Muchty Remembers

At the beginning of August 1914, Parliament issued a call for an extra 100,000 soldiers for the British Army.

 

Recruitment in the first few weeks of war was high, but the real recruiting boom began in the last week of August, when news was received of the British retreat following the Battle of Mons.

 

Recruiting peaked in the first week of September. By the end of September, over 750,000 men had enlisted; by January 1915, a million.

 

The reasons for enlistment cannot be attributed to a single factor; enthusiasm and a war spirit certainly drove some, while for others unemployment prompted enlistment. Some employers forced men to join up, while occasionally Poor Law Guardians would refuse to pay support for fit military-aged men.

 

The timing of the recruiting boom, after the news from Mons, though, suggests that men joined knowing that the war was dangerous. Many joined precisely because it seemed to be a threat to their home, district and country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pals Battalions

 

Soon "Pals battalions" were formed: groups of men from the same factory, football team, bank, joining and fighting together. The idea was first suggested at a public meeting by Lord Derby; within three days, he oversaw volunteers sufficient for three battalions. Lord Kitchener gave official approval for the measure  and the response was impressive. Manchester raised fifteen specific 'Pals' battalions; one of the smallest towns was Accrington, in Lancashire, which raised one. The drawback of 'Pals' battalions was that a whole town could lose its military-aged menfolk in fighting on a single day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More men demanded

 

The government demand for men continued unabated, and after the first call in August for 500,000s of men; a further 3.5 million were called for before the year ended. The pre-war calculations had supposed that the British Expeditionary Force would lose around 40% of its manpower in the first six months of fighting.

 

375,000 Casualties by 1915

 

Kitchener's predictions of three years fighting and a million men needed was regarded as incredible. The seven divisions of the British Expeditionary Force, totalling 85,000 men, had been landed in France at the outbreak of war; casualties in the first three months totalled almost 90,000. By mid-1915, this total had risen to around 375,000 men even before the autumn offensives. The rate of recruitment was falling off, for a number of reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1915 the total available number of men of military age was 5.5 million, with around 500,000 more reaching the age each year. By late September, 2.25 million men had been enlisted and 1.5 million were in reserved occupations.

 

Men unfit

 

Of the rest of the men in Britain, the recruiters had uncovered a dismaying fact — almost two in every five volunteers were entirely unsuitable for military service on the grounds of health. When volunteer numbers fell to around 70,000 a month after the Dardanelles Expedition, the Government felt forced to intervene. It initially avoided conscription.

 

National Registration Act

 

A National Registration Act in 1915 created a register that revealed the number of men still available. They were targeted in a number of ways. The skills of advertising were brought to bear with posters, public meetings, tales of German atrocities, and the threat of shame. The 'Derby Scheme' used door-to-door visits to gather men to 'attest' to serve if needed, with a promise that bachelors would be called up before married men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUCHTERMUCHTY

Recruiting - Sunday was unique in the annals of Auchtermuchty. On that day Major Charles R. Silbey, Recruiting Officer, Kirkcaldy, accompanied by the full Pipe band of the 3rd Battalion Black Watch, visited Auchtermuchty. At the morning and evening services in the Parish Church the recruiting officer addressed large congregations on the urgency of the situation, and made a moving appeal for recruits. In the afternoon the Major spoke in the Martys' U.F.Church and the South U.F.Church. The band paraded in the morning and afternoon, and was entertained to lunch and tea in the Town Hall by Mrs Rae-Arnot, Lochiehead. Eight recruits were obtrained fo the Black Watch.

Fife News. 29 May 1915.

Five of the men who were recruited for The Black Watch that day were Martin Beckett, died of wounds in France, 6 April 1916; Thomas W Wilson, died of wounds, Iraq, 24 April 1916; James Blyth, killed in action in France, 30 June 1916; Donald M Ford, killed in action, 15 July 1916, and Peter Gray, killed in action, 17 August 1916.

THE TOLL OF THE WAR - At the meeting of the Local Relief Committee, Provost Ferlie intimated that 92 persons from this parish had enlisted, of whom 68 were educated at Auchtermuchty School. Of these two have been killed and two are missing. Fife News. 15 October 1915.

At that date Private James Petrie, 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, was reported missing in action. He had been killed on 11th November 1914, though his fate was still not known in October 1915.

 

RECRUTING MARCH BY 2/7th BLACK WATCH

A Company of the 2/7th Black Watch, who are camped at Bridge of Earn, are to take part in a recruiting march in East Fife to-morrow. Under command of Major Lawson, of Annfield, the Company, which will be accompanied by a band, will leave Bridge of Earn tomorrow morning, and march through Newburgh, Lindores and Springfield. The Company will camp for the night at Crawford Priory, and Lady Gertude Cochrane has announced that the grounds of the Priory will be open to the public that evening. On Friday the company will march through Ladybank, Auchtermuchy, Strathmiglo and Gateside.

Fife News 14 July 1915.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conscription

 

With insufficient numbers of bachelors attesting for the Derby Scheme to be workable, and the French Army in dire need of relief, a Military Service Bill was introduced in January 1916, providing for the conscription of single men aged 18–41; in May conscription was extended to married men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Government pledged not to send teenagers to serve in the front line.

 

Ireland was excluded from the scheme. Later proposals to introduce conscription in Ireland led to widespread support for Sinn Féin and independence and the Easter Rising of 1916.

 

Conscription, however, had little impact on enlistment. The number continued to decline towards 40,000 a month, as essential men were needed for war work. The poor health of many others remained, even as the requirements were progressively reduced.

 

From 1.28 million enlisting in 1915, the number had fallen to 1.19 million for 1916. It fell to around 820,000 for 1917. The healthy manpower was simply not there. In 1917–18 only 36% of men examined were suitable for full military duties. 40% were either totally unfit or were classified as unable to undergo physical exertion. In 1918, the British Army was smaller than in 1917 (3.84 million to 3.9 million). Almost half the infantry was aged nineteen or younger.

 

Tribunals

 

Men who were due to be called-up for military service were able to appeal against their conscription. They or their employers could appeal to a local Military Service Tribunal in their town or district. These appeals could be made on the grounds of work of national importance, business or domestic hardship, medical unfitness, and conscientious objection.

 

A very large number of men appealed. By the end of June 1916, 748,587 men had appealed to tribunals. Over the same period around 770,000 men joined the army.

 

Most men were given some kind of exemption. This was usually temporary (between a few weeks and six months) or conditional on their situation at work or home remaining serious enough to warrant their retention at home.

 

In October 1.12 million men nationally held tribunal exemption or had cases pending. By May 1917 this number had fallen to 780,000 exempt and 110,000 pending. At this point there were also 1.8 million men with exemptions granted by the government. Men for example, those working in war industries. The total these exemptions covered more men than were serving overseas with the British Army. Some men gained exemption on the condition that they joined the Volunteer Training Corps for part time training and home defence duties. By February 1918, 101,000 men had been directed to the Corps by the tribunals.

 

Cupar and St Andrews tribunal

Exemptions of a large number of men were reviewed. It was pointed out that exemptions were being reviewed only where men were in the highest medical grades, the idea being to get fit men for the Army.

A Group of Blacksmiths - Robert McKendrick, Auchtermuchty.

John C Forgan, bootmaker, Auchtermuchty, appealed against the withdrawal of his exemption on the ground of business, hardship, and also stated he was a conscientious objector. His objection was withdrawn, on condition that on medical examination he should be found to be in grade 1 or 2 - not to report for service till 15th June.

No other exemptions from Auchtermuchty.

Fife News 4 May 1918