How did Britain increase and maintain the fighting force? Learning Resource

This resource (including images, letters, video, sound and information) is provided for non- commercial educational purposes only You can: You are free to copy and repurpose this resource for use within your classroom and share with other teachers. You can print the images out up to A4 size if you wish to use hard copies with your class. You must: Include attribution statement wherever the image is used. For example, © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1179). By downloading this resource you agree to these terms of use under IWM’s Non Commercial Licence: IWM Learning Resources: Terms of Use

1. What was the public response to the outbreak of war?

British response to the outbreak of war, August 1914 The First World War began in August No one knew what kind of war it was going to be or how long it would last, but men rushed to join up and go to war. This photograph shows recruits at the Whitehall Recruiting Office in London. © IWM (Q 42033) Men Queue to Enlist

A dismounted cavalry draft of the 1st Life Guards In Britain over one million men had volunteered to fight by December By the end of the war more than four years later, almost one quarter of the total male population had served in the armed forces. © IWM (Q 66196) One Million Men had Volunteered by the End of 1914

Lieutenant Alan Lloyd Alan Lloyd was born into a middle-class Quaker family in Birmingham in In January 1914 he became engaged to Dorothy Hewetson. When war broke out, Lloyd immediately volunteered. On his honeymoon in August he learned that he had been commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Royal Artillery. © The rightsholder A Volunteer

A letter written by Alan Lloyd This letter was written by Alan Lloyd on 06 August It explains his reasons for enlisting. 6/8/14 My ownest little Dod, I got your wire & replied asking you to meet me York, train from Birmingham. I have also had a wire from Mrs Burch asking me to come & see her. Everybody must put their personal considerations in the background now, & I don’t believe you’d be so selfish as to try & stop me doing my part. Possibly you don’t realize that this is a life & death struggle with Germany. Everybody who could do something & won’t is a beastly unpatriotic kind of person. I’m the last person to be a Jingo & hate flag-wagging & Union Jack hurrahing etc but I do feel that I might be useful, with my motor or without it, in case of attack by Germany & so I’ve offered my services… © The rightsholder Reasons to Enlist

Dummy Rifle The sudden increase in the number of soldiers meant that, at first, their were serious shortages of uniforms, weapons, and equipment. This dummy rifle is cut from wood and was used by the British Army for training purposes. © IWM (FIR 11580) Equipment Shortages

2. What methods were used to enlist new recruits?

Leeds Pals – shoulder badge Many men were encouraged to sign up with their friends and colleagues with the promise that those who ‘joined together should serve together’. This led to what was known as ‘Pals’ battalions. © IWM (INS 7637) 'Pals' Battalions

Derby Scheme Armband As the war went on the British Government had to persuade more and more men to go to war. The Derby scheme was introduced in Britain in October 1915 and asked men to register their commitment to serve. Under the scheme single men would be called up before married volunteers. © IWM (INS 7764) The Derby Scheme

Young British Recruits Recruiting Officers were paid for each man so some pretended to be unaware that they were recruiting underage volunteers. The British government had originally said that no one under 19 years of age would be sent overseas to fight. In April 1918 they lowered the age to 18 after suffering a near-defeat on the Western Front. This photograph was taken in July 1918, when the army were trying to find and remove underage soldiers. © IWM (Q 23586) Young British Recruits

3. Where else did Britain turn to gain support?

Men of the 45th Sikhs (52nd Infantry Brigade, 17th Division) Men in the Dominions and Empire also volunteered. In Australia over 415 thousand men enlisted and over a million men of the Indian Army served overseas during the war. Over one hundred thousand New Zealanders, 425 thousand Canadians and Newfoundlanders, and 230 thousand South Africans also served overseas. © IWM (Q 24777) Indian Troops

West Indian troops stacking 8 inch shells at an ammunition dump near Ypres, Belgium, October 1917 During the First World War the West Indies contributed about 15,000 troops for active service overseas. About two-thirds of these were from Jamaica. © IWM (E(AUS) 2078) West Indian Troops

4. How did women contribute to the war effort?

Men and women at work in the National Filling Factory, Chilwell The First World War substantially increased the numbers of women in paid work and the range of jobs that they undertook. The majority of women supported the war effort by working in industry. © IWM (Q 30018) Munitions Workers

The Women's Land Army and German Prisoners by Randolph Schwabe Women took on jobs that had previously been done by husbands, brothers and fathers, who were now absent, as well as keeping households and families together. This painting shows members of the Women's Land Army German prisoners-of-war doing agricultural work. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1179) The Women’s Land Army

Women Wanted Urgently A number of the leading Suffragettes played an important role in setting up women-only organisations to support the war effort. Their success influenced the decision to create branches of the armed services for women. The first of these was the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs), which was formed in January © IWM (Art.IWM PST 4881) Women’s Auxiliary Forces

5. Who was eventually forced to enlist?

New recruits have their kit fitted following enlistment In Britain and the Dominions the issue of conscription (forced military service) caused much controversy. Conscription was finally introduced in Britain and New Zealand in, 1916, and in Canada in 1917, although it was not introduced in Australia. © IWM (Q 30069) Conscription

No-conscription Fellowship Conscription was a hugely controversial step. Conscientious objectors refused to fight on religious or moral grounds, although the proportion of conscientious objectors to men in uniform was very small. This membership card for the No-Conscription Fellowship belonged to William Harrison, who went to prison because he refused to have anything to do with the war. He was a pacifist whose deep religious beliefs told him that killing was wrong. © IWM (Documents.163) Conscientious objectors