Item FRO/1 - Photograph of members of the Legion of Frontiersmen

The Legion of Frontiersmen was founded in Britain in 1905 by Roger Pocock, a former constable with the North-West Mounted Police and Boer War veteran. Prompted by fears of an impending invasion of Britain and the Empire, the organisation was founded as a field intelligence corps on a romanticised conception of the 'frontier' and imperial idealism. Headquartered in London, branches of the Legion of Frontiersmen were formed throughout the empire to prepare patriots for war and to foster vigilance in peacetime. Despite persistent efforts, the Legion never achieved much official recognition.

The first known meeting of the York branch of the Legion of Frontiersmen was mentioned in the Yorkshire Post of 3rd December 1906, when it would appear that the branch was in the early stages of being founded. The York branch, also known as a squadron was in existence until at least 1938, as it was mentioned in the newspapers of that year as having taken part in the Military Parade.