Maximum age of conscription in WWII

[Jillie42]

Does anyone know when a man was considered too old in England for conscription during WWII.

I can't find this answer anywhere from a general search on the web

[ricky1]

Hi Jillie

This might help

When war broke out in September 1939, some men volunteered to join the armed services, but Britain could still only raise 875,000 men. Other European countries had kept conscription between the wars and were able to raise much larger armies than Britain. In October 1939 the British government announced that all men aged between 18 and 41 who were not working in 'reserved occupations' could be called to join the armed services if required. Conscription was by age and in October 1939 men aged between 20 and 23 were required to register to serve in one of the armed forces. They were allowed to choose between the army, the navy and the airforce

 As the war continued men from the other registered age groups received their 'call-up' papers requiring them to serve in the armed forces. In 1941 single women aged between 20 and 30 were also conscripted. Women did not take part in the fighting but were required to take up work in reserved occupations - especially factories and farming - to enable men to be drafted into the services.

Men who were too old, young or not completely fit joined the Home Guard, known as Dad's Army

 

Conscientious Objectors
Conscientious objectors were men who, for moral or religious reasons felt unable to take part in the war. The government set up tribunals and those who objected to taking part in the war had to apply for Conscientious Objector status and give their reasons before a panel of officials. The panel had the authority to grant full exemption from any kind of war work, to grant exemption from military service only or to dismiss the application.  Approximately 60,000 men applied for Conscientious Objector status. Of those around 18,000 were dismissed.


ricky

[ricky1]

Hi Jillie
In May 1939, war looked increasingly likely, and in Britain the Military Training Act was passed. This meant that men aged 20-22 could expect to be called up for 6 months military training; there was just one call-up before war was declared on September 3, 1939. On that day all men aged between 18 and 40 became legally liable for call-up under the new National Service (Armed Forces) Act. After extensive loss of life at the various battle fronts, the age limit was raised to 51 at the end of 1941, when single women between 20 and 30 also were required, for the first time, to do some kind of war service.


ricky

[Jillie42]

Cheers Ricky

That deffinitely answers one question.

Don't suppose you'd know if a warehouseman for the Ministry of Works would be considered a Reserved Occupation? From what I can make out this applied to jobs that were considered too important to send the men out to the front.

What I've managed to find so far (and again the web isn't very succint with the answers) are the following occupations

railway and dock workers,
miners,
farmers,
agricultural workers,
school teachers
Engineers

[ricky1]

Hi Jillie
I havn't a clue about a warehouseman wether he would be considered for reserved occupation. During the second world war women took over a lot of jobs in factories and warehouse's and on the land ,so I'll stick my neck out and would have said he would have had to go to war.
No doubt someone with better knowledge of the war years would be able to tell you

ricky

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Jillie,

my Dad (Lens Grinder for bomb sights) was in a 'reserved occupation'

In general, essential services for civilian life were exempt, and
essential services for the 'War Effort' were exempt.

Essential services would probably include most of those working in any factories that were producing goods and equipment needed for the fighting.
i.e. weapons, munitions, planes, ships and army vehicle manufacturers, military clothing manufacturers, parachute makers, etc

Part of those processes would need warehouse men, but unless we know more about what was in his warehouses, we can't really say.

Unless it was very specialised, then I'm with Ricky on this one: probably women took over his job and he would have had to join the forces.

Bob

[Jillie42]

Mmm......thanks Bob,

The elusive Sidney Dilley seems to be shafting those of us looking for him yet again (excuse my language but I'm getting really pi**ed off with this man)

He didn't go to fight. Initially we thought he might be too old but.... No. Then we thought he might have been a reserved occupation but from the little we do know the Ministry of Works seemed to have more to do with house maintenance then keeping the war effort going.

We know he died in 1946 apparently aged 43 from a Duodenal Ulcer and broncopneumonia but I wouldn't have thought that made him exempt in 1941.

Concientious Objector?

How do you avoid conscription?

[ricky1]

Hi Jillie

If you google Concientious Objector it comes up with a few sites.


ricky

[Shropshire Lass]

We know he died in 1946 apparently aged 43 from a Duodenal Ulcer and broncopneumonia but I wouldn't have thought that made him exempt in 1941.

As he died at a young age from health problems, I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a health exemption.  If he had weak lungs or a chronic ulcer problem, he would have been a liability as a soldier.

Monica