Not Conscripted

[PhilipCooper]

My Great Grandfather didn't serve during the war, even though he was of a suitable age (records show he married age 26 in 1913) and I doubt his job as a jute warehouse man would count of a reserved occupation.

 

I was wondering what medical grounds could still make a you unfit to serve? 

 

His mother was a widow before the war started and older brother was living away from where the family grew up. Although he had older sisters could he have not been conscripted if he was supporting her?

[Kath]

Have you looked for a report in the newspapers?

[kenf48]

A married foreman in the jute trade was a certified occupation under the terms of the Military Service Act 1916, in other words they could obtain a certificate of exemption from military service from the Local Tribunal.

Also exempt within the jute trade were married men who were Batchers;Dressers; Testers and Calendar Men (don’t ask me!).

 

The exemptions were reviewed as thewar progressed and more men were needed, no doubt some of these jobs could be done by women and the men released for military service.  Single men would have gone first.

 

The grounds for exemption were specific and are listed on the LLT

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-1916-military-service-act/

 

He could have claimed exemption on the groundsof hardship or ill health as well as occupational grounds, for which he would need the support of his employer.

 

How do you know he did not serve? Many who claimed exemption volunteered for, or were directed towards the local volunteers.  It is also worth considering less than 25% of men of military age served in the Army between 1914 and 1918, I.e. the period of voluntary enlistment and conscription.  In fact the proportion is even lower from January 1916, in Scotland it was just 14.7% of eligible men, I. England the proportion was slightly higher at just  over 22%.  

 

To put it another way if your great-grandfather was in the jute industry (think sandbags) he was in the majority of men of military age who were not conscripted into military service.

 

 

 

 

[PhilipCooper]

No one in the family thinks he saw any active service and I've found to trace of local tribunals.

 

We are from a big carpet industry town and jute was used as a backing for the carpets. It is probably that the factories were turned over to war time production with sandbags being in high demand.

 

I haven't any medical history for him that would give a clue as ruling him out on those grounds. 

 

It does sound like his occupation was probably the reason he was conscripted into active service. 

[rolt968]

1 hour ago, kenf48 said:

A married foreman in the jute trade was a certified occupation under the terms of the Military Service Act 1916, in other words they could obtain a certificate of exemption from military service from the Local Tribunal.

Also exempt within the jute trade were married men who were Batchers;Dressers; Testers and Calendar Men (don’t ask me!).

 

A calendar works "finished" jute textile.

https://canmore.org.uk/site/33549/dundee-east-port-calender-works?display=image

The calendar men operated the finishing machines with the big rollers. (They look to me like similar machines used in finishing other textiles which were called stenters.)

RM

Edited 29 November , 2020 by rolt968