Reasons for not being in the first or second world war??

[mrsericnorthman]

Hi there, I was watching who do you think you are? this morning, and it made me realise that none of my direct ancestors from my mom's side were involved in either of the wars.
So it made me wonder why they were not drafted, their age and occupation would not have stopped them. I know some people lied to get out of duty but I can't imagine each one of them doing that.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is?? my dad's maternal side were all in the navy, including the women, and his paternal side worked in factories helping the war effort, but my mom's side zilch.

Thank you!

[ScouseBoy]

where did they live?
Were they farmers or coal miners perhaps?

[Billyblue]

Maybe they were conscientious objectors?   Or in occupations deemed necessary to continue, at home?
When I asked my dad why he didn't go to WW1, he said it was because, although he was old enough (born end 1897), he was running a fresh food business and that couldn't be closed down just so he could be sent to war.

Dawn M

[groom]

Or ill heath or bad eyesight?

[StanleysChesterton]

Maybe they were in units that never did anything, didn't go anywhere. 

My lot appear to have probably done this - there was a unit that all trained for a big battle that never happened.  They had, mostly, just a jolly time practising.

None of my lot appear to have had anything to do with WW1 or WW2 .... but they must've done something, it's just that getting at the information isn't as straight forward as they have you believe ... there's no big wonderful list that generates a result against a name of what they'd joined.  You really have to get the bit between your teeth and go hard searching for every single individual (if you care) .... WW1 can be quite hard to find out about ... WW2's nigh on impossible (unless you're really interested and tenacious etc etc).

My G-gf would've been 34 when WW1 started ... I've never seen any indication whatsoever that he was "in the war" at all. 

Some people were just "born lucky" as it was a lot about your local unit where you'd most likely end up - and what they did in the war... and a lot actually did nothing much.

[mrsericnorthman]

Well one great grandad was born in 1895 and he was an electrical fitter in the 1911 census, his dad, my gg grandad was born 1876, so again age is fine and he was a musician, i can't see that being a reason to not go.
The other side, my great grandad was born 1901, and was a painter and decorator and his dad was born 1874, he was a coal miner.
One guy is too old by the start of WWI, and another is a farmer born in 1879.

thing is maybe all these men did have bad eyesight or ill health but their brothers and sons didn't go either, i have to go into '3x removed cousins' territory to find anyone that was involved!

So strange!

[groom]

How do you know they didn't go - is it just that you can't find their war records? Don't forget that a lot of WW1 records were lost in a fire during the Blitz in the Second World War, so many that did actually fight may not be traceable.

[mgeneas]

The 1919 voting register is a good indication of whether they served or not. They are listed at the end of the enumeration district as absent from home with their regiment etc.

[jaybelnz]

Coal mining was a protected industry, so they didn't have to go.

Maybe they were working in a different protected industry, or perhaps not fit for service due to some kind of disability, illness etc.