National Service 1949 - 1960

[Hagar]

While thinking about Heretic's dilemma in the Cafe I found an interesting site on the subject of National Service. http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/pages/nat-service.html
I escaped it by a few months (one of those events that changed my whole life) but I was quite prepared to go & would probably have enjoyed it. Of course, I was a callow youth at the time & wasn't fully aware of the potential risk of having to go & fight in some awful part of the world that I'd never heard of. I don't know how many British members of this forum apart from Fozzer were called up for National Service following the end of WWII. This might bring back some (possibly unwelcome) memories.

[quote]Money, Pay and the cost of living
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Basic pay for a private soldier was 28 shillings (

[C]

During this period a total of 395 National Servicemen were killed in active service.

Maybe this could be used in an argument to bring back National Service. Those who take little or no interest (normally the latter) in our countries undermanned, underequipped armed forces, and in our countries affairs may well be forced to take a different view when a member of their family (through no direct choice of their own) may end up directly involved...

[Hagar]

Maybe this could be used in an argument to bring back National Service.

I have mixed feeling on the subject. I once thought it would do the majority of young boys the world of good to have a bit of military training & discipline. The latter, along with respect, is something that seems severely lacking or non-existent in far too many young people today. However, I don't think the services themselves are in favour of it. They would obviously prefer to have volunteers than conscripts. Most countries in Europe no longer have compulsory conscription & those like Germany that still have it have been talking about doing away with it for years. This brings its own complications to the alternative option of compulsory community service & will not be as easy as it was in Britain. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1087140,00.html

During this period a total of 395 National Servicemen were killed in active service.

I think this could be used more effectively as an argument against it. Things have changed a great deal since 1960 & I have the feeling that young people would feel quite differently about serving their country now, never mind dying for it. You would also have to consider the immigrants, not all of whom have any allegiance to Britain whatsoever. This issue existed even back in 1949 & could cause a lot of resentment now.

When National Service began the Labour Administration insisted that it should be universal for all able-bodied men. However, although there was no official ban, very few Black conscripts and no non-European officers were recruited despite high levels of immigration in the mid-1950s. To avoid possible civil unrest Northern Ireland was also excluded from conscription.

[C]

I have mixed feeling on the subject. I once thought it would do the majority of young boys the world of good to have a bit of military training & discipline. The latter, along with respect, is something that seems severely lacking or non-existent in far too many young people today. However, I don't think the services themselves are in favour of it. They would obviously prefer to have volunteers than conscripts.

Indeed. Although there would always be those with a sense of duty or pride (even if they didn't particularly want to be there) I would find it very difficult to tolerate serving alongside, or worse, in command of someone who didn't want to be there, and worse, because of this, couldn't really give a monkeys about his service or comrades.

[Hagar]

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a chap at Popham earlier this year. He told me that he had been a crew member on the B-29 Washington during his National Service. I was surprised that National Servicemen would qualify as aircrew so he must have been one of the luckier ones. I believe he joined the police when he was demobbed & made that his career. He said he thoroughly enjoyed it & retired as a senior officer in the police.

This brings up another good point. The police recruited a lot of ex-servicemen in those days. This source dried up when National Service was abolished which could explain the problems in that area now.

[C]

This brings up another good point. The police recruited a lot of ex-servicemen in those days. This source dried up when National Service was abolished which could explain the problems in that area now.

Which also explains the lack of empathy between the Police and the forces nowadays. Having said that, if you are very lucky you find one or too.

[Hagar]

Which also explains the lack of empathy between the Police and the forces nowadays.

I was not aware of that but it doesn't surprise me. A 20 year-old ex-National Serviceman would have been an ideal recruit for the police force as he would already have a sense of responsiblity & discipline & therefore wouldn't need so much training. The same goes for the Fire Brigade & similar organisations. As I mentioned earlier, things have changed a great deal since 1960. I hadn't thought much about it before but possibly abolishing National Service was responsible for a lot more than you might expect.

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

I personally think conscription is a wonderful thing. While I haven't experienced it, my debating coach did and my grandfather did and they both said it was alright. Plus, nothing shows you reality better than a fat drill sergeant shouting at you and a Commie running at you with an AK.

It angers me that people shirked their duty (I'm in no way referring to you, Doug) however I can see why they chose to avoid it.




A.



P.S These views might have something to do with me being a bit of a British Imperialist and being the tenacious kid that I am.

[Fozzer]

I was finally dragged kicking and screaming into the British Army for two years in 1955, after being allowed to complete my 6-year Electrical Engineer's Apprenticeship beforehand.
For me it was two years wasted, from my Civilian trade.
While in the Army I came across two types of people; those like me who did our best and just put up with it for two years and then got demobbed, and the others, the gung-ho hero's, who didn't have a job in Civvy Street and just wanted to join the Regular Army to be able to blast the crap out of anything that moved!
Our Drill Sergeant often told us conscripts that out of the two types, the Army preferred us rather than many of the waste-of-time Regular Soldiers, who were mostly just idle sods...!
Anyway....
Not being slightly interest in a Military life I was only too glad to get out when demob time came around....
It's just a very distant memory now...
...thankfully... ...!

Paul.... Craftsman Fosbery. 23146921*. REME. . 1955-1957.

* That number, like your National Insurance number, is injected into your brain at birth...trust me......!