualties and the introduction of conscription in 1916, and by the war's end there was little to distinguish between regular, territorial and New Army formations.
 * Factotem (talk) 19:58, 21 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Was 1037, now 1023, looks great. - Dank (push to talk) 20:25, 21 June 2019 (UTC)
 * There's maybe a tweak that could make it even better. What's the character limit? Factotem (talk) 20:27, 21 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Min 925, Max 1025. - Dank (push to talk) 20:29, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Improved version, 1025 total:

The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer auxiliary created in 1908. It was designed to reinforce the British Army overseas during war without resorting to conscription, but for political reasons it was constituted as a home defence force in which foreign service was voluntary. It was not well regarded by the military authorities. On the outbreak of the First World War the regular army was expanded by raising the New Army from scratch rather than relying on the Territorial Force. Territorials volunteered for foreign service in large numbers, and territorial divisions filled the gap between the near destruction of the regular army during the German offensive of 1914 and the arrival of the New Army in 1915. The force also provided the bulk of the British contingent in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The territorial identity was eroded by the introduction of conscription in 1916, and by the war's end there was little to distinguish between regular, territorial and New Army formations. Factotem (talk) 09:21, 22 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Now 1028. Looks good. - Dank (push to talk) 17:45, 22 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Not sure how I miscounted that, but tweaked down to 1022 now. Thanks. Factotem (talk) 18:05, 22 June 2019 (UTC)
 * You didn't miscount, I added an "-ing". Looks good. - Dank (push to talk) 19:07, 22 June 2019 (UTC)