Why did men enlist in the first weeks of the war?

[Jonathan Vernon]

Why did men enlist as civilian volunteers in the first weeks of the war in August and September 1914? Impulse, duty, to defend their country and community, out of financial necessity, on impulse, out of fear, out of shame, with pride, peer pressure, sibling pressure, employer pressure ? And in contrast to this, why did many more not enlist at this time, or volunteer at all?

[stiletto_33853]

Jonathan,

 

The motives were very varied, Patriotism, Ambition, personal courage, love of adventure, want of employment, threat if invasion and so on. Although Patriotism seems to have been a large motive, i.e. after the newspaper headlines regarding The Battle of Mons and the subsequent withdrawal had an immediate effect on the recruiting numbers. On 25th August 10,019 men enlisted the first time a five figure total had been achieved in a single day. The following four days were 10.251, 11,396, 12,789, the overall figure for the week exceeding 63,000.

 

Hope that helps

 

Andy

[saw119]

And how many regretted signing up so early soon after? I am also interested in these early volunteers as well at the moment. Been researching my wife's GF who signed up about mid August '14 (G/264 in 11th Middx). Of course he spent a long time being trained and equipped and didn't embark for France until 31/5/15.

[mancpal]

In the case of my paternal grandad he left school at 14 to work 6 days a week in a cotton mill, then the same shifts as a power station stoker. In his case fresh air, regular meals and a trip to France probably sounded a great deal better than either cotton or coal dust.

On the other hand, my maternal grandad was in his 30’s, married with 2 young children and I am certain would not have joined the forces if he had not been called up.

I have a suspicion that domestic hardship had a greater influence on large numbers of the infantry than perhaps patriotism though I offer nothing in support of my theory.

 

simon

[RaySearching]

The war was going to be over by Christmas

So many volunteers didn't  want to miss it

or so I was told

 

Ray

[Coldstreamer]

I was always under the impression it was as Ray said - if you didnt go you would "miss out"

[saw119]

In which case I do wonder how alot of them felt in early '15?

[RaySearching]

5 minutes ago, saw119 said:

In which case I do wonder how alot of them felt in early '15?

 

1915 Unhappy

1916 Very, unhappy

1917  Very, very, unhappy

1918 Severely, Pi**** O*

[KevinBattle]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Vernon said:

Why did men enlist as civilian volunteers in the first weeks of the war in August and September 1914? Impulse, duty, to defend their country and community, out of financial necessity, on impulse, out of fear, out of shame, with pride, peer pressure, sibling pressure, employer pressure ?

All of the above..... Germany had breached the neutrality of Belgium which we had a duty to defend.

Belgium was seen as a key buffer state to separate the two major powers in Western Europe, and keeping them apart would have been the initial aim.

 

You'll know better than most about employer pressure, as that was the initial recruitment impulse by Claude Lowther for his South Downs battalions.

1 hour ago, Jonathan Vernon said:

why did many more not enlist at this time, or volunteer at all?

as explained above, most hoped it would all blow over in time for Christmas, and no one dreamt that the War would be so bloody or long lasting.

Probably expected it to be the Franco-Prussian War 1870 v2 or similar...

[Steven Broomfield]

And an adventure.

 

In the case of lads from the country, it was also cash in the pocket: rural poverty was pretty extreme, so joining the army was a way to get money in hand and a potentially less-arduous life.

[clive_hughes]

A few reflections only (it's impossible to answer definitively, since each man had different motivations (or combinations of reasons) whether to enlist or not:

 

For country workers August-September was harvest time, and there may have been better wages to earn on the farm - so enlist later rather than sooner.

 

For workers in export industries, the overseas market was badly affected; and if employers started laying them off or running 3-day weeks the economics might prompt them to go sooner.  

 

Some commentators at the time thought that the earliest "Kitchener" recruits were mostly of the same social class as pre-war ones, i.e. overwhelmingly lower working-class.  This might apply to the pre-"Pals" units.  The nature of their employment contracts just might have made it a bit easier to leave off work and join the Army?  

 

Some were more inclined to head for the Territorials, since until March 1915 there was a Home Service option: you could be in uniform and defend your country, but maybe there wouldn't be the need to go overseas?

 

I wonder if those who joined simply "because it was the right/honourable thing to do" might have come more from the upper working class and middle classes?  

 

Yes, many saw it as a short-term adventure or lark or holiday.  Bear in mind, in most industries there was no idea of a holiday of any length, and certainly not a paid one.  Compared to labour and drudgery in the mines or factories or offices, an officially-sanctioned extended break in the routine complete with pay and allowances was attractive..  

 

Family responsibilities (or the lack of them) could also play a part in the decision.  

 

War news or propaganda, especially after the initial clashes at Mons and the concurrent atrocity stories, would have had an effect.  

 

Clive

 

 

 

 

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

And an adventure.

 

In the case of lads from the country, it was also cash in the pocket: rural poverty was pretty extreme, so joining the army was a way to get money in hand and a potentially less-arduous life.

