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Is that something that could genuinely happen? Lots of stuff on social media a bit tongue in cheek but could they ever enforce something like that in modern day? Officially we don't have it but they could bring it back.
Hypothetically, how else would we raise an army if we need one? Not sure Deliveroo could help with that one. I suspect we might discover quite a few 'conscientious objectors' in our midst.
The Army wouldn't want it. Tens of thousands of recruits - many of whom do not really want to be there - to house, train, feed and look after. None of them having had the time to thoroughly learn the technical specialities which are so important in modern warfare. More of an encumbrance than a help.
It might have been about the big battalions in Napoleon's time, but it's not any more.
The Army wouldn't want it. Tens of thousands of recruits - many of whom do not really want to be there - to house, train, feed and look after. None of them having had the time to thoroughly learn the technical specialities which are so important in modern warfare. More of an encumbrance than a help.
It might have been about the big battalions in Napoleon's time, but it's not any more.
Agreed. It’ll never happen here. It takes far too long to train conscripts to be of any use anyway. In WW1 it was volunteers until 1916 when they had to introduce conscription. Prior to that, the nearest to conscription was the Press Gang for the navy in Napoleonic times. Even with that, if you were sober and warned, you could leg it.
No. The slaughter of humans on a huge scale is no longer accepted. No one really knew the horrors of war in previous large scale operations. Wars are now about hardware, not humans. The reason weapons have developed at such a pace in recent decades is to continually reduce the need for human intervention at the sharp end.
No. The slaughter of humans on a huge scale is no longer accepted. No one really knew the horrors of war in previous large scale operations. Wars are now about hardware, not humans. The reason weapons have developed at such a pace in recent decades is to continually reduce the need for human intervention at the sharp end.
Eh? The next world war will see the slaughter of humans on a scale never seen before.
Hypothetically, how else would we raise an army if we need one? Not sure Deliveroo could help with that one. I suspect we might discover quite a few 'conscientious objectors' in our midst.
Yes, but only for people who believe/spout nonsense on social media. Those guys can go OTT first, then we'll work out what to do next depending on how successful that was.
Agreed. It’ll never happen here. It takes far too long to train conscripts to be of any use anyway. In WW1 it was volunteers until 1916 when they had to introduce conscription. Prior to that, the nearest to conscription was the Press Gang for the navy in Napoleonic times. Even with that, if you were sober and warned, you could leg it.
It took until 1916 for the volunteers of 1914 (the Kitchener Armies) to be introduced into the front line. Took that long to train them, particularly the more technical arms such as artillery.
That then had the effect of constraining tactics. Infantry weren't advancing steadily in lines on the Somme due to their commanders being fools, but because without long-service training and experience it was thought they couldn't handle anything more complicated. When conscription was introduced, due to recruitment numbers dropping, they were sent individually to already experienced units, rather than forming new ones as had happened at the start of the war.
In 1939, Britain began a limited call up of conscripts for training before the crisis had come to a head - four months ahead, as it turned out.
Agreed. It’ll never happen here. It takes far too long to train conscripts to be of any use anyway. In WW1 it was volunteers until 1916 when they had to introduce conscription. Prior to that, the nearest to conscription was the Press Gang for the navy in Napoleonic times. Even with that, if you were sober and warned, you could leg it.
It took until 1916 for the volunteers of 1914 (the Kitchener Armies) to be introduced into the front line. Took that long to train them, particularly the more technical arms such as artillery.
That then had the effect of constraining tactics. Infantry weren't advancing steadily in lines on the Somme due to their commanders being fools, but because without long-service training and experience it was thought they couldn't handle anything more complicated. When conscription was introduced, due to recruitment numbers dropping, they were sent individually to already experienced units, rather than forming new ones as had happened at the start of the war.
In 1939, Britain began a limited call up of conscripts for training before the crisis had come to a head - four months ahead, as it turned out.
Interesting. My grandfather volunteered in April 1915. He joined one of the three Royal Engineers Field Companies being raised in Norwich.
His initial training finished at a place called Sutton Vesey at the end of the year and he went to France Jan 16 from Southampton with the Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Scottish) to whom his lot were attached (208 Field Co Norfolk). After more training and a spell in a quiet sector, his lot saw action on 1 July at Le Boisselle.
The four Fusilier brigades plus the Grimsby Chums and the Suffolks of 34 Div took a total pasting. One of the reasons they got massacred was that the artillery and mines at YSap and Lochnagar meant to have wiped out the Germans. The British had to carry all their own kit and in the case of the Tyneside Irish a lot of stuff for the REs too to ‘turn’ the captured trenches. You cannot run with that lot even if you wanted to.
Certainly, Haig and his subordinates didn’t trust the new army as you rightly suggest. Instructions were so rigid. Sadly any gains made could not be exploited. Naive mistakes were also made, such as an officer ringing somebody the night before to wish them luck right in front of the YSap mine. The Germans evacuated the area and suffered few casualties there.
Interesting. My grandfather volunteered in April 1915. He joined one of the three Royal Engineers Field Companies being raised in Norwich.
His initial training finished at a place called Sutton Vesey at the end of the year and he went to France Jan 16 from Southampton with the Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Scottish) to whom his lot were attached (208 Field Co Norfolk). After more training and a spell in a quiet sector, his lot saw action on 1 July at Le Boisselle.
The four Fusilier brigades plus the Grimsby Chums and the Suffolks of 34 Div took a total pasting. One of the reasons they got massacred was that the artillery and mines at YSap and Lochnagar meant to have wiped out the Germans. The British had to carry all their own kit and in the case of the Tyneside Irish a lot of stuff for the REs too to ‘turn’ the captured trenches. You cannot run with that lot even if you wanted to.
Certainly, Haig and his subordinates didn’t trust the new army as you rightly suggest. Instructions were so rigid. Sadly any gains made could not be exploited. Naive mistakes were also made, such as an officer ringing somebody the night before to wish them luck right in front of the YSap mine. The Germans evacuated the area and suffered few casualties there.
The new army did learn, but oh the terrible cost.
[Post edited 22 Feb 2022 19:43]
My grandfather volunteered in 1914, was posted to the heavy guns (Royal Garrison Artillery) and was not sent to France until the autumn of 1916.
Served at Ypres the following year, as far as i've discovered in the Polygon Wood sector. Found a newspaper cutting listing him as wounded (which none of us had ever known about). Finished the war just across the Belgian border, near Mons, then was in the occupation forces on the Rhine. Failed to get his old job back at Ipswich Corporation, so re-enlisted and was sent out to what is now Pakistan. Finally got back to Ipswich and worked at the Corporation for the rest of his life.
Hypothetically, how else would we raise an army if we need one? Not sure Deliveroo could help with that one. I suspect we might discover quite a few 'conscientious objectors' in our midst.
For Queen and country hey? I'm okay thanks. Rather not fight for a country that doesn't even give me an equal vote.
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