eyesight tests for recruits

[Moonraker]

I've come across several accounts of WWI volunteer recruits with poor vision fooling the eyesight test at their medical, sometimes with the connivance of the MO or by memorizing the letters before the test began. The latest example was actually a civilian scientist, Frederick Lindemann (later to become Churchill's scientific adviser and Viscount Cherwell). In WWI he worked at the Royal Aircraft Factory and, along with some of his colleagues, thought he should learn to fly the aircraft he was trying to improve. Eventually the powers-that-be agreed, but Lindemann knew that a weak eye would disqualify him. It appears the test board was two-sided; he memorised one side before the test, luckily was offered the other to read with his good eye and recalled the letters when his poor eye tested.

I believe that Rudyard Kipling's son had poor eyesight and, encouraged by his patriotic father, eventually found an MO willing to fudge the test. And Anthony Eden, who served in WWI, also should have worn glasses.

What was acceptable vision for a fighting man? Was the standard lowered as the war progressed? And was there any attempt to put men with poor eyesight into roles where they were unlikely to fight?

I recall reading some memoirs last years (before I became intrigued with this topic) about a combatant officer whose vision was minus 5. That's what my weaker eye is, and without my glasses I can't see much with it.

(I've seen Matt Dixon's explanation of eyesight measurement in his post in Chit-Chat of November 1, 2003.)

[Sparky53]

It would seem my grandfather's eyesight was too poor for the infantry and he was also colour blind. He became a a horse trainer with the ASC and went to Salonika as a Driver

Jane

[DirtyDick]

There was a similar thread on this a year or so back, so it would be worth a search under 'glasses'.

There are numerous images of WW1 soldiers wearing spectacles - usually wire-rimmed - and serving in the infantry etc. in the early part of the War (i.e. 1915-16), when they would have been volunteers and the medical/selection standards were higher than later on. I suppose some of the very early K/City battalions, however, in their quest for 'supermen' rejected short-sighted recruits on principle.

I would assume on the whole they operated under similar rules to today: provided you are not essentially blinded without glasses it is no hindrance to enlistment.

Of course, as the War progressed entry standards across the board were lowered.

Richard