military service in WW1

[ccr]

MY grandfather ,aged 27 and married with 3 children on the outbreak of WW! did not serve. Was it because he was a family man? He was not in a reserved occupation- he was a club steward. His 2 brother onlya2 or 3 years ounger did serve. Is there any way that I can find out why he appears to have been exempted?

[t mo]

just possible he was unfit for service or a concientous objector also what religion was he if he was a quacker that would keep him out.
regards
trevor

[jds1949]

Do you have direct evidence that he did not serve, or is it that you have not found any evidence that he did serve? There would be many men who served but whose records did not survive the 1940 Blitz which destroyed 60% of the records and who - because they did not serve in an active war theatre - would not have a medal index card as they were not entitled to any medals.

jds1949

[ccr]

since he had childrenborn in 1915/1917 /1919 we do not think it likely that he served and also his brothers said that he was the lucky one who missed out on what they called the whole mess.

[jds1949]

There is an almost identical case here:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=stt33ascdad94d3hnfjqluahp5&topic=474114.0

Tribunals - who decided on cases of exemption - could be eccentric in their decisions; if your man was deemed to be doing important war work as a civilian then he could have been allowed to continue, or if he was the sole breadwinner for elderly parents that might have been deemed a sufficient reason. tribunal proceedings were reported in the local press, but usually without the names being given - so that would be a long shot.

jds1949