Andrea and All, The following does not answer your immediate question but it may lead you or others in a direction that had not previously been considered for research. In an article published in the New York Times dated February 12, 1918, page 5 the headline reads "Makes Britons Here Enter War Service". I quote the article: "Major Mitchell Inness of the British Army, who represented the British Embassy in the negotiations leading up to the framing of a convention which makes possible the drafting of British subjects in the United States by Great Britain, and similar action in Great Britain and Canada by the United States, has arrived in New York to direct the operation of the agreement in so far as it affects British subjects resident in this country.....British subjects of the American draft ages, from 21 to 31 years, inclusive, will have sixty days in which voluntarily to offer their services to their country. Those who do not volunteer will automatically, at the end of the sixty-day period, be subject to draft into the United States Army the same as American citizens.....[Major Inness is quoted as saying]: In framing the convention between our two countries the ages agreed upon are from 20 to 41 years.....it is understood that the United States will enact a law which will make subject! to dra ft British subjects between 20 and 21 years and those from 31 to 41 years. When that law is passed a day will be designated for these men to register. As soon as they register a sixty-day period will begin to run, during which they will have chance to volunteer their services, and in the event they do not respond they will, like the men of American draft age, become subject to draft by the United States.....Major Inness said that conventions similar to the one entered into between Great Britain and the United States shortly would be arranged between the United States and France and Italy....." Andrea wrote: Dear all, I am new to this list and hope that I might tap on your knowledge. I have a gentleman in my tree who was born in Derbyshire, England in 1875. He still lived there with his wife and daughter in 1901. In 1910 the three of them lived in Chicago, Illinois. In March 1918 he travels from England to Canada (via NY) and states that he is a widower. His gives his last place of residence as London, England. Later he lived in Montreal for some years before returning to Derbyshire. As the war was not over at this time of his travel, I am wondering whether he had joined the army (and which one, British or US?) and whether he may have been released early. Was there a general duty to join? If so, were there exceptions for certain professions (he was a civil engineer)? Suppose he did still live in the US when the war broke out, would he have been compelled to return to Britain to join the forces? I apologize if my questions are stupid but I really don't know much about this war and I would love to find out what he did between 1910 and 1918 (and where his wife died). Thanks for any information and kind regards, Andrea Robert Silverstein Aurora, CO USA