Demobilisation - 1918 >

[chris basey]

I am trying to build up a picture of the demobilisation process after November 1918 and what it entailed for an individual serviceman. Assume they were eventually brought back to their UK depot from where they would be discharged. What was the rate of pay in 1918 and for how long were they paid after discharge? Did they keep their uniform? Did they receive a travel warrant?

Any of this sort of detail or references to books that deal with the subject much appreciated.

[Terry_Reeves]

Chris

Men were sent to special dispersal units for demobilization.. Whilst there, they were issued with all the neccessary documentation after which they would be sent on leave. For most men, demobilization automatically took place at the end of the leave period.

The serviceman was issued with a Protection Certificate for the period of his leave and a rail warrant . An out- of -work donation policy was also issued, which was effective for 12 months after his demobilization. The benefit was 24 shillings pw for men over 18 with allowances for those with children; women received 20 shillings. This rate was later increased to 29 shillings and 25 shillings respectively.

Men were allowed to keep their uniform, with the exception of those discharged from hospital.Those arriving from overseas with steel helmets were allowed to retain them. Greatcoatscould be kept, but £1-00p was deducted from the man's pay. He was issued with a greatcoat voucher however. If, within a specified period of time he handed it in at his local railway station, he would be reimbursed on the production of the voucher.

Demob suits were also issued. If a man chose to forgo this option he received 52/-6d in lieu. The suit would be posted to him at his home address and was expected to arrive before the expiration of his leave.

On leaving his demobilization unit, he received pay and allowances for the period of his leave and was also entitled to a gratuity. A Private soldier who had served overseas was entitled to £5 for the first year with an additional 10/- per month after that. Warrant officers and NCO's received slightly enhanced rates.

The full history of demobilization and the procedures can be found in "Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire during the Great War 1914-1920" The War Office 1922.

Hope this helps

Terry Reeves

[healdav]

The father of a friend of mine was so disgusted at his treatment when demobbed that he went straight down to Liuverpool docks and went to canada.

Apparently it was pouring with rain and freezing cold, but they still took his greatcoat off him and pushed him out to get soaked.

He stayed in Canada until the 1930s when there seems to have been some sort of trouble in Canada (the family think he was in a fight and killed someone) and came back, married and never left again.

[Cliff. Hobson]

I may be nit-picking if so I apologise but is the word DEMOBILISED just a general term or is their a distinction between that and what it says on my Fathers MIC.

DISEMBODIED?.

I have an account written by a man who was on leave at the end of the war. " Went to Dover to go back when some Australians and Canadians said where are you going, the war is over you don't want to go back until there were about a thousand men who would not go back. We walked around the town until some Red Caps came down to talk to us. It finally finished up by them saying if you have job to go back to you need'nt go back and gave us three days to get a letter from home, My Father wrote back to say there was a job for me so that was the end for me.

[chris basey]

Thanks for the help.

Terry - a very useful and comprehensive reply which is much appreciated.

[Andrew P]

For Australian troops, General Monash had been appointed to organise the huge task of sending all these men of the AIF back to Australia. Instead of sending them back by their units, the men who were the early enlistees as a rule were sent back home first as shipping became available.

Even before the war was over many of the original men who enlisted in 1914 had been granted special home leave.

While this process was going on into 1919, the remaining units now getting smaller by the day merged with other battalions of their brigade & division.

When these units ceased to exist the men were sent back to the depots in the UK or helped out with such things such as the Grave Detachment Units.

During this time, men took extended leave and also Monash had organised training and education for those who wanted to partake in these areas, with the event that many men of the AIF didn't return to Australia till 1920.