Could you enlist into a county regiment at any recruitment centre?

[Old Cove]

In May 1915 two pals from Farnborough, Hampshire, enlisted into the Hampshire Regiment together and were given consecutive numbers. What puzzles me is that according to the Soldiers Who Died In The Great War database they enlisted at Woolwich. Why travel to Woolwich when they could have walked to Aldershot or gone down the railway line to Winchester? I can also find several other service records for men who enlisted into the Hampshires about that time in various parts of London. I wonder if someone who understands these things would mind explaining (i) why they might have gone to Woolwich (maybe they wanted to join the Artillery and were turned down?) and (ii) where you could enlist in the Hampshires or any other county regiment at that time. Could a recruitment centre anywhere accept you for any regiment that was recruiting? (I have Charles Messenger's book but it doesn't give that sort of detail.)

Many thanks

Roger

[ss002d6252]

Pre-Military Service Act 1916 you could, in theory, enlist in to any regiment that you met the requirements for however they did try and persuade men to join certain units - that could depend on which units were short of men or even just down to it being the recruiters old regiment.

Pre-War over half of all recruits who enlisted in a specific military district did not enlist for service in any of the regiments based in that area.

Craig

[centurion]

There can be all sorts of reasons. For example some men enlisted near their place of work rather than close to where they lived, some times they were visiting friends and they all went off and enlisted. I've come across an account of one man who was a commercial traveller who got caught up in the spirit of things and enlisted along with a bunch of pals from one of the companies he was visiting.

[Old Cove]

Thanks Craig, Centurion. It's helpful to know that they could have enlisted into any regiment, and I take the point about the group dynamics. These two were labourers, one on a farm and the other in a laundry so I doubt they normally travelled very far afield and I don't see them just happening to be in the vicinity of Woolwich when they decided to enlist. But on the other hand I can quite see that having worked themselves up to volunteer and travelled all that way, if they were then turned down for their first choice they would have gone for the next most attractive option. And if they could in theory volunteer for any regiment that was accepting recruits then that might well have been their county regiment.

Roger

[Trotter1587]

I have a relative who was born and bred in Leicester and yet joined the Northumberland Fusiliers for the war.. quite a mystery why but that helps me too so thanks!

Trotter

[Guest]

There is another thread trundling along highlighting men from Wiltshire ending up with Irish battalions only days after volunteering in early September 1914. It appears that despite volunteering for what they thought would be the Wiltshire Regiment, the Army had other ideas. I must say it surprised me as for some reason I thought pre-conscription volunteers had a choice. It appears not. It's not quite the same issue as the OP but nevertheless explains how men were moved around even in these early days.

MG

[ss002d6252]

It appears that despite volunteering for what they thought would be the Wiltshire Regiment, the Army had other ideas

It seems that way - choose any regiment you like until you've signed on the dotted line.

Craig

[centurion]

It seems that way - choose any regiment you like until you've signed on the dotted line.

Craig

I think that technically you were only signing up to serve His Majesty. His Majesty's loyal advisers could send you where they thought fit.

[rolt968]

I have always been curious about the series of steps in the enlistment of my father's cousin.

He was working as teacher in Gainsborough. He enlisted in Leeds which was where he had trained as a teacher. According to his attestation form he specified the HLI. There was no connection with Scotland.

I know that pre-war recruiting sergeants used persuade uncertain recruits to join units which they favoured or had served in. I wonder if this was true of the wartime recruiting sergeants.

Roger.

[ss002d6252]

According to his attestation form he specified the HLI.

I suppose the question would be whether he actually specified the HLI or the recruiting serjeants did it for him - I have seen references to recruiting offices receiving notifications of which battalions were full and which ones needed men.

Craig