Reserved occupation WW2

[Redroger]

I know of at least one case of flagrant abuse of the system. There was a prominent grocer and future Mayor in Boston who had a son liable to be called up. On hearing that his son was likely to be called up Daddy bought him a local farm, and he became a farmer. Still worked in the grocer's shop though. We were unlucky enough to be allocated to him for rations!

[bykerlads]

Relevant to our man's employment during WW2, have just seen an item on Antiques Road Trip about David Brown's Tractors in Meltham, West Yorks.
This was where he worked, apparently instead of serving in the military.
It seems that the factory at Meltham Mills manufactured components for Sptifires, Hurricanes etc and was the only unbombed factory of this strategic  type in UK. Without its products, the outcome of the war would have been very different.
I know that many women worked there during the war, including my mother in law who worked nights on a turret lathe for 5 years.
Probably our man was indeed in a reserved job, if he did not volunteer.

[pityackafromblyth]

I looked  into this last year, and found that skilled workers were exempt  until at least about 25 years of age. I wondered if that was to keep a constant supply of skilled workers, i.e. apprentices from age of 15 years, once qualified, could then enter the chain, freeing up the 25 year olds for active service.
Today, I have found on the web that was the case, as in WWI too many skilled men volunteered or were conscripted, and there was difficulty in finding replacements for the UK industries, Tec
A relative, an electrician, volunteered for the RN at the age of 20 but was turned down flat, and by the time he was 25 the war was over.   

[Rena]

Because my father worked in an earth moving machine factory during WWII, I thought they probably made "crawlers" for the tanks but this wasn't so - according to his reply, when I asked him, they made cottar pins (hope my memory is reliable on that) for the war effort.  It was only by reading through the list of exemptions that I realised why my tall, strong, strapping, father had worked in civvy street.  At the start of the war, he was 26 years old and was a "charge hand"(assistant foreman) in charge of the Machine Shop. 

[Chilternbirder]

  My uncle was 18 in 1939, an apprentice electrician in the Kent coalfield. He always said he volunteered immediately so he didn't get trapped at the pit!

When SWMBO's father volunteered he was told to go back and finish his apprenticeship. Once qualified he joined the RAF as a fitter.

[medpat]

My father was in a reserved occupation he started making spitfires in 1938.

You asked the difference between those still working and those in the forces re difference in pay.

Those in their usual jobs earned more than those serving according to my aunts and my inlaws. My father worked many hours overtime getting parts made and was paid well. The same can't be said for those serving. My father in law and 2 uncles came away from serving during WW2 with virtually nothing my father paid cash for my childhood home when he and mum married in 1947.

[Viktoria]

The Australians would not enlist anybody who had bad teeth. Every army had it's criteria. 

Regards 

Chas

It was amazing to see how bad were the teeth of the men in” They shall grow not old”,but of course no N.H .S and a poor diet and very often lots  of
tea with condensed milk as sugar and milk.
Most did not own a tooth brush.
Bad teeth are not just that,they are vehicles for lots of infections besides the obvious abscesses.
Continued infections like that can seriously affect the heart in time.
The pain also ,wow! Imagine eating hard tack with poor dentition.
Poor kids ,that is all many were.
Viktoria.

[bykerlads]

Not WW2 but WW1, the recent film on tv using enhanced and coloured old film about the troops in WW1 was striking in regard to the terrible teeth of the soldiers.This must have been normal in those days.
In fact really, as far as I can see, it wasn't until the latter part of the 2oth century that the need to clean your teeth became commonly recognised
I was born in 1949 and despite being taken 4 times a year to the dentist, I had appalling teeth including needing 10 extracted at once aged about 7. I wouldn't say my parents were particularly ignorant or negligent. Just not motivated enough to make the effort to closely supervise brushing. Once I was old enough to take responsability for cleaning my teeth, no further damage occured. Though now, 60 years on, all the fillings are gradually falling out.
Needless to say, I was much more attentive to my own children's teeth. I would have ashamed if they had ever needed any fillings.

[Rena]

Not WW2 but WW1, the recent film on tv using enhanced and coloured old film about the troops in WW1 was striking in regard to the terrible teeth of the soldiers.This must have been normal in those days.
In fact really, as far as I can see, it wasn't until the latter part of the 2oth century that the need to clean your teeth became commonly recognised

My father was born 1912 and one of eight children.  They regularly cleaned their teeth with a forefinger covered with either soot from the back of the fireplace or salt.  Neither of my parents had cavities or missing teeth.  During WWII my brothers and I had our own toothbrush which we dipped in a tin of solid Gibbs toothpaste.   I think the Gibbs must have had sand in it because I eventually couldn't bare anything very cold on my front teeth.