Odd entry on service paper

[Duncan]

Anyone know what this little lot could be relating too? He was living in Bristol at the time.

Attested 23rd September 1920 – Driver, 1st Gloucester Battalion, RE.

14th April 1921 – discharged to ‘Defence Force’.

Served ‘in the emergency from’ 15th April – 20th May 1921 – Sapper, 1st Field Company, South Midland RE, Defence Force.

Cheers,

Duncan.

[Rob B]

Could this not be the period of the General Strike. It was termed a period of national emergency.

Rob

[Chris_Baker]

This also appears on my wife's grandfather's papers. I have never followed it up and will be intereested to hear of the definition.

[burlington]

The General Strike was in 1926.

The 1921 emergency was as a result of the Irish 'problem'.

I quote from http://www.law.qub.ac.uk/humanrts/emergenc...and1/INTRO.HTM:

<quote>

Northern Ireland was created as a governmental unit within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1921. The whole of the island of Ireland had previously been subject to British rule since 1192 A.D. The part of Ireland which is now Northern Ireland was settled by large numbers of Scottish and English Protestants in the early 1600s who displaced and eventually outnumbered the established Irish Catholic population in this area, while in the rest of Ireland the Irish Catholic population constituted more than 90 per cent of the total. The dominant Protestant community in Northern Ireland resisted British attempts from 1880 until 1914 to grant home rule to the whole of Ireland.

In 1919 nationalists in the southern part of Ireland commenced a guerrilla campaign against British rule which led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. The treaty permitted the partition of the country into the Irish Free State (which remained a British dominion) and Northern Ireland. Later, the Irish Free State became the wholly independent Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland remained an integral, but self-governing, part of the United Kingdom under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920.

</quote>

Hope this is helpful.

Martin

[ajsmith]

Duncan

It's too early for the General Strike (1926) but could have been some other industrial unrest, or maybe some natural disaster (flooding etc.). The situation in Ireland sprung to mind but it seems unlikely. As an aside World War II was referred to as 'the emergency' in Ireland. I'll do some research and get back to you

cheers

[eltoro1960]

"Could this not be the period of the General Strike. It was termed a period of national emergency."

Rob

The General Strike was in 1926, I think it refers to the fighting in the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland, 5000 people were killed between 1921 and 1923. There was virtual anarchy in the streets and Ireland was partitioned in December, 1921 to the countries we now know as the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

[joseph]

Duncan,

Could this be it?

East Yorkshire Regiment Gazette. July 1921

The Mobilization of the Army Reserve.

The Industrial crises has not been without its effect on the Regiment It began definitely on the 1st April 1921 by a strike of the miners, who, acting under instructions given by the Executive of the Miners' Federation, ceased work in the coalfields scattered up and down the country.

An attempt was made to force the issue and obtain concession for all their demands by inviting the National Union of Railwaymen, and also the Transport workers, to suspend their activities in sympathy with the cause of the miners in the dispute

Thanks, however, to the common sense prevailing amongst the railwaymen and transport workers, and also to the entire absence of panic on the part of the British public, these attempts proved unsuccessful, but at a time when a situation appeared critical, and a General strike seemed probable the Government decided to call out the Army Reserve, Class B of the Royal Naval Reserve; and further to inaugurate the Royal Defence Force, to assist the civil authority in maintaining order, preserving life and property, and if necessary providing adequate protection for volunteers and others whom it might have been necessary to employ in the prospective work of the National Supply and Transport of food and fuel.

A Royal Proclamation was publicly posted all over the country, on the 9th April 1921, and at once officers and men affected by it began to rally at their Regimental Depots or Mobilizing Centres.

The assembly of the Reserve of Officers and men of the Army Reserve, belonging to the East Yorkshire Regiment, was completed by the 12th instant, when 20 Officers and 279 other rank had re-joined.

Regards Charles

[MelPack]

Hello

The 'emergency' referred to is the state of emergency declared by the LG's government on 15th April 1921 pursuant to the Emergency Powers in response to the invocation of the Triple Alliance by the Miners Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) for solidarity strike action by their allies the railwaymen and transport workers (including dockers).

The backdrop was the decontrol of the coal industry with the private owners attempting to impose masssive wage reductions purportedly in response to world market conditions. The state had laid careful preparations for decontrol and the inevitable response that it would provoke.

When the miners were locked out by the employers because of their refusal to accept massive wage reductions and locally determined pay rates, the response of the state was to declare a state of emergency and to deploy troops, tanks and armoured cars in the coalfields backed up with the mobilisation of a special volunteer defence force - a Lloyd George version of the British White Guard originally called for by The Times in 1919.

The paradox was that on the very day that the emergency was implemented, the trade union bureaucracy in its characteristically bovine manner capitulated. On Black Friday, 15th April 1921 the railway and transport unions failed to provide the solidarity action to which they were committed on the pretext that concilliation and compromise was possible and left the miners to struggle on alone to an inevitable defeat given the panopoly of state power and capital that they were confronted with.

The spectre of October 1917 was forever present in the calculations of the state.

regards

Mel

[MelPack]

Charles

You posted whilst I was typing!

The account that you have quoted captures the gist irrespective of the militaroid nuggets such as 'common sense prevailed'.

regards

Mel

[MelPack]

Here is a link to a basic synopsis of the background to the state of emergency declared under the Emergency Powers Act 1920. The Act was only replaced two years ago with similarly oppressive and draconian provisions.

http://faculty.goucher.edu/history231/Boug...eral_Strike.htm

[JOSTURM]

the period of the infamous Black and Tans isn't it.

Apparently, Ben & Jerry's Icecream recently launched a 'Black and Tan' flavour and tested in New York where there is, of course, a significant Irish republican genealogy. Needless to say they saw the error of there ways, and changed the name.

On a another subject, many London Terrotirals who demobbed in late 1919, were persuaded to join the Special Constabulary in 1920 and 1921 to help with law and order issues stemming from republicanism and trade unionism. My Grandfather was one and he served until 1962 as a volunteer Sergeant in the City.

Peter

[MelPack]

Peter

The reference to the 'emergency' definitely relates to the miners' strike and threatened general strike of 1921. The EPA 1920 that replaced DORA, empowered the state to maintain 'order' by any measure short of the introduction of compulsory miltary and industrial conscription save in circumstances of a declaration of war as opposed to industrial unrest and the threat of revolution.

regards

Mel

[joseph]

I'll go with you Mel,

A Royal Proclamation was publicly posted all over the country, on the 9th April 1921, and at once officers and men affected by it began to rally at their Regimental Depots or Mobilizing Centres.

I can not find any other Royal Proclamation for mobilization in the year 1921.

Regards Charles

[eltoro1960]

Britan was in social and industrial turmoil and the famous Red Clydesiders and Glasgow Riots in 1919 led to troops and tanks being deployed in Glasgow.

Tanks at the Saltmarket, Glasgow (photo Glasgow Council). There were about 1000 troops deployed to Glasgow, all from England, the Scottish unit were confined to barracks as they were apparently 'not to be trusted'

[Duncan]

Thanks every one, the strike option looks the most likely.

This person has been quite a mystery, heightened by getting his HUGE service file from the PRO. Although he enlisted in July 1914 aged 17 he only actually served about 2 weeks in France (in 1917), before being discharged due to being unfit (no reason given). He then seems to have drifted in and out of the territorials throughout the 1920. Odd!

Thanks for the help.

Duncan.