The mechanisms for conscription 1916

[Johnd]

I am looking into the criteria used to define the order in which men were called up after conscription was introduced in 1916.

I believe that this information is detailed in Army Council Instruction 86, but I have been unable to establish the exact contents of this document; would anyone happen to have a copy of it or a transcript?

[kenf48]

Not sure what you are seeking but:-

Army Council Instruction 86 referred to the mobilisation of men under the Derby or Group Scheme.  The only major difference was that men mobilised under the Military Service Act were placed in 'Classes' rather than 'Groups'(this was not the same as the Class A and B as defined in the Derby Scheme); also it was noted men in the relevant class were 'deemed to have enlisted' and placed in the Army Reserve.  They had 10 days to lodge an appeal for exemption from military service or to be placed in a married group.

You will be aware the Military Service Act initially applied to single men but was amended to include married men in May 1916.

If new to researching soldiers of the Great War we always recommend you study the Long Long Trail link top left

This is the page for the Group Scheme https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-group-scheme-derby-scheme/

and the extension of the procedure for call up under the Act 

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

In addition the process was contemporaneously explained in the newspapers of the time. I imagine the gist of ACI 86 is in the process described below until someone comes up with the text.

This from the Irish Times dated 11 December 1915 outlining the calling up of the first Groups under the Derby Scheme.

 

Images from BNA at FMP

Similar proclamations were issued at various dates up until February 1916 when all single men were called up.  The final proclamation included all men in Groups 14 to 23 and Classes 13 to 23 were called up from February 19 1916,  mobilisation for these final groups was to begin on March 18th 1916.  This meant only those single men who had not attained the age of 19 (Group 1) were the only men not called up.  In practice it was noted that only a relatively small percentage of the original Groups from January (as above) had actually joined the Army and were still negotiating the Appeal process as described in the article.

 

[Johnd]

That's all very useful information; I was trying to discover exactly how ACI 86 grouped the men who were conscripted after 1916, & when each Class was subsequently called up & mobilised.

How much notice they were given, & whether you can apply the Class dates to the approximate start of service for individuals who's records have been lost.

Would each Class have been mobilised at around the same time?

Again many thanks for your help.

[Johnd]

Have made a little further research I am beginning to wonder if Army Council Instruction 336 is perhaps a more relevant document to the conscription of men in 1916.

Can anybody clarify this or provide specific details of the contents of 336?

[kenf48]

Apologies in my original post I duplicated the links to the Long Long Trail 

This is the link for call up under the Military Service Act with examples of the paperwork

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

4 hours ago, Johnd said:

How much notice they were given, & whether you can apply the Class dates to the approximate start of service for individuals who's records have been lost.

In the example above the soldier had just over a week's notice.  That said as Harry Patch said in his memoir, "In June 1916 I turned eighteen and knew from that time on I knew a telegram requiring my service was just months or even weeks away.   Notification came by post with a rail warrant fro. Bath to Taunton to report the following day"

In fact, under the Military Service Act 1916 (as amended) The ‘appointed date’ for call up for an eighteen year old was the thirtieth day after attaining that age.

They could however enlist voluntarily before that date. 

You cannot apply the date of mobilisation where records have been lost.  The process described in my post above shows the date of proclamation for Classes 13 to 23 was on February 19th with mobilisation to begin a month later.  The Depots would have been overwhelmed had each man in each Class turned up on the same day.  In addition a man called up under the Act could appeal to the Local Tribunal, save for a few instances their records have not survived although they were often reported in the newspaper so no exact figures are available.  However it does appear that the default was to seek exemption from military service.  As Harry said, "I didn't want to go" although he probably knew a single man aged eighteen would get short shrift from the Tribunal.

Craig's calculator for men who died gives the most accurate date of enlistment where records have not survived based on the amount awarded to their legatee as shown in Soldiers Effects on Ancestry provided they had more than twelve months service..  

The Silver War Badge records show enlistment date but need to be treated with caution as they give the date the man was placed on the Reserve not the date called up.

Having said all that the age and marital status can be used to corroborate near number sampling

 

 

[Johnd]

Again all very interesting; why did they announce dates for such large numbers when they could not handle the influx?

I am currently researching a chap who was called-up to the 34th Training Reserve, presumably sometime in late 1916, early 1917; his year of birth was 1892. What I am trying to establish is exactly how long he spent with this unit; he died in February 1917, but confusingly he passed away at a hospital in Exmouth, Devon. He came from Cornwall, & I wonder if he ever got to the 34th Training Reserve's base, which I believe was Wool in Dorset, or did they have other locations? I am thinking that perhaps he was hospitalized almost as soon as he reported to a recruitment centre, presumably Exeter, but I would like to be more certain & be able to rule in or out whether he actually got involved in training proper.

I was hoping that the Army Council Instructions may have given some clues. I assume from the article that he would have been in Class 6, & being single I guess he didn't appeal his call-up.

[Keith_history_buff]

The 24 weeks of training that was applied from October 1917 onwards
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/training-to-be-a-soldier/syllabus-of-infantry-training/