Recruitment in 1914

[sassenach]

Re-reading Middlebrook's "First Day on the Somme" I came across a reference to the fact that men were able to join either the Regular Army, the new "Kitchener's Army" or the Territorials in those early months of the War. I am curious as to how this worked. Given that the Regulars probably offered an earlier chance of action than the other options would not most men have opted for that? Or were they not really aware of the different options available and simply allowed themselves to be steered by recruiting offices into one force or another? I don't think I had quite realised that these different possibilities existed.

[ss002d6252]

Most of the recruits joined the kitchener army or the territorial battalions.

Enlistment to the regulars was possible but it remained on the standard 7&5 term unlike the kitchener army for 3years (or the duration of the war).

Craig

[Muerrisch]

another avenue was the Special Reserve.

[ss002d6252]

another avenue was the Special Reserve.

Forgot that one - 6 year commitment?

I should also add that even through the kitchener and territorials there were a number of permutations that were introduced regarding special enlistment periods in addition to the standard periods.

Craig

[bill24chev]

And of course the TF offered an Home Service only option up to 1916.

[pehrt]

I am researching a soldier who joined in 1905. With information from the regimental records and from what the soldier's grandson has found while researching his family, it seems probable that this soldier lied about his age when he joined. He was not 18 but probably 16. Now I wonder what this meant to the agent who recruited him in Edinburgh. Was the agent paid per soldier he recruited? Was the agent paid more for a full soldier than for a bugler boy? If so, we can suspect that the agent encouraged the boy to lie about his age.

Do you know other similar stories? 

Thanks for any help.

Pehr Thermaenius