OpsMajor Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Quick search but I cannot find it. At the start of the War I understand that you had to be 19 years of age to be sent overseas but believe this dropped to 18 later in the War - what date was that please? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aradgick Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 It was reduced to 18 years 7 months in March 1918 due to the German Offensive, "and subsequently to 18 years 6 months" (Source: 'Boy Soldiers of the Great War', Richard van Emden) Andrewr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpsMajor Posted 28 May , 2014 Author Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Many thanks Andrewr - I knew it was something like that. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 It was reduced to 18 years 7 months in March 1918 due to the German Offensive, "and subsequently to 18 years 6 months" (Source: 'Boy Soldiers of the Great War', Richard van Emden) Andrewr But only if the soldier was deemed to already be adequately trained and the higher age requirement was restored before the war ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpsMajor Posted 28 May , 2014 Author Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Thanks for the "extras" Centurion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 drummers, buglers and trumpeters could go to war at ages less than those quoted with the permission of the unit CO and the medical Officer. Interestingly, the pre-war age for "overseas" [not "active service"] was 20 years, again drummers etc excepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Do cabin boys count? Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Do cabin boys count? Anne Going over seas is part of the job description Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Going over seas is part of the job description I could have bet you were going to come back on that one General Centurion! Job description or not, they weren't cabin boys until they went on board. (You've now got me thinking - had there been job descriptions at that time, what would they have entailed?) Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 I could have bet you were going to come back on that one General Centurion! Job description or not, they weren't cabin boys until they went on board. (You've now got me thinking - had there been job descriptions at that time, what would they have entailed?) Anne Couldn't resist but AFAIK there were no age limits in either direction on service in a merchantman (which is basically where you'd find cabin boys) - [you've started a verse in my head from that old rugby club standard The Good Ship Venus involving powdered glass!]. The RN did use all sorts of boys - after all Jack Cornwall won a posthumous VC at age 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 28 May , 2014 Share Posted 28 May , 2014 Couldn't resist but AFAIK there were no age limits in either direction on service in a merchantman (which is basically where you'd find cabin boys) - [you've started a verse in my head from that old rugby club standard The Good Ship Venus involving powdered glass!]. The RN did use all sorts of boys - after all Jack Cornwall won a posthumous VC at age 16. Just for you Centurion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLotX3HE-4c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 29 May , 2014 Share Posted 29 May , 2014 Cornwell actually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 29 May , 2014 Share Posted 29 May , 2014 Am I right in thinking that twelve year old member of the Australian navy was killed in HMAS Sydney? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catfishmo Posted 29 May , 2014 Share Posted 29 May , 2014 In reading Glubb's memoirs Into Battle, I have in my notes that he was a young officer itching to to overseas but had to wait until he was 18 1/2. In Nov 1915, he went. I don't know if the age was different for enlisted men. I got the book from interlibrary loan or I would look to see if there was any more detail about the age. Perhaps someone who owns the book will chime in. ~Ginger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 29 May , 2014 Share Posted 29 May , 2014 Ginger, I also read one of Glubb's books which was borrowed and now returned - "Into Battle: A Soldier's Diary of the Great War" where this young officer was a 2/Lt in the Royal Engineers, aged 18, probably the same man. Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 29 May , 2014 Admin Share Posted 29 May , 2014 Although this thread has wandered down some interesting byways I assume the original question referred to conscripted other ranks in the Army. As at post 2 soldiers aged eighteen and a half were sent overseas in response to the German Offensive of March 21 1918. This was announced in the House of Lords by Lord Curzon on April 9th 1918 as part of a 'package of measures' in response to the losses on the Western Front. The relevant part of his speech (from Hansard) is:- "In these circumstances your Lordships will want to know what action was taken by His Majesty's Government as soon as the thundercloud broke about our heads. Directly the emergency arose the Cabinet took immediate steps to replace our losses. Reinforcements were at once despatched from this country across the Channel at a maximum rate of over 30,000 in the day. In those proceedings you will be interested to learn that no single life has been lost. We were sorry that this step made it necessary to cancel the usual leave given to men proceeding to the Front to enable them to say good-bye to their families and friends, and also to curtail the holidays of many thousands of soldiers who were at home upon leave. These sacrifices were received without a murmur by the troops, and I cannot too highly extol the spirit and patriotism with which they hurried to the aid of their comrades in such dire peril and to the support of their country in its hour of trial. The same necessity compelled us to send over to France young men of eighteen and a-half years of age, whom we have always reserved the right to place in the battle line in an hour of national emergency." As noted above those who were sent were required to have a minimum of six months training and the contingency response needs to be considered in the context of the Military Service Acts (and Regulations). As a consequence of the Act(s) all men aged 18 were deemed to have enlisted in the Army and were on the Reserve. There was provision for these young men to mobilise on coming of age and after training serve at Home until eligible for posting overseas on active service. It was therefore from this pool that these reinforcements were sent. I don't know if this was formally rescinded but it seems obvious this group would eventually dry up over the next few months, and it's also perhaps worth noting the main provision of the April 1918 Act was to increase the upper age limit to 51( and amending certain medical categories) indicating that the numbers at the other end, or lower age limit, was proving insufficient for the demand. The age for overseas service in the Army has always been indeterminate as regards some of those classes mentioned above. The initial rush to volunteer has become notorious for the recruitment of under age soldiers, some of whom performed with great distinction at the front. Similarly the need for officers in 1915 -5 meant that many young men were recruited direct from their school OTC and posted overseas for active service, sometimes within two weeks of being granted a commission, there are many famous example of young officers going straight from public school to command a platoon at the front e.g. Anthony Eden commanded a platoon at eighteen and was Brigade Major by the time he was twenty one. Although in 1914 recruitment age to the Regular Army in 1914 was 18 and to the New Army 19 a young man could join the TF at 17, on the outbreak of war many of the latter signed the Imperial Obligation and went overseas with their Battalion, a practice that ended when the War Office realised it was inequitable when the Regulars age for overseas service was 19. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill24chev Posted 29 May , 2014 Share Posted 29 May , 2014 A large number of boys aged 15 & 16 died when the Hogue, Creccy and Aboukir were lost and the Midshipmen/Cadets on mobilisation, were posted to these and other "2nd and 3rd Fleet" ships such as HMS Monmouth and Goodhope, lost at Coronel , from Britannia College at a very young age (15 and 16 or even younger). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpsMajor Posted 14 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 14 June , 2014 Ken A belated thanks for the additional information Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
researchingreg Posted 19 June , 2014 Share Posted 19 June , 2014 My Grandfather Pte William Wareham in the Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment was born on 25 May 1900 and incidentally was a bugler/drummer and would have been 18 years six months in November 1918 after the the Armistice. He was in the 2/4 West Surreys in Blissenbach Germany on 15 May 1919 in the BAOR. Also he may not have had any war medals as he could have missed any action during hostilities as he may not have enlisted until 1918. I have not found him on any MIC. I have not got his Army record as he served into the 1920's. This seems to confirm what andrewr and Grumpy have posted about age for active service of 18 years six months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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