2nd Lieutenant David Clemetson

[better ole]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31796542

[Coldstreamer]

This post takes you to a story entitled "The officer who refused to lie about being black"

worth a read

[Guest]

This is the part that caught my eye;

"Two years before, in 1915, he became one of the first black British officers of WW1. This was despite the provisions in the 1914 Manual of Military Law which barred, what it called, "negroes and or persons of colour" from holding rank above sergeant."

If anyone can confirm or deny the above I would be interested. One wonders how the KAR operated under such alleged restrictions. MG

[high wood]

This is the part that caught my eye;

"Two years before, in 1915, he became one of the first black British officers of WW1. This was despite the provisions in the 1914 Manual of Military Law which barred, what it called, "negroes and or persons of colour" from holding rank above sergeant."

If anyone can confirm or deny the above I would be interested. One wonders how the KAR operated under such alleged restrictions. MG

You cannot expect accuracy from the BBC. They even describe me as a historian in the paragraph about George Bemand.

[trajan]

FYI, this topic is also in http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=226837#entry2252304

[Terry_Reeves]

The relevant parts of the Army Act published in the Manual of Military Law 1914 (p 471) has this to say on the subject:

Special provisions as to persons to be enlisted - Enlistment or aliens, negroes & etc

95 (1) Any person for the time being an alien may if His Majesty thinks fit to signify his consent through the Secretary of State, be enlisted in His Majesty’s regular forces so, however, that the number of aliens serving together at any one time any corps of the regular forces shall not exceed of one alien to every British subjects, and that an alien so enlisted shall not be capable of holding any higher rank in His Majesty’s regular forces than that of warrant officer or non-commissioned officer.

95 (2) Provided that, not withstanding the above provisions of this section any inhabitant of any British protectorate and any negro or person of colour, although an alien, may voluntary enlist in Pursuance of this Part of the Act, and when so enlisted, shall while serving in His Majesty’s regular forces, be deemed to be entitled to all the privileges of a natural-born British subjects.

The above mentioned are contained in the Act of Settlement which also said that the only prohibition was against an alien enjoying ‘any office or place of trust' although they could hold honorary rank in the British Army

Chapter X1, paragraph 16 of the MML (p198) also has this to say:

Commissions in the Special Reserve of Officers are given to qualified candidates of who are natural born or naturalised British subjects of pure European descent.

TR

[wbremner]

Clemetson was SPTS/520 in the First Sportsman's Battalion (later 23rd, Royal Fusiliers), enlisted approx. mid-Sept.

He was a member of the 1SB Rugby team - there is a photo of him with the team in this issue of the Sportsman's Gazette:

He's mentioned in a few other SG issues as well.