Alexandra, 1844 to 1920, was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1910 and Queen to Edward VII 1901 to 1910.
R B S Haldane. 1856 - 1928. As Secretary for War, he was responsible for creating the Territorial Force as well as other major changes in British Military organisation.

1 APRIL 1908. An Act of Parliament, created by R.B.S. Haldane, the Secretary for War, re-organised the local volunteers nation-wide into the Territorial Force.
Henceforth they would be attached to their local Regular Army Regiment and use similar equipment and training methods.
The 4th Battalion, Alexandra,Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) was born and became part of the Territorial Force with Headquarters still at Northallerton.
The Battalion was divided into local Companies designated :-
A - Middlesbrough, [transferred from 1st Vol Bn, Durham Light Inf.]
B - Middlesbrough, [transferred from 1st Vol Bn, Durham Light Inf.]
C - Yarm-on-Tees (detachments at Great Ayton, Stokesley and Hutton Rudby)
D - Guisborough (dets at Eston, South Bank and Grangetown)
E - Richmond (dets at Catterick, Eppleby and Reeth)
F - Redcar (det at Marske by the Sea)
G - Skelton (dets at Carlin How, Lingdale and Loftus)
H - Northallerton (dets at Bedale, Thirsk, Easingwold, Brompton and Helperby)

Each location usually had its own Drill Hall, often with an ex Regular soldier in charge.
Men who joined expected to be used only for Home Defence. like the Militias and Volunteers of old.
They had no obligation to serve overseas.
They trained for one or two nights per week and earned the nickname the "Saturday Night Soldiers".
Each Battalion had its own numbering system, with the first man to join being number 1 etc.
It was only in 1916 that a comprehensive numbering system to cover the Army as a whole was introduced.
Each year an annual Training Camp was held at different parts of the Riding and this was an enjoyable event for many of the men, who in those days never ventured far from home.
While they were not as efficient as the Regulars, many territorials had been firing guns and accepting orders since they were 15, having progressed from the Church Lads' Brigade, which was organised on military lines with similar ranks, annual camps etc.
The Volunteers would turn out for local celebrations, Church Parades etc with the Band playing.
Proud to be members of the Great British Empire.
They were also used to doffing their cap to the local squire and readily accepting the leadership of their "betters", something that the Great War was to alter.
The 4th Yorks Btn, of course, was one of many.
The Territorial Force nationwide would produce about 336 Infantry Btns to form 28 Divisions. Well over a third of Britain's Armies.
To begin with the 4th Yorks Btn was a purely local force, of about 1000 men, but during the course of the War over 900 men were killed and probably four or five times that number wounded, taken prisoner or succumbed to the many ailments that Trench warfare brought on. Reinforcements were sent out from Catterick, N Yorks, but as losses increased and conscription was introduced in 1916, personnel seem to have been allocated and transferred to Units on an "as required" basis.