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Request for advice re age ranges

H

Helen G

Almost a Brummie
I want to make a list of all my male ancestors who may have served in WW1. I know many lied about their age when they enlisted but there must have been official age ranges i.e youngest and oldest ages accepted?

Would I be right in thinking that any men born before say 1870 would have been considered too old? I was considering concentrating on my lot born between 1870 and 1900 or do you think I should alter my parameters?

Helen
 
It's not an easy question to answer, partly as some men (not as many as you might think) falsified their ages, but also because the Government kept changing the rules.

A good rule of thumb is that soldiers were generally not enlisted until they were 18 years of age. This is true of all types (regular, Territorial, conscripts, the lot). So anyone born up to and including 1900 is fair game from a minimum age viewpoint.

The maximum for enlistment was generally 38, although it was raised as high as 50 in 1918. So by normal rules 1868 is about the oldest. Having said that there were ways into service for older men (which I won't confuse you wth here) although it would be very unlikely they would go on active service overseas. Regulars could also extend their service up to 21 years, so you do find a few senior NCOs over that age, too. In general though, anyone born before 1865 and you'd have to raise an eyebrow.
 
Just discovered that my great grandfather re-enlisted in 1914 having been in the army from 1889 to after the Boer War. He was 45 and was put in the Labour Corps who I believe did clearing up type work. He also appears to have been an instructor at some point which must have been another useful option for the experienced but "elderly" ;)
 
Thank you all for that.

I am off to Kew in April and although I know a lot of info is already on the net I plan to spend a day trawling through the military records.

So, I have made a list of all my lot that I think may have served and next week plan to check the absent voters list to see if any of them are listed there.

I have already found out this way thet my great grandfather, Frederick Cross served in the Somerset Light Infantry (26852) thanks to the Absent Voters list for Redditch. No family member was able to give me this info although we all knew he had served in India 1916-20.

I have also found a very great uncle, Harry Woodyatt, Bishop Street Birmingham who was in the RAMC from the WW1 records on Ancestry.

Helen
 
Newborn, the Labour Corps did not exist until 1917 - what was he doing in the meantime? They did a lot more than clearing up. The LC made and mended roads, built camps, provided labour at docks and railway sidings, and much more besides.
 
Sorry Chris, only just seen your reply. He seems to have been shunted between various regiments - rather as his wife was :shocked: (I'm not convinced he's the biological father of any of his four children, but that's another story). He began in the Warwicks, transferred to the Royal Welch, re-enlisted in the RW, moved to the Liverpool Regiment, then the Labour Corps. It doesn't look like any of his WW1 service was abroad but it's quite difficult to read the service record and there are gaps. For instance, the RWF curator was extremely helpful about his service in the Boer War but there's no indication of when he left the army the first time round. According to the 1911 census he was a "private soldier" but the re-enlistment date is 1911. Still reeling from the shock of his not dying until 1949, not 1901 as his family believed.
 
Gosh Newborn, he does sound more interesting than my lot!

Chris, you would have been really proud of me today! We had a wonder round a "Antiques" shop this afternoon. Big case of medals and thanks to all the research I have been doing since I get enthralled with my WW1 ancestors, mainly through your wonderful site or with your guidance I was able to identify the WW1 medals and point them out to my husband.

Not bad for a girly!!!

Helen
 
Helen, makes me think of that Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times!" The more I find out them, the more I realise I don't know. Frustratingly my aunt died only recently at the age of 95 but refused to discuss any of it which makes me think there's even more to be discovered :rolleyes:
 
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