Age for service abroad.

[king ranger]

Hi can anyone throw some light on the above title. We were told a soldier could not be sent abroad in 1915 until he was 19years old, now i found a soldier we were interested in Robert Baird 2nd Batt Kosb 44063 . Robert was killed 3rd Sept 1916 aged 18.Had the age been lowered by then or has Robert Lied about his age like many did, my wife has asked on another forum but has had no replies so i thought i would try here.Thank you.
                                                  Colin.

[youngtug]

 http://www.1914-1918.net/recruitment.htm

Although my grandmothers brother joined up when he was 15. Only lasted 10 days, his mother found out. He went on to join the navy later.

[barryd]

06550 Gunner Joseph Smith Routledge, 23 Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, died 2 SEP 1918. His records survive perfectly which include a copy of his birth certificate sent by his (middle class) father, birth  8 October 1898, Ryhope County Durham. He was under age serving overseas and his father Thomas Miller Routledge successfully had him repatriated to Britain. He was sent back to France after reaching his 18th birthday and was killed Neuville-St-Vaast area, Pas de Calais, France. He is my 3rd Cousin 2 times removed.

[king ranger]

Thanks for replies, so if It is right that they could not send men abroad until they were 19 in 1915, it looks like they did lower the age by 1916 if as BarryD say's his relation was sent to France when he became 18.
                                    Colin

[youngtug]

 This is a quote from my earlier link, you would have had to read to the end to see it;- A further extension of the Military Service Act on 10 April 1918, followed a serious political crisis concerning the provision of manpower - which along with a large extension of the British section of the Western Front, was cited as a prime cause of the defeat of the Fifth Army in March 1918. This act reduced the maximum age of recruitment to 50 and allowed soldiers aged 18 years and 6 months to be sent overseas as long as they had had six months training..

[king ranger]

Sorry Youngtug never saw your link.Thats what i was looking for i had read the Long Trail but must have missed that section.               
                                                       Many Thanks
                                                         Colin.

[california dreamin]

Hi all

If you are interested in the topic of Boy Soldiers of the Great War, read the book by Richard van Emdem.  It's a fascinating book and so informative on many aspects of the Great War.  The author tells you what the regulations were, how they were flouted and also how the age of a boy to be sent overseas changed as the war progressed as the demand for men increased.   I can't recommend it highly enough.  As an aside boys were allowed at a lower age into the Navy and there was some movement of recruits deemed too young for the Army.


PS - There were still those who slipped through the net!

[jim1]

There were still those who slipped through the net!

Like this one.

[king ranger]

Thank you all for your posts, the point behind the post was my mates Grandad David Alexander was in the 2nd Batt KOSB and his best mate Robert Baird joined him. What i was told was David could not go to Mons with the BEF as he was not 19 till oct 1914 he went on Jan 15th 1915.What threw us was we noticed that Robert was killed on 3rd Sept 1916 aged 18 ,which looked like he had lied about his age.The post from Youngtug states they did reduce the age to 18 but not until May 1916 if Robert went at the same time as David he must have been under age,or he did not go until May 1916 and was killed in Sept 1916. That does look like a good read about the Boy Soldiers , i am sure that when i was taking photo's of ww1 graves at South Queensferry Cemetery some of the boy sailors from Jutland were only 14.