* Conscription in the Great War

[Pollowick]

Doing some research on a Great Uncle, Joseph, b. 1893

He was a Police Constable at the outbreak of war and did not enlist as a volunteer. His brother, my Grandfather, was conscripted under the 1916 act and was seriously wounded in early 1918. During the war Joseph was reassigned or relocated from the Metropolitan Police Service in London to the Naval Dockyard in Gosport.

Then suddenly in June 1918 he was conscripted into the Grenadier Guards - possibly because of his background and occupation. He remained in the regiment until demobilisation in Jan 1919 when he returned to London as a Police Constable.

Question: Would he have volunteered to join? Was he finally conscripted as "reserved occupation" lists were reduced? Did the MPS instruct him to enlist? Does anyone know tHe details of the 1916 Military Service Bill and how it would have been applied in this case?

I have no idea and it is just out of interest as to why someone in a key role in England would suddenly be enlisted potentially two years after he would have been compulsorily conscripted in any other occupation.

[Valkrider]

Do you happen to have his police warrant number or know his divisional number or where he served in London? See http://content.met.police.uk/Site/mpshistoryinformation they are really helpful and may be able to assist with his full service record which may give you some more information.

[AdrianBruce]

My understanding is that there was no means to volunteer after the end of 1915. See http://www.1914-1918.net/msa1916.html for some details. Note in particular that everyone was "deemed to have enlisted for general service with the colours or in the reserve". Basically, you were already in from Jan 1916 - it was just a question of if and when they sent for you, unless you could claim exemption. I get the impression that it may have been that way round - it wasn't that they didn't ask for people in reserved occupations, rather that it was that they asked and you could claim exemption if you were in such an occupation. I could be wrong....

Now, as for police officers, this post on the Great War Forum http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... 148&page=2 quotes the 1916 list of occupations as saying:
"POLICE FORCES, Members of - to be treated as a certified occupation if their services are declared by their chief officer to be necessary in their civil employment."

But further down that page, post 48 says "I seem to recall that a scheme was introduced in early 1918 allowing policemen to join up and for their places to be taken temporarily (duration of war) by lower grade men or discharged ex-servicemen. A number of groups of policemen joined the various foot-guards, although I think policemen from regional forces often went to the local county regiments." (My italics).

There seems to be a reluctance to post the reserved occupations list - maybe because it changes, but if you go to the TNA Catalogue, item MH 47/142/1 can be downloaded and this seems to include a version of the list.

Adrian

[Pollowick]

Adrian,

Thanks for your comments and links ... the reserved occupations and exemptions is certainly "confusing" in parts.

Valkrider,

Thanks too, yes I have is Warrant Number and will follow up - I know where he was based - two locations. Unfortunately, he was later killed whilst on duty so appears on te Met Police "Roll of Remembrance" but not on the National Memorial.