Not entirely accurate, there was general concern over the recruitment of men from the agricultural classes compared to the towns and cities.  So much so Country Life magazine began a campaign to get young men to enlist.  In general recruits to K1, or the first 100,000 came from the traditional recruiting classes.   Being associated with these men caused some consternation to middle class recruits motivated by patriotism and pride.  This led to the formation of the 'Pal's Battalions' or more correctly locally raised battalions where men could associate with those of a similar class or trade.  

Among the earliest to volunteer were those taking the opportunity for a respite from 'the dull routine of a city office or the wearying labour of the mines and factories.'  Firms encouraged recruitment offering to keep their places open

 

K1 was filled by the end of August and in September there was a second boom associated with a number of factors, 'the Pals'; the fact those who may have been tempted in August had put their affairs in order; the publicity and propaganda around the 'Rape of Belgium'.

 

4 hours ago, Jonathan Vernon said:

Why did men enlist as civilian volunteers in the first weeks of the war in August and September 1914? Impulse, duty, to defend their country and community, out of financial necessity, on impulse, out of fear, out of shame, with pride, peer pressure, sibling pressure, employer pressure ? And in contrast to this, why did many more not enlist at this time, or volunteer at all?

 

There was no one reason, as noted previously, 'all of the above' and many more.  It's impossible to quantify the reasons why each individual chose to enlist.

 

Ken

[Moonraker]

The columns of Wiltshire newspapers saw much debate about whether the needs of the country were better served by farm-workers joining up or remaining on the land, a waspish view being expressed in a letter to the Wiltshire Gazette in December 1914: 'above [the farmers] the landed gentry have responded splendidly to the call of their country, and below them the labourers have done well, but the farmer's son simply stays at home'; the writer blamed a lack of patriotism and an unwillingness to serve in the ranks alongside labourers.

 

The other problem for Wiltshire farmers was the higher wages offered by companies building many new army camps in the county. Even a 50% pay increase to 18s a week for a bachelor farm-worker compared badly with £3 available at the camps.

 

It wasn't very long before manpower shortages made their effect on agriculture, a situation that increased through the war, along with food shortages. This situation was eased by the employment of women, school-boys and -girls and soldiers helping out during the harvest, the use of German PoWs, and the formation of agricultural battalions.

 

Moonraker

[Jonathan Vernon]

These many responses have been fascinating to read. The picture, as we can see, was a complex one that changed with the passing weeks. The first influx over the first three weeks of August was different to the emerging 'Pals' of late August and early September. There were economic factors that pushed some to join: men whose work ceased, or was work was already slowing down (say the Cotton Mills). There were equally economic reasons to keep a husband or son at home as their income, however low, was essential to the weekly pot simply to break even. As the unrealistic reporting of August gave way to a clearer picture and the call for men continued, that and the 'Pals' battalions, saw, amongst others, a lot of young, single middle-class lads coming forward; they were temporarily throwing in jobs that had prospects even if they had left school at 14 for the most part. The number of public school, university or educated or professional men joining the ranks was low - though in one group that interests me, the 11 Welsh Regiment, the Cardiff 'Commercial' Pals there were a handful of them: a trainee solicitor, a surveyor, an architect, a few men who had director or managerial roles in the family business and so on. And yes, a few of these did, within a few months become NCOs and later went on to gain a commission. 

 

The surprise, the other example I am studying, the 9 East Lancashire Regiment, is just how many were underage, or over age, or well below the required weight of 110lbs. One 5ft 1in, this pencilled out and made up to 5ft 2. Also, when you look more closely, how many were living in overcrowded conditions, or came from a family were work started in the Mill, if only part time, from age 12. Learning that men put out of work from Mills could not take relief from their own union was also a shock - the unions were saying if you're eligible to enlist, that is what you must do. 

 

Living in Lewes, it has been extraordinary to find that one of the five photographers in the town in 1914 still exists and has no fewer that 12 plates of men from the regiments of the 22nd Division in billets around town. I fancy you can identify a man in civvies in Cardiff, in civvies in Lewes a week or so later. The Cardiff Pals are distinguishable as so many are identifiable by the clothes they wear... and try to keep wearing during early training. 

[Myrtle]

On 17 March 2018 at 16:22, clive_hughes said:

A few reflections only (it's impossible to answer definitively, since each man had different motivations (or combinations of reasons) whether to enlist or not:

 

For country workers August-September was harvest time, and there may have been better wages to earn on the farm - so enlist later rather than sooner

Clive

 

To elaborate on Clive's comment above; in Radnorshire, Mid Wales, an agricultural area, men were not rushing to join up. Only those men from the more upper to middle classes, those already serving before the War and the territorials who had signed up for overseas service appeared to be involved in Training or Theatres of War by May 1915 . The quote below from the Radnorshire Express , reports the reason for the Lord Lieutenant's disappointment. 

Radnor Express 20^th May 1915 – Radnorshire men reluctant to join the army to go to war. When asked whether they will join the forces they reply” We will come if we are fetched”. 

