Re-enlistments having been previously discharged for medical reasons.

[MJROB]

Hi All,

Can anyone provide further light (or suggested reading material) on how the army felt on the recruitment of men who had previously been discharged on medical grounds? For example, in my research, I'm finding examples of men enlisting, and seeing active service, despite being on a pension for shell-shock, repeated discharges due to bleeding piles etc.

Any help would be warmly appreciated.

Regards,
MJROB

[ss002d6252]

After the Military Service Act 1916 was introduced (session 2) any man who had been medically discharged became liable for conscription subject to a medical and therefore a man can re-appear in the army despite having been previously medically discharged.

Craig

[centurion]

Don't forget that the standard of diagnosis and prognosis even today is nowhere near 100% accurate. Then there must have been soldiers who turned not to be as sick as originally thought and/or showed unexpected powers of recovery. Moreover things that got you rejected or invalided out at the beginning of the war wouldn't later. For example bad (or no) teeth would fail you in 1915 but by 1917 it'd be a trip to the dentist and a set of army sponsored false gnashers so you could eat your rations and off to the front.