Can anyone offer advice please on the upper age of service of men in the British army in WW1? What was the upper age limit for a man to volunteer? If serving in the regular army already in 1914, to what age could he be expected to serve? Having served earlier in the army pre-1914 , up to what age might he be recalled? Any help on this would be appreciated Peter Gardner

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 08:33:38 +0100, "Peter Gardner" <pgassoc@tiscali.co.uk> wrote: >Can anyone offer advice please on the upper age of service of men in the British army in WW1? > >What was the upper age limit for a man to volunteer? > >If serving in the regular army already in 1914, to what age could he be expected to serve? > >Having served earlier in the army pre-1914 , up to what age might he be recalled? Before the war there were upper and lower age limits for enlistment, and upper age limits for discharge. Several factors governed these ages, including type of engagement, rank, trade, and arm or service. For example, the lower age limit of enlistment into the Territorial Force before war broke out was 17 (excluding Boys); the upper age limit for enlistment was 35 (with exceptions for ex-Regulars and certain trades, which could take the limit up to 50); and the upper age limit for discharge was: Sergeants 50 (55 with Bde Comd's permission) Rank and File and trumpeters etc 40 (45 with Bde Comd's permission) Bandsmen and Clerks 55 The enlistment age limits for wartime volunteers was increased as war progressed. An idea can be obtained by looking at the recruiting posters that appeared in The Times ("Your King and Country Need You"), since the ages were usually given. Here are some samples: 7 Aug 1914 Unmarried 19-30 28 Aug 1914 Another 100,000 wanted. Extended to 19-35. Ex-soldiers up to 45. Selected ex-NCOs up to 50 28 Oct 1914 19-38, ex-soldiers up to 45. 4 Jan 1915 19-38 In 1916 conscription applied to men aged 18-41, and in 1918 the upper age limit was extended to 50. As you can see, it's a bit of a complicated subject, with various exceptions to the rule. it is made all the more difficult because so many men lied about their age, with the young ones adding a few years, and the older ones subtracting a few years. Forrest -- Forrest Anderson, Edinburgh, Scotland. E-mail: forrest@military-researcher.com Website: www.military-researcher.com Forrestdale Research - Military Genealogical Researcher