SECTION 1: LIFE AS A SOLDIER

JOINING UP

Joining as a regular soldier

A man wishing to join the army could do so, providing he passed certain physical tests and was willing to enlist for a number of years. The recruit had to be taller than 5 feet 3 inches, and aged between 19 and 38. He would join at the Regimental Depot, or at one of its normal recruiting offices. When the man's service had ended, he was kept on the National Reserve. When war broke out, there were 350,000 men on the National Reserve, ready to be called back to fill the establishment of their Regiment.

Rushing to the colours? Joining as a volunteer

On his appointment as Secretary of State for War on the outbreak of the war, Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener issued a call for volunteers to increase the size of the army. He did not believe that the Territorial Force was an appropriate structure for doing this. The volunteers were generally assigned to units of the New Armies, but in most cases they had some degree of choice over the unit they joined.

The volunteers had to pass the same criteria as the Regulars, but men who had previously served in the army would be accepted up to the age of 45. The men would only enlist 'for the duration'. There are many recorded instances of underage and indeed overage men being accepted into the service.

The response from an excited public to Kitchener's appeal was instant, but soon died down to average only 100,000 men per month and steps soon had to be taken to encourage enlistment.

While many were inspired by the news, drum-beating and pressure to conform, some modern historians have argued that men joined up for all manner of reasons, including a natural desire to quit a humdrum or arduous job, take a chance of seeing another country, or to escape family or troubles. Volunteers usually had a considerable choice about which branch of the service they joined; many travelled considerable distances to attend a depot or recruiting office for a particular unit. They would be attracted to a Regiment or Corps by its reputation, the fact that it was the local one, or where they had relatives or pals. There is also plenty of evidence that the Army connived in the recruitment of under-age soldiers (although it is most definitely NOT true that the typical Tommy was 16 and lied about his age to get in).

After the form filling and the examinations, the process concluded by the recruit 'taking the King's Shilling' and the recruiting Sergeant taking his sixpence per man. The recruit then went home, receiving his joining instructions and travel warrant a few days later.

Conscription

On January 27th, 1916. All voluntary enlistments were stopped. All British males were deemed to have enlisted - that is, they were conscripted - if they were aged 18 to 41 and resided in Great Britain (excluding Ireland) and unmarried or a widower. Conscripted men were given no choice of which service or unit they joined. This act was extended to married men on May 25th, 1916. A system of appeals tribunals was established, to hear cases of men who believed they were disqualified on the grounds of ill-health, occupation or conscientious objection.