Author Topic: Conscription for 21 year olds pre WW2  (Read 3851 times)

Offline PhilipG

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Conscription for 21 year olds pre WW2
« on: February 23, 2017, 09:55:18 AM »
Before WW2 in the Spring of 1939 a close friend, being 21 years of age and consequent upon a new law, was conscripted into the Army.  In the event, he was drafted for recruit training into the 9th Lancers, went out to France with the BEF, took part in the retreat from Louvain and returned to Tidworth via Dunkirk.     I wonder whether or not the Manchester Regiment also took in 21 year old recruits for training under this new conscription law?  PhilipG

Offline charlie

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Re: Conscription for 21 year olds pre WW2
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2017, 11:25:43 AM »
Philip,
The answer is yes, the Regiment did. The account of Leslie Nicolson in the "Men behind the medals" section of the museum records him as being conscipted in July 1939

http://www.themenbehindthemedals.org.uk/index.asp?page=full&mwsquery=(%7BPerson%20identity%7D=%7BNicholson,%20LJ%7D)

Charlie

Offline PhilipG

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Re: Conscription for 21 year olds pre WW2
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2017, 05:18:00 PM »
Charlie,

Thank you for that information.  I suspect that he would have had a low "demob number" in view of his length of service. PhilipG.