'A4 Boys' - Use of the expression

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

The expression 'A4 Boys' appears to have been used to describe replacements to the BEF arriving post March 1918. Was this expression commonly used in the Army or was it unit specific?

Ian

[Stephen Nulty]

Ian

I always thought that it referred to the category of those called up after the German breakthrough of March 1918, and therfore was "Army wide" rather than unit specific.

Regards

Styeve

[salientguide]

Hi Ian the term A4 was a clasiffication category of those who were physically fit for front line service but were under the prescribed age of 19 that the army adopted towards the end of 1916 when all under age soldiers were combed out and returned home until of that age. Due to the sudden manpower crisis caused by the Spring Offensive when losses in March 1918 were as high as any time of major action the army ran out of suitable aged replacements.

My great uncle below was one of the A4 boys. I have a copy of the 3rd training battalions war diary at the beginning of April It states that the age at which A4 " men" now become available for overseas service is 18 years six months with immediate effect and drafts of replacements should be prepared immediately. This was done and a draft of 250 18 year olds was immediately dispatched to France!

SG

[salientguide]

Also, when the draft arrived at the 2nd Battalion in France 36 hours later (straight to the front, no "Bullring" training for them) the Adjutant, Captain Hubert Essame noted in the War Diary with some consternation

"Recieved a draft of 250 men. The draft consisted chiefly of boys under 19 " !!

Essame went on to write several books about both wars. But in his account of the the last year The Battle for Europe he again refers to the young age of these replacements and I get the feeling that such youth being sent to the front bothered him then and afteerwards.

SG