Reason for exemption

[phsvm]

Apologies if a similar question has already been asked and answered elsewhere.

 

My grandfather appears to have been exempt from military service.  An article in the Reading Mercury of November 1917 headed Military Appeal states "In the case of Joseph B Kirby (41) m B1, builder Dorchester, the military appeal was dismissed.  Four of the partners are in the Army".

 

Can someone clarify firstly that this means an appeal by the MILITARY for him to be called up was rejected and not that HIS appeal against being called up was rejected?  To my untrained eye I think it could be read either way.

 

And secondly what does 'B1' in the passage mean?  I assume this is something to do with the classification of why he was exempt?

[jp1885]

I'm no expert by a long shot, but it could be that the military were appealng against a previous exemption. In other words he had been exempted by a tribunal, but the military authorities disagreed with that decision.

B1 could possibly his fitness rating?

[phsvm]

Thank you Mr Swan.  Explains perfectly.

[wesleycj]

The military were appealing against exemptions as early as July 1916.  The Grantham Journal 1/07/16 reported that at the Kesteven Appeal Tribunal the military appealed against 4 men who had been granted exemptions.  Interestingly the Appeal Tribunal upheld all 4 exemptions.

 

I have also noticed that the following year the normal military representatives (MR) were replaced by "travelling MR".  I wonder if this was because the army felt the local reps were not fighting their case with sufficient vigour.

[rolt968]

Can you find out to whom the military representative was appealing?

Your grandfather may have been granted an exemption by the local military service tribunal. The military representative had disagreed with the decision and appealed to the next level up the name of which in a senior moment I cannot remember! (something appeals tribunal?)

 

RM

Edited 25 September , 2017 by rolt968

[Phil Wood]

Two points:

 

1. 41 was the age limit for conscription at that time, it was easier to get exemption as a 41 year old than as a younger man.  There were tables published that showed acceptable exemption ages for all sorts of jobs.

 

2. Exemption was often temporary - for a fixed time to allow a replacement to be found in the business, to settle one's affairs etc. The military would still appeal these - if the county tribunal rejected the appeal he could still have been conscripted in a month or two.  Check back in time to find the report of the local tribunal and see what the terms of the exemption was.

 

Of course if he had a birthday during the exemption period he could well have escaped until the age limit was raised in 1918.