Rememberance day display - Saturday 31st October - West Brom (H) As we mark the upcoming Remembrance Day, every West Ham United fan should learn the story of the ‘West Ham Pals’, the Hammers-supporting soldiers who went off to fight for their country in the First World War. Their inspiring story can be read further below. In honour of the West Ham Pals, the IWA have funded an 8m vertical banner we intend to display ahead of the West Brom game on October 31st. The display image has been designed by West Ham fan, and artist, Geo Law. Shown in the accompanying images of this post are the costs associated with this sort of display. Should anyone like to make a contribution, you can donate any amount towards it here: shop.ironworksalliance.com/c… While all donations are welcome, if you donate £20 via the special "West Ham Pals donation" page set up within, you will receive a free 1-inch pin badge with the same design as the display, as a permanent reminder that you helped this display happen. We have 50 pin badges available. If we can send out all 50, we will have covered the costs of our display. If we receive over the £947.51 cost for this display between now and the end of game day on 31st October, surplus funds will go to the Poppy Appeal. In December 1914, a few months after the outbreak of hostilities, the Mayor of West Ham successfully applied to the War Office to raise an infantry unit of local men to serve in the British Army, who had by then already suffered heavy losses on the Western Front. Formed as the 13th (Service) Battalion of the Essex Regiment, the West Ham Pals were born. Volunteers, many of them West Ham United‘s first generation of supporters, flooded the recruiting offices around the East End and by late February the required 1,000 men had enlisted. They had no uniforms, no rifles and many had no military experience. However, they all wanted to ‘give a good smacking to the Germans’. The Council soon applied for their cap badge to include two crossed hammers, in reference to their association with the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, however this was refused. By the end of World War One, out of the original 1,000 men, roughly one quarter were killed, half were severely disabled from wounds and one quarter survived with their scars inside. They never received a Victory Parade and, the West Ham Battalion was disbanded and relegated to history, but like the people of the east London, and West Ham United, we will never forget them. Conversations will continue this week with the club, and the stadium to ensure the display goes ahead. ⚒️