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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

RE, TOPIC TOO OLD TO FIGHT ?


GRACELAND

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HI, refering to post too old to fight,

At what age would you have been considered " too old " ????

:huh:

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We had a fairly extensive run on this one not too long ago. "Search" should find it for you.

For info, the oldest chap on the memorials I research was 50 when he was KIA at Gallipoli.

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in Ypres one bloke is 68 !!!

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  refering to post too old to fight,

                    At what age would you have been considered " too old " ????

                               

:D I have the 1914~1915 star Trio & Afghanistan 1878~80 Medal of 7206,Sergeant William J.Blythe,East Lancashire Regiment{formerly 30th Foot{1 of only 2 Men{NCO Signallers} to earn the Afghan Medal 1878~80;with the 30th Foot}Went to France in July 1915,with the East Lancs,Later he was transferred to the Royal Air Force,in October 1918 & was discharged from the RAF on 11.11.1918 !!!as unfit for further Military Service[RAF SWB],His RAF Service Record states he was Born in April 1858!!@ the time of the Indian Mutiny & 4 years after the Crimea!,Making him 60 8/12 in 1918! Another Recipient whose Medals I am fortunate enough to Care for was Discharged in 1916,as 'worn out' Gunner 220;Arthur Wenban,RWK2nd, Vol Bn[EdVII Vol;LSGC] SWBadge,TFWM & BWM [No Victory Awarded]4th Reserve Battery RFA,was 55,And an MC winning Warrant Officer,CSM George Alfred Stephens MC,O de L2,CdeG{Belg}who had already earned his Army LSGC during Edward VII's reign,was 56 when Discharged due to Wounds in 1916.having gone to France in December 1915.

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Lord Roberts VC who died in 1914,but had I believe visited the Front was I think 100?

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The oldest fellow in my collection of 1914 Star groups is CPO William Rolls of the Collingwood Battalion. He received his (Victorian) naval long service and good conduct medal in 1897; he was 47 years old when he was involved in the fighting around Antwerp and was one of the very few Collingwood members to get back to England.

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I believe the upper age limit was raised in 1918 to 50 (or even 55); although I doubt whether any conscripts of this latter age found their way into the infantry or other combat arms. However, I did read that due to attrition, increases in the Army and bad man-management, by 1918 nearly half the infantry were either aged 19 or under about 45.

As others have stated, I too have routinely noted sailors and paradoxically, members of the RMLI, were considerably older.

What may be of interest is that the recommended upper age limits during WW1 for submariner officers and men was 35 and 40 respectively; although note that this was only the personal opinion of a body of officers rather than policy, and submarine crews continued to have 'three badgers', among others, serving on wartime patrols well into their 40s.

Richard

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My cousin Nigels "Other Great Grandfather" Harry Bird of the 25th Battalion Royal Fusileirs (The Legion of Frontiersmen).Was 55 when he was killed in what is now Kenya in 1915.

Steven :unsure:

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  • 7 months later...
Lord Roberts VC who died in 1914,but had I believe visited the Front was I think 100?

Lord Roberts was actually just 82, being born in 1832. He saw the Indian Mutiny and the Second Afghan War, as well as action in the Boer war.

Best -

Garen.

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Lieut Henry Webber, of the 7th South Lancs, was killed by a shell near Caterpillar Wood on 21 July 1916. He was 68, and is the oldest known KIA of the western front, I believe. He continually pestered the authorities to be allowed to fight and was eventually allowed to join his sons in khaki. The same shell killed or wounded another officer, 10 men and three horses, and smashed a cooker in the officer's mess cart.

Ste

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I have a 45 year old private KIA ; his son dies before him in action. He leaves 8 children.

Plus I have a 65 year old in REs who loses an eye in action.

Don't ask me!!?

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Although this interview indicates that Sgt. Walter Evans was 60 years old, he signed his attestation stating that he was in his 40s.

What is interesting is that he fought in the Afghanistan campaign in 1878 and 9 months in France in WWI.

Attestation

post-1-1101947575.jpg

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Desmond7

I'm occasionally ( by 'occasionally' I mean trying to fit it in with all the other strands!) researching fathers & sons killed in action, so I'd be interested in your details,

please?

Bob

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Although this interview indicates that Sgt. Walter Evans was 60 years old, he signed his attestation stating that he was in his 40s. 

What is interesting is that he fought in the Afghanistan campaign in 1878 and 9 months in France in WWI.

That's interesting about Walter Evans in Afghanistan - he may have had brothers serving alongside him in 1880 (the 7th Foot didn't enter Afghanistan until 1880, though the war had started in '78) as there was also a David, Francis and William Evans, as well as Walter - all Privates in the 7th (of course this doesn't mean they were related).

Anyway - sorry, don't mean to wander off topic.

- Garen.

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