Minimum age for officers?

[Guest Jady]

Was there a minimum age of 18 for officers? In June 1915 William Lilburn Grey's 'Application for appointment to temporary commission' has his date of birth as 3 November 1897 (which matches the 1901 census) but this has been altered to 1896. He became a second lieutenant in the 11th battalion Lancashire Fusiliers

[sotonmate]

Jady

See this article for interest:

http://www.1914-1918.net/heroes/lewis.htm

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[barrieduncan]

I was reading about a chap today who born in 1897 - he studying at Sandhurst when war broke out, and was granted a commission in May 1915. As he was still under age at that point he was sent to a training battalion first until he was old enough, when he was sent to the 1st Cameronians in early 1916.

[Muerrisch]

17 years for TF.

[Guest Jady]

Thanks for your information everyone

[PBI]

2nd Lt.Edward Rowley Kelly.

3rd Battalion,The Border Regiment.

KIA 07.07.1915.

Age 17.

Commemorated on the Menin Gate.

How did this Boy slip through the net ?,as 3rd Border Regt was not a TF Battalion,He must have been under 17 when He was Commissioned...Any thoughts or Observations on this case ?

[Mark Hone]

Or see this remarkable story, mentioned in previous threads:

http://www.pals.org.uk/battersby.htm

[Anthony Bagshaw]

Richard Van Emdens book By Soldiers of the Great War lists a 15 year old Second Lieutenant who led his men on 1st July 1916.

I'll find the details.

Here they are from a previous reply to a thread on the same subject:

There was a 15 year old commisioned into the 11th East Lancashire Regiment. He was Second Lieutenant Reginald Battersby.

Aged 16 he was in action on the Somme, 1st July 1916.

[auchonvillerssomme]

2nd Lt Eddie Fisher 3rd Bn att 8th Bn East Lancs

KIA 16/11/16 age 17

C19 Waggon Road Cemetery

Mick

[Matt Dixon]

Lt Arthur Reginald Ingram-Stevens 9th Royal Fusiliers, listed on CWGC as being 19 at death, but I have a letter from his father and his birth certificate and he was 17 years 347 days old when killed. The letter asks what compensation can be paid as he was under age at the time of his death.

[Mark Hone]

Re St John Battersby. I had already posted a link to Andrew Johnson's marvellous Accrington Pals site about him before Anthony Bagshaw's message. That provides a full biography of this remarkable individual. 11th East Lancs were of course better known as the Accrington Pals (which is actually a misnomer, but let's not start that again). I'll have to be less cryptic in future, even though the URL includes the word 'Battersby'!

[Martin Bennitt]

Richard Van Emdens book By Soldiers of the Great War lists a 15 year old Second Lieutenant who led his men on 1st July 1916.

Emden mentions Philip Lister, a Lieutenant in the 10th KOYLIS on July 1st, who was made acting captain the following day because of the shortage of officers. His application for a commission in January 1915 at the age of 15 was in such childish handwriting that it was remarkable that he was accepted. Lister was killed in 1917 on the first day of the Battle of Arras, according to Emden.