Recruitment in the British Army

The British Army came into being with unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland. The British Army has traditionally relied upon volunteer recruits, the only exceptions during the latter part of the First World War, the Second World War and only once during peace time, was conscription enacted.

18th and 19th Centuries

The 18th and 19th centuries saw the Army rank and file consisting of mainly people recruited from the poorest sections of society. During this period the army was not a popular profession, with low pay, flogging and other barbarous disciplinary measures in the Army. Recruits were aged from Seventeen to Fifty years of age. The army was kept small by the government, mainly by fear, that the army would be influenced by the crown or used to depose the Government. Only during war was this policy abandoned for rapid recruitment.

Napoleonic wars

Great Britain’s struggle with France during the Napoleonic wars required the British Army to expand rapidly. Ordinary recruiting methods failed to supply to number of men required to fill the Army ranks, with annual loses of men killed or wounded being double the annual influx of new recruits. The main methods used for recruiting, were, private individuals were recruited for their own interests, secondly volunteering from the militia and thirdly placing obligations on communities to enlist. Generals called for conscription for the first time in British History, although this was never en-acted. During this period Great Britain was at a dis-advantage to her enemy, as due to the Industrial revolution potential recruits were instead drawn to the cities to earn more money in the many factories now being built in the country, while France was still largely a Agrarian Society. The British Army during this period never exceed 270,000, while a France with conscription had an army over 2.6 million.[1]

Reforms

Further information: Cardwell reforms

The army during peacetime was deliberately kept small and the recruitment methods would only change once the Cardwell reforms were implemented in the 1870s. Some of the reforms included ceasing the sale of commissions, banning of flogging and other measures such as reducing the length of service, to make recruitment more appealing. The reforms were brought, due to the failings of the British army during the Crimean War, it was evident that the provision of an army of only 25,000 in the Crimea had stripped Britain of almost every trained soldier.

Officers and Royals

The officers were mainly drawn from affluent backgrounds, most having attended public schools, it was said that the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was 'won on the playing fields of Eton'. This was largely in part to the sale of commissions, finally abolished due to the Cardwell reforms, and the further Childers Reforms. In spite of its abolishment, the status of an officer being from a privileged background and that of another rank being from a less privileged one has, for the most part, endured into the 21st century. The Royal Family traditionally had its members serve in the Armed Forces, usually with the Royal Navy though many have served with the Army. This tradition has continued into the 21st century, with Prince Harry and Prince William both joining the Army as officers.

Foreign Royals have also served in the Army, such as Eugène Bonaparte the son of Napoléon III, was commissioned into the Royal Artillery, but was killed in 1879 while serving in South Africa during the Anglo-Zulu War. Also later in the 20th Century King Abdullah II of Jordan served as a Second Lieutenant with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own).

First World War

British Volunteer recruits London, August 1914, who would form Kitchener's New Army

Further information: Recruitment to the British Army during World War I

At the start of 1914 the British Army had a reported strength of 710,000 men including reserves, of which around 80,000 were regular troops formed as the British Expeditionary Force and ready for war. By early 1915 much of the regular army had been killed and were replaced by Lord Kitchener`s new army, which were formed of Pals battalion. The Military Service Bill was enacted as of January 1916 and specified that men from the ages of 18 to 41 were liable to be called-up for service unless they were married (or widowed with children), or else served in one of a number of reserved professions. By the end of World War I almost 1 in 4 of the total male population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland had joined, over five million men.

Second World War

Further information: Recruitment to the British Army during World War II

At the start of the war the British Army Strength stood at 897,000 men including reserves, the number was higher than the start of the previous world war. One reason was the Military Training Act of 27 April 1939 which required all men aged 20 and 21 to take six months' military training. The act was further increased upon the declaration of the war to include all fit men between the ages of 18 and 41. Conscription was gradually brought in starting in October 1939 and applying to all fit men between 20-23, the age group was increased as the war continued. By the end of 1939 the strength of the British Army stood at 1.1 million men, and further increased to 1.65 million men during June 1940. [2] [3] [4]

The Local Defence Volunteers was formed early in 1940, very large numbers of civilians too old or too young for the Army, or barred from serving if they were in reserved occupations, volunteered for the new force. The organisation was eventually renamed the "Home Guard" and was to be part of the defence of Britain in the advent of a German invasion of Britain.

By the end of the war and the final demobilisations in 1946, over 3.5 million men had been enlisted in the British Army. [5]

From National Service to all-Professional Army

Further information: National Service

After Indian Independence, which meant the loss of the British Indian Army, and thousands of Indian Volunteers, peacetime conscription was used by the government between 1949 and 1960. In the United Kingdom, it is this period of peacetime conscription that is usually referred to as 'National Service'. It remains the only period of peacetime conscription in UK history, apart from the periods immediately before and after World War II.

Empire and Commonwealth

During both World Wars, subjects throughout the British Empire volunteered to help the United Kingdom. During World War I the Dominions raised their own armies, but were under the British command structure, and very much intergrated into the British fighting forces. Over 2.5 million men, which included Canada sending 418,000 men overseas, Australia sent 322,000, New Zealand 124,000, and other volunteers from the Crown Colonies. [6]

During peacetime the British Empire soldiers were usually recruited into indigenous regiments to garrison their own land, thus ensuring that the Army did not have to allocate its own units to garrison the territories. Units such as, the Fiji Infantry Regiment raised in 1920, garrisoned the Pacific territory, consisting of one battalion. One of the largest was the Royal West African Frontier Force which garrisoned British West Africa, consisting in 1928 of The Nigeria Regiment.

In 2004 Commonwealth origin volunteers comprised approximately 7.5% of the Army's total strength. In total 5,620 foreign soldiers from 42 countries were represented in the Army, not including over 3,000 Nepalese Gurkhas. After Nepal, the nation with most citizens in the British Army is Fiji, with 1,895, followed by Jamaica with 960; soldiers also come from more prosperous countries such as Australia, South Africa and the Republic of Ireland.

British Indian Army

The British Indian Army of the British Raj, between 1858 and 1947 was a volunteer army, raised from the native population with British officers. The Indian Army served both as a security force in India itself and, particularly during the World Wars, in other theatres. The Indian Army proved a very useful adjunct to British forces not only in India but also in other places. Recruitment was entirely voluntary; about 1.3 million men served in the First World War, many on the Western Front and 2.5 million in the Second. Initially the soldiers and NCO's were Indian, with British officers but later Indian officers were promoted King's Commissioned Indian Officer.

Present Day

The Army mainly recruits within the United Kingdom, and normally has a recruitment target of around 25,000 soldiers per year. Low unemployment in Britain has resulted in the Army having difficulty in meeting its target, and in the early years of the 21st century there has been a marked increase in the number of recruits from mostly Commonwealth countries.

The minimum recruitment age is 16 years, after the end of GCSEs, although soldiers may not serve on operations below 18 years; the maximum recruitment age was raised in January 2007 from 26 to 33 years. The normal term of engagement is 22 years, and once enlisted soldiers are not normally permitted to leave until they have served at least 4 years.

See Also

• Recruitment to the British Army during World War I
• Kitchener's Army
• Pals battalion
• National Service
• British Indian Army
• Cardwell Reforms
• Childers Reforms

External links

• [7] BBC article on recruitment in the British Army, including information on "Taking the King's Shilling"
• [8] BBC article on recruitment at the start of WW2