Terriorial Force Pay and Conditions

[ianmccallum]

Hi Guys

Anyone know of where I could find out what the pay and conditions for TF soldiers were prior to mobilisation. For example, did they get paid for drill nights or weekend training or how did they get time off work to attend two weeks annual camp when most people were lucky if got a week off. Did they get any payment apart from the bounty when they were at camp. Any pointers gratefully recieved.

Ian

[peterhodgkinson]

Ian - if you PM your e-mail address I'll send you some scans from the 1909 TF Handbook (too big to post). Bill Mitchinson's England's Last Hope is the best source on the pre-war TF. Peter

[sueburden]

Peter

Will you please be kind enough to e mail me some scans as well.

PM with email address sent.

Thank you.

Sue

[Muerrisch]

This might help.

THE TERRITORIAL FORCE.

 

The Territorial Force was formed in 1908 under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act for service, when called out by proclamation, [‘embodied’] anywhere in the United Kingdom 28. There was no liability to turn out in aid of the civil power. After preliminary training, all ranks were required to attend at least eight days training per annum, together with drill parades. A Special Service Section was composed of men engaged to serve anywhere in the UK during a time of national emergency for a period up to a month, even if the TF was not formally embodied. A retainer of 10/- per year was paid to members of this section, who were entitled to wear an embroidered badge on the lower right   left sleeve, comprising a crown over three letters S.

An Imperial Service Section was also formed, comprising all ranks, who engaged to serve abroad for an indefinite period if required, but only liable to serve in their own unit or a part of it. Soldiers who made this obligation wore a handsome white metal badge on the right breast. No retainer was paid. All ranks of the TF were paid the same as their regular equivalents in camp and when embodied. However, up to the outbreak of war territorial soldiers of all ranks were automatically junior in precedence to regulars and special reservists of the same rank. Not until AO 54/15 of February 1915 was the TF required to adopt the four-company organisation of infantry, the companies to be called A,B,C and D.

Lord Kitchener decided not to use the TF organisation as a basis on which to expand, and the TF, for a variety of complicated reasons beyond the scope of these notes, rather lost its distinctive identity and withered on the vine. Nevertheless, many TF battalions [eg 4RWF] went to France very early in the war and gave fine service. TF units played a vital part by releasing regular units from overseas locations. It is difficult to see how Britain could have avoided early defeat without their contribution before the New Armies were recruited and fully trained.

Recruiting into the TF suffered by comparison with the New Armies, despite growth of Imperial Service, 1st Reserve and 2nd Reserve units [who changed nomenclature in February 1915 to 1st Line, 2nd Line and 3rd Line]. There were difficulties with the Imperial Service obligation and the need to have at least 80% of volunteers for overseas service before a battalion was sent. This was changed to 60%, but there were still problems with under-age and unfit TF men. Inevitably, the ability to enlist in the TF ‘for home service only’ was attractive to many, and figures for Caernarfon from September to December 1914 suggest that a ratio of four to one enlistments were for home service only. As late as August 1915 there were still over 82,000 home service men in the TF, but the game was up in 1916 when the Military Service acts forced the Imperial Service liability on them, effectively conscripting them 7,13.

Maintaining TF units abroad with a flow of fit TF men became difficult very early in the war, and the right of soldiers to serve in their own units became impossible to honour. From 11th December 1915 almost no recruiting into the TF was permitted, so that virtually all in future were engaged for general service and posted as needs be. Thus, TF battalions became increasing heterogeneous, comprising men from all walks of life and all regions, enlisted by a variety of schemes and into many different regiments. In March 1917 many TF depôts and TF record offices closed, and most other ranks still serving under their original TF regimental numbers were renumbered with army numbers in the 200,000 series as described below. The TF began to be disembodied in December 1918.

Territorial Force: The other ranks.

Pre-war, a man could enlist in the TF from age 17 to 35 [boys 14 to 17 years], for four years at a time, up to age 40. Minimum height standard was 5ft 2ins 28. Enlistment, having completed Army form B 178, was into the County Association and the recruit could be posted to any of that county’s units.

Edited 23 September , 2017 by Muerrisch
correction

[sueburden]

Thank you for the scans Peter.

Thanks also to Grumpy for the additional info.

Sue

[ianmccallum]

Grumpy

Thank you for the detailed reply. Sorry its taken some time to acknowledge your efforts but i've been away for a few days.

Ian