Officers Commissioned From The Ranks

[Granite-Yorkie]

What was the maximum age for commissioning from the ranks during WW1?

[akduerden]

What was the maximum age for commissioning from the ranks during WW1?

Not sure if there was a policy but my Grandfather was 21 when he was promotes to 2nd Lt.

Andrew

[27thBN]

Pretty sure that there wasn't one without being ridiculous.

MC

[rflory]

Granite-Yorki wrote

What was the maximum age for commissioning from the ranks during WW1?

It there was a maximum age it must have been rather high as I have knowledge of an RA Major who was commissioned from the ranks in 1915 at the age of 50. His son was promoted from the ranks during WW2 at the age of 43. I am quite sure that others were promoted from the ranks at an older age, especially if they had a skill that was in demand. Dick Flory

[Old Owl]

Hi all,

I think that you will find that the oldest man to obtain a commission into the British Army was one Henry Webber, see 'The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-18'.

Henry Webber was born in 1849 and was educated at Tonbridge School. He was commissioned into the South Lancashire Regiment on 1st May, 1916, age 68, as Transport Officer. He was wounded in the head by a shell fragment on 21st July, 1916 and died later that same day without gaining consciouness.

Besides being the oldest man to receive a commission, I think that he was also the oldest to be killed in action during WW1, at the age of 68.

Whilst in France he wrote: " Here I am a Lieutenant in H.M.Army having to salute three sons if I meet them out here, a Colonel and two Majors."

Makes one think, doesn't it. What a brave man.

Hope this answers your question.

Regards, Robert

[PhilB]

But IIRC, Webber wasn`t commissioned from the ranks?

[headgardener]

In answer to the original question, the maximum age for being commissioned from the ranks should, in theory at least, be the maximum age at which one could serve in the ranks. We all know that minimum or maximum age was a pretty fluid concept at this time, and that the rules were flouted by the authories and by the men themselves. So if there was a maximum age then it wasn't adhered to.

During the early months of the war, while the Kitchener's battalions were being formed, many of their officers were men who had already enlisted as Privates and NCO's during the first few weeks and months, or were reservists who had been recalled and were commissioned on account of their previous military experience. Consider many of the new army QM's; they would often (perhaps generally?) be former NCO's who had served their time and were in recipt of LS&GC's, so would have been well over the 'usual' age at the time that they were commissioned. I have seen plenty of service papers for new army QM's who were commissioned within a few weeks of joining up and were around the same age as the man quoted by Dick Flory in his previous post on this thread.

[PhilB]

Apart from the senior NCOs & WOs as mentioned above, there seem to be two distinct types of commissioned rankers:-

1/ The kind of chap (usually ex-public school) who would, in normal circumstances, have been selected early on and commissioned before active service. Because of the exigencies of the early months of the war, many of these men did see active service before being selected for commission.

2/ The kind of chap (usually not ex-public school) who showed leadership qualities during active service and was selected on that basis.

I`ve no means of knowing what the proportions of the types were but I would guess that type 1 would have been "combed out" by the end of 1915 and that type 2 became much the more common from then on.

It would be interesting to know what the typical attitude of a type 2 junior infantry NCO was when offered a commission. Were they usually keen to accept the riskier but more glamorous (in some eyes) role? Or hesitant to enter the officer class?

[Granite-Yorkie]

Hi, thanks for the replies guys. I feel that I need to clarify the question- I was wondering about regular rankers being granted permanent commissions, and what the maximum age would have been. I know that RSM Michael Murphy, of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, was 43 when commissioned in October 1914. Again, thanks for the replies.

[Old Owl]

Hi,

Yes, you are quite right he wasn't commissioned from the ranks. I'm afraid that in my haste this morning I omitted to note that minor reference in the question. Apologies!!

Henry Webber however had offered his services to the War Office as a 'Rough Rider' or indeed in any other capacity, but was rejected. So he would have been commissioned from the ranks had he been accepted!!? A mere technical difference!!?

Ok, I'll stop digging now, I got it wrong!! but still an interesting and extremely gallant gentleman to offer his services on the Western Front at the age of 68. I do have a group to an officer who was killed at the age 61 at the Battle of Loos, but he was a long serving officer and was in command of a battalion at the time.

Cheers, Robert

[rflory]

Granite-Yorkie wrote:

Hi, thanks for the replies guys. I feel that I need to clarify the question- I was wondering about regular rankers being granted permanent commissions, and what the maximum age would have been. I know that RSM Michael Murphy, of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, was 43 when commissioned in October 1914.

Both of the rankers I mentioned in my post #4 above were regular rankers who were granted permanent commissions at the ages of 43 and 50.

Dick Flory