military training. Everywhere local units sprang up. These had no official status, all expenses being privately borne; and the organization and administration were vested in local com- mittees.
In Nov. 1914, the British Government, realizing the necessity for making every provision for a possible invasion, granted recognition to these voluntary formations under the title of Volunteer Training Corps. They were affiliated to a body in London called the Central Association Volunteer Training Corps, which was made responsible by the War Office for their training and administration. A uniform enrolment form was prescribed, and the following conditions of service were imposed by the Army Council: (i) that only those should be enrolled who, through age, were not eligible to serve in the Regular or Terri- torial armies, or were unable to do so for some genuine reason, and in the latter event agreed to enlist if called upon to do so later; (2) that it should be open to army recruiting officers to visit the corps at any time, and to recruit any eligible members whose presence in the corps could not be justified; (3) that no form of attestation involving an oath should be permitted. Clothing, equipment, arms and financial assistance were not provided by the Government; local appeals for funds were issued, and met with considerable success, many municipalities making generous grants. Whenever they were available, exempted men with military experience were appointed instructors. Buildings for drill purposes were hired where they were not lent by Terri- torial Force associations, and miniature rifle ranges were con- structed. Some corps, owing to the patriotic generosity of individuals, were provided with uniforms of green-grey, as well |as rifles. Every volunteer was supplied with a red brassard worn Km the left arm when he was in plain clothes, inscribed with the letters "G.R.," showing his status as a combatant.
Many feared that this volunteer movement might provide a hiding place for shirkers from military service, but on the con- trary, it proved a most powerful recruiting organization; over a million men passed through its ranks into the Regular army, the preliminary training they had received as Volunteers contributing imatcrially to their efficiency. By the end of 1915, some of the corps had attained considerable proficiency in elementary drill, but the shortage of arms, and the inexperience of many of the instructors, militated against a high standard of efficiency.
The Volunteers were eager for the status of soldiers; and in March 1916, the King invited lords-lieutenant of counties to submit offers from corps willing to enroll under the Volunteer [Act of 1863. The response was general. In May 1916, regulations ifor the reconstructed Volunteer Force were issued, which provided (for the raising of Volunteer regiments on a county basis under county commandants. Owing to the wide distribution of the I personnel of various battalions, a uniform strength could not ibe insisted on, but minimum and maximum establishments were laid down. The force was to be called out for actual mili- tary service only in the event of imminent invasion, as notified 'by royal proclamation, although at other times voluntary offers tof temporary service either by corps or individuals could be
- accepted. Motor corps, field ambulance sections, and certain
ispecialist units such as signal and electric light companies, were subsequently formed in order to complete the defence schemes for the commands.
. The original organization proved unsatisfactory, as it called for no medical examination and imposed no drill obligation. In Jan. 1917, under powers conferred by a Volunteer Act passed in 1916, it was therefore decided to form special sections of the Volunteer Force, with qualifications as follows:
Section A. Men over military age, free from organic disease, who kwere able to stand service conditions in garrisons at home, to march iat least 5 m., to see to shoot with the aid of glasses, and to hear well. jln addition they had to be free to vacate their civilian employment on the occurrence of a national emergency.
Section B. Exempted men of military age, with practically the same conditions as Section A.
Section C Lads under military age, but of not less than 17 i years, of the same physical standard as for A. and B.
Section D. Men who were not eligible for, or were unwilling i to become, members of Sections A., B., or C.
Section P. Special constables, who, in the opinion of the chief constable of the county could undertake this duty without interfer- ing with the proper performance of their duties as special constables.
Section R. Men employed in Government departments, on war work, and railway employees.
Officers and men of Sections A., B. and C. were required to sign an agreement to serve for the duration of the war, and to carry out a definite number of drills per month, becoming liable to penalites under the Army Act if they failed to fulfil their obligations. The sum of 2 was granted to the Territorial asso- ciations concerned for each Volunteer on his satisfying the prescribed authority that he had attained the requisite standard of efficiency. It was then the duty of the association to provide him, as a first charge on the grant of 2, with uniform, the balance, if any, being available for general administrative purposes.
The retention of Section D. men, who undertook no obligation, was a weakness to the force, and Sections P. and R. were also of little value, as they could not be depended upon to be available when required, and afforded to many a means of avoid- ing' military obligations. Just before the Armistice, War Office instructions were issued ordering the discharge of all Volunteers over 55 years of age, and also of all who refused to agree to serve for the duration of the war. This would have had the effect of reorganizing the force on a really sound basis.
In Sept. 1916, the general administrative control of the re- constituted Volunteer Force was transferred to the director- general of the Territorial and Volunteer Forces at the War Office, the local administration in 'the counties being undertaken by Territorial Force associations, in consultation with county commandants. The Central Association Volunteer Training Corps then became mainly an advisory body. A senior staff officer for Volunteer services was appointed to each command and was made responsible to the general officer commanding-in-chief.
Voluntary efforts of service by corps or individuals were accepted by general officers commanding-in-chief of commands, and all kinds of pre-emcrgency duties were undertaken. When so employed, Volunteers were not entitled to army pay and allowances, but received iree travelling warrants, and an allow- ance at the rate of sd. per head for each complete period of six hours worked; this amount being paid to the corps for the provision of rations. The following were some of the duties thus undertaken. There was a complete scheme for guarding the various lines of communication by Volunteers, and many men carried out this guard duty on a " rota " system, which enabled them to carry on their normal work as well. A large amount of trench digging, principally in connexion with the London de- fence scheme was also undertaken. Much useful pre-cmcrgency work was performed by the R.A.S.C., M.T. (V), in evacuating ambulance trains, distributing men arriving home on leave from the different theatres of war, conveying wounded to and from hospitals, and in the provision of transport necessary in the train- ing of other branches of the force. The services of the R.G.A. (V) were in some cases utilized, on a " rota " system, in manning the guns of batteries on the coast at night, men attending at 7 130 P.M. and leaving at 5 A.M. the following morning. And Volunteers, especially in London, were employed on anti-aircraft duties.
Service in the Volunteer Force was not allowed to interfere in any way with the operation of the Military Service Acts, which subsequently withdrew a large number of the original Volunteers. These men were replaced by others, who, though fit and capable, _ were very busily employed on work of national importance, and were not only for the most part lacking in enthusiasm, but had little time for training. The Military Service Act of 1918 made service in the Volunteer Force compulsory for men exempted by military tribunals. This, of course, meant the administration of conscripts into a so-called " Volunteer " Force.
The formation of special service companies of the Volunteer Force for a limited period of whole-time service, replacing personnel of T.F. cyclists battalions on the E. coast, was under- taken in June 1918. In almost every county the Volunteers were most desirous of carrying out this duty. But the minimum period of service was fixed at two months, and strict medical limitations were laid down. Consequently there was difficulty in
