Help please re volunteers and conscription

[MagpieDave]

Hello,

 

I am hoping an expert or two on here can give me a few pointers.

 

I am researching a guy who, in 1914 when war broke out, was a professional footballer who, as far as I can see did NOT fight in the Great War.

 

War broke out 28th July 1914.  Not sure if this is significant or not but he had his 30th birthday a few weeks earlier in June 1914.

 

Initially, people volunteered to join the war - so obviously he didn't volunteer.

 

What percentage of men DID volunteer? Was he in the minority or majority by staying at home?

 

When did conscription start?

 

Would the fact that he was over 30 be a barrier for joining up?

 

What other grounds would there be for a fit 30 year old not to go to war?

 

Not having a 'downer' on his character, just trying to understand why he didn't join up. It is a long time ago and I am trying to understand what the times were like. Would there have been any consequences from local people for people who didn't go to war?

 

Any help gratefully received.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

  

[researchingreg]

Conscription started in 1916. Grounds for not joining up would be doing a job that was required for the war effort such as merchant seaman, miner, etc. And even some miners were called up later in the war

 

Was he just a professional footballer or did he have some other profession? That might have exempted him as an essential war worker, or was he a conscientious objector. Even being a conscientious objector did not exempt you from call up you could be called up to the non combatant corps or other Army branches.

 

He might have been the sole supporter of a large family. We would need his name to find out more details as to why he did not serve. He could have joined the Merchant Navy - there are any number of reasons.

[kenf48]

Welcome to the forum

 

A name always helps, and most of the answers to your questions are on the parent site Long Long Trail, link top left, specifically 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/

 

The United Kingdom declared war on the 4th August 1914, Kitchener was appointed Secretary for War and set about recruiting the 'New Army', initially asking for 100.000 volunteers, these men (K1) typically came from the usual recruiting pool for the Army; this initial number was quickly succeeded by another 100,000 and again by a third and so on.

 Initially the call was for men aged 19 to 30, though the upper age limit was swiftly increased for subsequent recruits.

 

24.2% of men in England and Wales aged 15 - 49 volunteered before December 1915, or just over 2 million

26.9% of Scots and 10.7% of Irishmen volunteered, or 320,589 and 117,063 respectively.

 

Conscription began in March 1916 again see LLT, https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-1916-military-service-act/ 

Most voluntary enlistment ceased at the end of 1915, with as usual, exceptions.  The Act included men aged 18 to 41 so his age was not a bar to enlistment.

 

The total percentage of men in England and Wales who enlisted between 1914 -1918 was 46.2% or just over 4 million.  

41% of Scots and just of 12% of Irishmen enlisted in the same period.  

 

Some of the reasons why he may not have enlisted have already been summarised above.

 

It should also be considered only about one fifth of their service records survive, and if he did not serve overseas there was no medal entitlement which is the major source for identifying whether or not a man served in the Army.  I would think a professional footballer, then as now would be recorded relatively frequently in the newspaper archives.

 

Ken

[MagpieDave]

Thanks for the answers 'Old Sweats and Kenf48.

 

Sorry to come back to this after such a long time but I have a little more information on the guy I am researching.

 

Before he turned professional as a footballer he played as an amateur and worked in the local engineering firm. When the war came along he went to work in the local munitions factory.

 

How did that work? Did you just apply for a job in the munitions factory - he had the skills required I assume.

 

Would working in a munitions factory mean he would not be called up to serve in the army?

 

Thank you

[kenf48]

The attitude to football in the Great War is an interesting topic, seen as primarily a working class pastime negativity was reflected in what was the most class conscious society in Europe.  

It is estimated 2,000 out of 5,000 professional footballers volunteered before conscription was introduced in 1916.  Football matches were also used to promote recruitment in this period with fans encouraged to follow the example of players.  In fact football moved to the front where it became an obsession within the Army.

 

When conscription began the Government published a list of ‘Certified Occupations’ or that employment which allowed a man to obtain a Certificate of Exemption from Military Service from the Local Tribunal.  Munitions workers were exempt from military service.

 

Many factories switched to munitions work, the owners were often Directors of the football clubs obviously a man had to have a modicum of skill to be found such work but it would be relatively easy to arrange, again class and money came into the equation.  I don’t know who you are researching but I know of at least one professional footballer who the local newspapers described as, ‘doing valuable work in munitions’.

[Chasemuseum]

"the most class conscious society in Europe."

 

I have to take issue with this. It was in many ways a different world during the Great War. England may be the most class conscious society in Europe toady - as an Australian living and working in the finance sector of the city back in the 1980s I was horrified at some of the conduct I saw and also experienced.

