1914 Enlistment

[simb]

On September 9th, 1914 my grandfather enlisted. I'm trying to get my head around why he would have done that. He lived in Ealing, which was quite nice then, was employed as a painter, was married for 3 years with 2 infant children. I know there was a huge rush to enlist, just wondering why.

[ss002d6252]

11 minutes ago, simb said:

On September 9th, 1914 my grandfather enlisted. I'm trying to get my head around why he would have done that. He lived in Ealing, which was quite nice then, was employed as a painter, was married for 3 years with 2 infant children. I know there was a huge rush to enlist, just wondering why.

What was is name and number ?

Craig

[simb]

Ernest A. I. Broughton

2/8th Middlesex #3255

later number #204916

[rolt968]

2 hours ago, simb said:

On September 9th, 1914 my grandfather enlisted. I'm trying to get my head around why he would have done that. He lived in Ealing, which was quite nice then, was employed as a painter, was married for 3 years with 2 infant children. I know there was a huge rush to enlist, just wondering why.

Are you surprised that he would give up a good stable job, because he was married with young children or both. It would be interesting to know how old he was.

There was a huge movement to encourage men to enlist and of course a great many did. I know of older men with more children who volunteered.

It's worth remembering that "at home" there was still an "Over by Chritsmas" view of the war at the beginning of September 1914.

RM

[jay dubaya]

Adventure 

Edited 27 October , 2021 by jay dubaya

[David26]

And I believe that stories of alleged attrocities by the German Army in Belgium had recently started to be published which caused outcry and increased the numbers of those enlisting.

David.

[kenf48]

He enlisted in the Territorial Force where it was still possible to opt for Home Service in September 1914, in fact up until March 1915. In practice most signed the Imperial Obligation to serve overseas but by no means all.

We can never know what motivated him to volunteer and enlist.  Patriotism, duty, financial as noted above ‘adventure’ or more to the point escape from the humdrum existence and boredom of his trade.

 

[Petroc]

September 1914 was the peak month for domestic enlistments for the British Army in the UK and Ireland (well in excess of 450,000), and, as already mentioned by others, there were many, many reasons that motivated men to join-up (often overlapping...Tommy Atkins may well have taken the King's Shilling because all his mates were doing so, his boss was encouraging him to do so, he'd never been abroad before and fancied a change, and was fed-up with his wife and kids...who knows??!!!)