National Service

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National Service

Many past members of 63 HAA Regiment, 37 Regiment and indeed 36 Regiment started their army life as

National Servicemen. I thought I would tell you a bit about National Service and Conscription which finished in 1960.

If you have any stories about your time as a National Serviceman, then please tell me your

story and I will publish it on this page.

The National Service Act was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War.

A New National Service Act came in 1945 and ended in 1963. For thousands of young men conscripted into the three

services it was their first time away from home, they all coped with it in their own way.

At 18yrs of age young men had to register for service and you had a choice, if you were doing an apprenticeship or any

sort of training for a career you could opt to defer your service until you were 21.The period of basic duty was

extended to two years in 1950 as a response to the Korean War. Although it officially ended in 1960,

the last National Serviceman was not discharged until 1963.

Initially the period of service was eighteen months but later increased to two years, this meant that men that were coming up for release

had an extra six months to serve, you can imagine how they felt.Young men having received the call-up papers had a thorough

medical and were classified A1 to A3 and then had to report to various military establishments for basic training.

In the case of the Army this was regional training depots and thereafter posted to regiments or units, many of them overseas.

Royal Air Force entrants seemed to all go to RAF Padgate for their basic training and thereafter dispersed to

RAF units all over the world. Royal Navy entrants reported to either Chatham, Portsmouth or Plymouth and then dispersal to

ships or shore establishments. In the case of the Navy conscription ended in the early 1950's, all entrants then being regular servicemen.

All three services operated along the same lines, basic training consisting mostly of drill/parade work,

(this was to instill discipline and unity of mind). then further training for a trade or job within the various units.

All NS men were treated just the same as regular servicemen, the same discipline, punishments and danger. The only

difference was the pay, National Service pay was very poor indeed!!

During the period National Service was in operation, many NS men lost their lives in action, Korea and Malaya to mention

just a couple of locations. In recent years a National Service Medal has become available.

The British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have been professional organisations since the end of National Service,

despite repeated calls from social conservatives for a return to enforced conscription.

National Service had a profound effect on British society and culture. Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones, along with many

young men, first heard and then played Rock and Roll whilst stationed in West Germany; authors like Leslie Thomas wrote books

based on their experiences; Tony Hancock, and his writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, developed their talents whilst serving in

the armed forces. Most importantly, though, National Service gave something for young men to rebel against, and the end of

National Service was when the idea of the teenager in Britain really began.

The years of National Service cover almost two decades - from World War Two to the birth of the Beatles.

In all, between 1945 and 1963, 2.5 million young men were compelled to do their time in National Service - with

6,000 being called up every fortnight.

Some went willingly, while others were reluctant but resigned. A few were downright bloody-minded, seeing little

difference between their call up and the press gangs of Britain's distant past.

At first public opinion was behind the idea of peacetime conscription, or national service. It was clear in the immediate

post war political landscape that Britain had considerable obligations, and only a limited number of men still in service.

There was Germany to be occupied with 100,000 troops; and Austria too. In the Middle East there was Palestine to

be policed, Aden to be protected, the Suez Canal Zone to be held down - as well as Cyprus, Singapore, Hong Kong and

a chain of lesser military bases.

However, in the milk bars and Lyon's tea shops of those days, no amount of government propaganda could stop

youngsters of both sexes grousing about the disruption to their lives caused by national service. It would have an effect on

education plans, young boys starting apprenticeships, and on girlfriends faced with the prospect of their partners disappearing

with only occasional leave. The only escape, so it seemed, was failing the medical.

The inventor Trevor Baylis managed to become an army physical training instructor. Like every ex-conscript,

the medical is etched into his memory - it was a comic ritual performed like everything the military did, strictly according

to king's regulations. And it ended with the dreaded moment when a lady doctor asked the young lads to

drop their trousers and cough.

The summons came a few weeks after the medical, delivered by the postman in a plain brown envelope, with the

instruction that the prospective recruit had to report to barracks for the start of ten weeks of basic training. For reasons no

one can now remember, the first day of soldiering was always on a Thursday.

Bruce Kent, many years later a leader of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, was a happy and willing warrior

in 1947, but quickly came to consider his sergeant majors as demented psychopaths, who positively enjoyed shouting

at and insulting the new recruits.

Overnight, the national servicemen had to learn a new language. 'Blanco', 'spit n polish', 'rifle oil', 'pull throughs', and

the dreaded 'bull' and 'jankers'. Once they had been shaved and kitted out - all within a few hours of arrival - the rookie

national servicemen all looked identical, even if, back in the barrack room, every man was still an individual.

The arena for the breaking in of these young men was the parade ground. In squads they learnt how to obey orders

instinctively, and to react to a single word of command, by coping with a torrent of abuse from the drill sergeants.

After basic training, the raw recruits would be turned into soldiers , sailors and airmen, and they would be posted to join

regiments at home or abroad. Nearly 400 national servicemen would die for their country in war zones like Korea and Malaya.

Others took part in atomic tests on Christmas Island, or were even used as human guinea pigs for germ warfare tests.

There are tragic stories too, of young men who simply couldn't cope with military life, or the pain of separation from their

families and for whom suicide was the only way out.

But what of the longer term impact on these men? Among the more independent young soldiers, they learnt a

contempt for the army, which damaged morale and affected the image of the army to the outside world. As news of

the absurdities of army life spread, this may have had its impact on the recruiting of regulars, which fell sharply during the 1950s.

In addition, as early as 1949, it had become apparent to political and military leaders that the principal of universal

liability to national service was a double-edged sword: not only was it supplying more men than the services could absorb,

but it was draining resources to train them, and taking fit and able young men out of the economy.

It may have started with honourable intentions of keeping Britain's post-war army viable, but nobody expected

that it would last until the 1960s and have a profound effect on an entire generation.

Check out Jack Knight's New Website about

his National Service Life and Times

For Crown and Country

My thanks to Roy Venables for the following.

Some of the last Groups of National Servicemen served in 36 Regiment

at Duisburg. The very last one's did not depart until 1962/63. Their

service was extended not long before demob by 6 months to 2 years

and six months by means of a Government announcement. I think

recruitment of regulars had not met expectations.

I was a regular Cpl and so the announcement did not cause me as

much anguish as those lads who were counting the days. One batch

was at Dusseldorf Airport waiting to go home when the announcement

was made. It was said that they had been running down the runway

with their arms extended, under the influence of a good few beers,

in a vain attempt to take off.

One or two were in tears in Glamorgan Barracks and we sympathised

with them. Quite quickly they settled down again and did their extra

time. I cannot imagine how a similar group of young blokes would

react today in similar circumstances.

National Service

1948 - 1963

Did you serve as a National Serviceman?

It is now 40 years since the last National Serviceman returned

to civvy street. An Exhibition, 730 Days until Demob,

has opened at the

National Army Museum,

Royal Hospital Road,

Chelsea, London,

Tel: 020 7730 0717.

Click on the picture to go to the Website.

National Service Medal

Films and Shows about National Service:

Carry on Sergeant (1958)

Click on Picture

The Virgin Soldiers (1969)

(based on the novel by Leslie Thomas)

Click on Picture