“Lord Lieutenant’s keen Disappointment “ – Powlett C. Millbank, Norton Manor

Edited 4 April , 2018 by Myrtle

[Jonathan Vernon]

Yes, its clear that in agricultural areas the men were preoccupied, with good reason. It was the same in Austro-Hungary where they struggled to get men to mobilise. I'm not sure how they managed it in France, which was very much an agricultural nation at the time.

 

David Silbey reminds us that the world was very class conscious, and that some 83% of the population were 'working class'. He divides this group further into skilled, unskilled and the unemployed. The regiments I have scrutinised would indicate that it was more of the unskilled, the general labourer, and the unemployed, who joined up first - what choice did they have? By enlisting they were able to send money home, many, it says on their Attestation Papers, gave a 1/3rd or 1/2 of their pay to a dependent at home (usually their wife, but often their mother).

 

Our middle-class young men, though they had left school at 14, had clerical jobs - some were just as insecure, but with few exceptions these men were young, single and from families that could managed without their pay contributing to the weekly pot: their father had a 'good' job, and sisters worked too, but as teachers. In this instance the pressure to enlist was immense and constant. Simply by enlisting they could shake off the criticism and find themselves heaped with praise. 

[WW1 Obsessed]

for myself, i joined the army at 19, then left and rejoined the reserves at 25. i was desperate to "prove myself" to others aswell as myself! i suspect that had at least something, along with patriotism, to do with it.  secondarily, it was to get a trade, for those who join anything other than combat wings (around 70% currently non combat) 

[Myrtle]

 

 

2 hours ago, Jonathan Vernon said:

I'm not sure how they managed it in France, which was very much an agricultural nation at the time.

 

Invasion of their land and the threat to their jobs  would have certainly triggered the French agricultural workers to join up and fight sooner rather than later. 

 

[healdav]

On 04/04/2018 at 11:01, Myrtle said:

 

 

 

Invasion of their land and the threat to their jobs  would have certainly triggered the French agricultural workers to join up and fight sooner rather than later. 

 

The French didn't rely on vounteers. They had long had compulsory military service. Mobilisation was decreed, and you will find that every account of the start of the war mentions queues of men at the Genrameries to get their military pocket books brought up to date. Then they went off to whichever mobilisation centre they were allocated to.

Edited 7 April , 2018 by healdav

[WhiteStarLine]

This is an interesting topic and when I started my research into my grandfather joining (7 August 1914, ANMEF, Australia) I was surprised at the depth of feeling in the community reported in the local newspaper.

 

In Far North Queensland, where the lifeblood of the community and individual prosperity was regular exports to the UK of lamb, butter etc, just one German raider could disrupt shipping and fairly quickly impact many, many livelihoods.  This caused 1,000 to volunteer for garrison duty on Thursday Island, sailing 4 days of war's declaration.

 

I suspect it was a similar story in New Zealand and in other states of Australia, coupled with the fact that a significant portion of the AIF was British-born.

 

[Myrtle]

1 hour ago, healdav said:

The French didn't rely on vounteers. The had long had compulsory military service. Mobilisation was decreed, and you will find that every account of the start iof the war mentions queues of men at the Genrameries to get their military pocket books brought up to date. Then they went off to whichever mobilisation centre they were allocated to.

Interesting. Thanks for clarification Healdav. 

[Magnumbellum]

8 hours ago, Myrtle said:

Interesting. Thanks for clarification Healdav. 

 

The same applied to every other European country involved - Belgium, Italy, Serbia, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey ...

 

[Wexflyer]

7 hours ago, Magnumbellum said:

 

The same applied to every other European country involved - Belgium, Italy, Serbia, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey ...

 

 

This prompts me to recall that a certain Herr Hitler was not a conscript, but an early and enthusiastic volunteer...

[2ndCMR]

A case could be made that the French and Germans suffered less damage socially from WWI due to their compulsory military service.  The U.K.'s voluntary enlistment, which reflected the "frock coat's" fear that compulsory military service would cause serious political unrest, was a disaster both militarily and biologically.  Though it should be pointed out that there was a curious blindness, or perhaps just vanity, on the part of Kitchener and other leading military officials to the need for conscription at the outset.  If Lord Roberts had lived he might have continued the campaign he began after the 2nd Boer War for compulsory military service. 

 

The result was that as the public-spirited, the idealistic and the courageous, those of them who were also physically fit, were enlisted and killed out of all proportion to their polar opposites.   This human deficit became painfully obvious in 1918 and of course persisted ever after. 

 

In countries with compulsory service, the less valuable segments of the male population were put into the lines right from the beginning and took their share of the losses, where they couldn't shirk them of course.

 

The realities were understood at the time by some as books like this show.

 

Edited 6 April , 2018 by 2ndCMR

[Alan Bentley]

My father joined the RNAS as an  aircraft engine fitter in September 1914 and served most of the war in the Greek Islands area (Gallipoli). Why?. Like everything else to do with the war he never said. At the end of the war he was in the new Royal Air force, where he stayed until March 1939. No more war for him.