Home Service Only

[Will O'Brien]

The above question popped into my mind this evening whilst looking at the CWGC entry for today's remembered soldier on the GWF - Private Henry Pyke..........His NOK took the trouble to include the comment that Henry had served in France. I assume they wanted it noted that he had 'done his bit' & served abroad even though he had died in the UK & was buried in his local cemetery..............From this my mind took a somewhat lateral step & pondered if there was a social stigma attached to only having seen Home Service & Henry Pyke's parents perhaps wanted to distance their dead son from this.........................From a personal point of view, 90 years later I certainly don't think anything less of those servicemen who for whatever reason never left these shores........but was public opinion different circa 1914-18.......................Any comments appreciated

[CROONAERT]

Almost definately there was a "social stigma" attached to this. In a way, there still is.... check out the "dealers prices" for medals belonging to soldiers such as him compared with those of soldiers who died abroad.

Soldiers who'd "seen a bit" were always regarded as having "done their duty" more than a soldier who'd spent their war in comparative safety.

Dave.

[Spud Trevor]

I find looking at the National Rolls of the Great War interesting. The Bradford book lists many men, who were 'unable to secure their transfer overseas' for various reasons, ill health, invaluable work at home, etc. I believe people paid to have their details entered in these rolls, and you do see people publicly keen to stress that they did their bit and all they could to get the chance to fight.

Spud

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I do not disagree with what has been written so far, but would like to add a few points.

IMHO the role of Home Servicemen has been sadly overlooked. Here I am not only referring to men who served in HS Coys of the Labour Corps or members of the RDC, but men who served in Garrison Battalions in coastal towns - there was still fear of a German invasion, and men who were stationed in Ireland and took part in the Easter Uprising in 1916.

Whilst they did not get the medals or the recognition, without them medically fit men would have been pulled out of the combat areas to perform the HS tasks, denying the Army of much needed manpower.

Ian

[Terry]

Somewhat linked to the home service men are those members of the CEF, in many cases conscripts, who only reached the UK and therefore earned just the war medal and not the victory medal. In round numbers members of the CEF received 428,000 war medals but only 351,000 victories - leaving some 77,000 Canadians in the UK and elsewhere who didn't reach the continent.

[Will O'Brien]

Many thanks for all your comments..................whilst I had an inkling there would be some sort of social stigma attached to home service only, I find it very sad this should be the case & I would fully agree with Ian's sentiments.

[peter-t]

Interesting to see L/Col Terry's mention of 77,000 Canadians who did not reach the continent in WW1. Reminds me that when I was a kid there was an area of Merton, London known as Phipps Bridge that was reputed to be a rather lawless area inhabited by Irish tinkers and WW1 Canadian deserters. There were certainly some rough and ready people in that area, the Police only ventured into it in groups of three or four. I heard that on one occaision a police 'noddy bike' was thrown into the River Wandle.