Upper and Lower Enlistment Ages, off topic

[Pat Holscher]

This is somewhat off topic, but I was curious if anyone knows the upper and lower enlistment ages for the US Army, or UK/Commonwealth Armies, for the following periods. By enlistment ages, I mean the ages somebody with no prior service could still sign up. I'd also be interested in upper and lower draftee ages where applicable, and upper recalled into service ages:

1. The American Civil War.

2. The Indian Wars.

3. The Spanish American War.

4. The Boer War.

5. World War One.

6. World War Two.

Pat

[Bob Mather]

Originally posted by Pat Holscher
This is somewhat off topic, but I was curious if anyone knows the upper and lower enlistment ages for the US Army, or UK/Commonwealth Armies, for the following periods. By enlistment ages, I mean the ages somebody with no prior service could still sign up. I'd also be interested in upper and lower draftee ages where applicable, and upper recalled into service ages:

1. The American Civil War.

2. The Indian Wars.

3. The Spanish American War.

4. The Boer War.

5. World War One.

6. World War Two.

Pat

For the Indian Wars, the lower age was 21, although there are many cases of men younger than that enlisting. In theory it required parental permission, but there were always some who lied about their ages to get in. The upper age, I believe, was around 40, although again I've seen some cases on the Registers of Enlistment where older men would be accepted.

Bob Mather

[Pat Holscher]

Thanks for the replies so far. That 45 year old in 42 surprises me, I wouldn't have guessed conscription applied at that age in 42.

I've found since, that in WWI the first UK draft, starting in 1916, started at age 18 and ran up to age 41. The final draft in 1918 ran from 17 to 55.

Some information garnered elsewhere indicates, apparently, the Canadian Boer War ages ran from 22 to 40, WWI ran from 18 to 45, WWII also ran from 18 to 45. As an aside, I'm under the impression that Canadian conscripts were not obligated to serve overseas, but could volunteer to do so, meaning that all of the Canadian troops who fought in Europe were actually volunteers for duty overseas.

Of interest to me here is not enlistment ages so far tend not to go as low as we think in wartime, but do tend to go considerably higher than we typically think. A 55 year old conscript is quite a different character from a 17 year old one.




Pat

[Joe Sweeney]

Pat,

For Britain in the WWI era its a bit complicated.

Enlistment ages: In 1914 the enlistment ages for the Regulars ran from 18 to 35 years. Boy soldiers could be enlisted 14 to 18 years.

In 1914 the enlistment ages for Territorials ran from 17 to 35 years. Boy soldiers could be enlisted 14 to 17 years.

In 1914 Army Order 324 provided for the formation of the New Armies with enlistment ages being 19 to 30 years, with no boy soldiers.

Many men over this age enlisted if they had prior service. Many boys under this age also enlisted as no proof required.

This confusing set of criteria were in effect until the Military Service Act took effect in 1916 were all remaining men were considered conscripted from the ages of 18 to 41 (no more voluntary enlistments allowed). The age was later raised to first 50 then to 56 in some circumstances by the MSA opf April 1918. Never went down to 17.

Joe Sweeney

[Pat Holscher]

Joe, thanks for the correction, the other source was obviously in error, and your information was much more detailed. I should mention that I gleaned that information from the Imperial War Museum website, although that certainly doesn't make it free from error. And I read it incorrectly in addition, given as it dealt soley with conscription, not volunteer soldiers. The page is at:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/books/bookfaq23.htm

Of note, the US Army late in WWII also processed all soldiers through the Selective Service system, technically ending volunteering (although in the US for many years it was possible to volunteer for the draft, although I don't know if that occured in WWII). This was done to streamline the system.

The enlistment of boy soldiers always seems a bit shocking, escpecially in the 20th Century. Of note, the Imperial War Musuem page does not mention this, although the fact that it occured is well known. When did the practice completely end?

Pat

[Joe Sweeney]

Pat,

The enlistment of Boy soldiers effectively ended with AO 324. However, the Royal Warrant for Pay continued to carry Boy soldier pay scales until 1916.

After the 1st Military Service Act was passed it was no longer an issue.

The IWMs 17 years reference is the first I've seen this. I have a copy of the 1st Act but not the 5th Act. I actually doubt the IWM’s accuracy, but without the actual act?

You will find other conflicting numbers from variuos sources also. The regulars are in 1914 sometimes referenced as 19 to 39 pre-war.

Boy soldiers were not to proceed overseas. The age for deployment was 19. Even when the 1st MSA was passed the 18-year-olds remained in training in their Young Soldier and Graduated Battalions until their 19th birthday made them eligible for deployment to France. The April 1918 Act made 18 year olds eligible to be deployed.

The Territorial's were eligible for Overseas deployment at 17 years (those enlisted pre-war) until the passage of the 1st MSA.

An interesting fact about the Territorial Force was since they were governed by seperate regulations Pre-war Terriers were bound by their enlistment agreement. It was not unusual to have Territorials be discharged for their end of term between 1914 and 1916.

The MSA did away with the separate Territorial Force rules. In fact Terriers who did not volunteer for overseas service under the TF regulations prior to 1916 were now eligible for deployment after the 1st MSA was passed.

I based my numbers on:

The Kings Regulations 1912 (Corrected to 1916)
Enlistment Regulations 1912
Regulations of the Territorial Force 1912 (corrected to October 1914)
Military Service Act 1916
Military Service Act (Fully and Clearly Explained) 1916 Actually a pamphlet on how to beat the act.
Post 1916 MSA numbers were based on Peter Liddle's book "Soldiers"
Royal Warrant for Pay 1914 and 1916.

[Texian]

I'm no expert, but I've read that naval cadets serving aboard warships in British navy could be quite young.

[Pat Holscher]

I've been reading D'Este's biography of Eisenhower in which he mentions that the US WWI draft started out at ages 18 to 35, and then went to 18 to 45. Again, the upper age surprises me.

Not exactly our mental image of a new draftee. It's hard to imagine what the mindset of a person with more years under their belt would be like as an inductee. I would think that the typical drill instruction techniques would not work as well.

Pat

[Pat Holscher]

On illegal underaged enlistments in WWII:

http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available ... Thesis.pdf

From this thesis:

At age fourteen, Alvin Snaper went to his local draft board and told them it was his eighteenth birthday. The draft board became instantly irate, and informed the young man that the law required him to register for the draft three months prior to his eighteenth birthday. As punishment, they ordered immediate induction into the Army and escorted him to the Army induction center.

Snaper arrived in France in late November 1944, as a replacement. Within weeks he was in combat at the frozen battleground of Bastogne. Due to soaring attrition rates within the ranks, Alvin Snaper was field commissioned a second lieutenant in the Armyof the United States. He was fifteen.

[Pat Holscher]

Apparently U.S. conscription ranges for World War One were between ages 21 and 31 until September 1918, when that was changed to ages 18 to 45.

No idea what the volunteer ranges were.

[Pat Holscher]

Apparently U.S. conscription ranges for World War One were between ages 21 and 31 until September 1918, when that was changed to ages 18 to 45.

No idea what the volunteer ranges were.

Bump.

Anyone know the answer this question?

[Sam Cox]

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