Worn out Derby recruiters snatching some sleep at their offices after a busy night dealing with the final rush of recruits under Lord Derby's group system. Lord Derby, Director General of Recruiting in 1916 introduced the Derby scheme which encouraged men from the same offices or factories to join up together to form 'pals' battalions. The scheme also divided men up into single and married and offered a war pension to those with dependents. As the prospect of conscription loomed, and with December 15th 1915 as the deadline for volunteering or attesting, recruitment offices found it difficult to cope with the crowds.