 

Germany, Russia, Austro-Hungary and Italy were all dreadfully class ridden at this period. It is difficult to nominate which society was the worst. Portugal and Spain also had strict class cultures, possibly not as severe as the worst.

 

Back on topic though. Many machine shops converted to war work including munitions. It is highly likely that he was exempt from conscription as an essential worker. At the outbreak of the war, Britain failed to manage the concept of reserved occupations. Many men were recruited as volunteers into the Army when their skills were desperately needed to support the war industries. Kitchener's recruiting drives have often been criticized for the damage they did to industry's ability to support the war effort.

 

Your fellow, may have chosen not to volunteer, however he may have felt that he could serve his country better staying where he was and using his trade skills. 

 

In 1914 in particular, it took greater courage not to volunteer than to join up.

 

Cheers

Ross

[Gardenerbill]

My Grandfather was working at a munitions factory in December 1915 when he volunteered under the Derby Scheme, he wasn't called up until June 1916. 

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, Chasemuseum said:

better staying where he was and using his trade skills. 

 

As a professional footballer?

 

In November 1914, in response to question as to whether or not professional football should continue to be played the Government response by the Under Secretary of War was, "No objection to occasional recreation is taken by the military authorities.  However in his opinion professional football does not come under that category. It is much more desirable that professional footballers should find employment in His Majesty's forces.  This is a time when all should make sacrifices."

 

Whilst the English FA dragged its heels until December the Scots led the effort to raise a Battalion of New Army recruits around professional footballers and in the end, as previously mentioned, just under half of professional footballers volunteered.

 

As I noted in the first response a year ago a name often helps.  Professional football was eventually suspended in July 1915 and players who had previously earned £4 pw were reduced to a mere ten bob.  All agreements (contracts) with player wee suspended.  In other words men could not be employed as professional footballers.  The decision was, as usual a bit of a fudge and the majority of professional footballers who had not joined up continued to play for their club while following other occupations.  (There is even an account in 1918 of two former QPR professional players who were in the Army and turned out for their old club in a tie at Tottenham and were arrested at the end of the game for being AWOL!)

 

Games coulbe be played on Saturdays and early closing but not on 'professional lines' and there were no  cup competitions, internationals etc. Nevertheless the majority of 'first class' clubs retained that status.

 

As a matter of interest whilst certain restrictions were placed upon, for example horse racing, or 'The Sport of Kings' it was allowed to continue through the war (for the sake of the horses of course, not for entertainment).  I'm sure class had nothing to do with it.

[MagpieDave]

Once again can I thank you all (Kenf48, Chasemuseum and Gardenerbill) for your interesting and informative responses.

 

I haven't named the guy because eventually I want to put together all my research in a book.

 

Cannot thank you all enough as you have really improved my understanding of the situation during the war years.

 

Dave

 

[David_Underdown]

On 03/12/2020 at 15:51, kenf48 said:

As a matter of interest whilst certain restrictions were placed upon, for example horse racing, or 'The Sport of Kings' it was allowed to continue through the war (for the sake of the horses of course, not for entertainment).  I'm sure class had nothing to do with it.

 

Hmm, I thought flat racing at least was suspended. This followed something of a public outcry in 1915 when Epsom asked for the return of the grandstand, which they had previously volunteered as a war hospital, so that they could run the Derby. I forget the exact dates off the top of my head, but there's a page in the Surrey Recruitment Registers around May 1915 where suddenly there's a whole bunch of stable lads and similar joining the Army Veterinary Corps.

[kenf48]

5 hours ago, David_Underdown said:

 

Hmm, I thought flat racing at least was suspended. This followed something of a public outcry in 1915 when Epsom asked for the return of the grandstand, which they had previously volunteered as a war hospital, so that they could run the Derby. I forget the exact dates off the top of my head, but there's a page in the Surrey Recruitment Registers around May 1915 where suddenly there's a whole bunch of stable lads and similar joining the Army Veterinary Corps.

 

Off topic but flat racing was suspended in May 1915, with the exception of Newmarket.  In 1916 racing was allowed at four other venues, all in the South of England.  Following a further ban in 1917 in July the Jockey Club sent a deputation, including members of the House of Lords, to the Prime Minister.  As a consequence it was agreed flat racing could take place on forty days until the end of the season.   The Jockey Club arranged 28 days at Newmarket and 12 at other venues.   The proviso was there would be no special trains laid on for racegoers a concern carried over from the previous year.

 

It appears the only effect on National Hunt racing was the appalling winter weather.  There were no similar concessions for ‘professional’ football.

[David_Underdown]

Thanks, it's a while since I looked at the issues - I was researching a man who it turned out was in the group of stable lads who joined up at Epsom.