Rise of the Footsoldier: A social history of the Temporary Gentlemen of the Auxiliary

Eamonn T. Gardiner NUI Galway

Temporary Nature – of RIC temporary in nature • Staffed by Temporary Cadets • Former Temporary Officers

– Q. Who served in ADRIC? • Personal history & trends

– Q. Place in Hierarchy of Organisation? • All equal or some more equal than others?

– Q. Class bias during and after War? • More of the same?

British Expeditionary Force

• BEF ’s war fighting body

• Self contained 100,000 men/ 7 I Division Divisions II Division • 6 Infantry III Division • 1 Cavalry BEF IV Division • Small by continental armies. V Division • Dwarfed by Germany. • Expanded significantly by VI Division

Kitchener Cavalry • ‘New Armies’ Division

Temporary Gentlemen • Need for 30,000+ New Officers for New Armies

• Training Corps (OTC) at Universities

• Officer Cadet Battalions (OCB) after having served in ranks

• 107,900+ ‘Temporary Gentlemen’ temporarily commissioned from Officer Training Corps parading at enlisted ranks Oundle School, c.1913 http://www.ww1schools.com/temporary-gentlemen.html. • Only for duration of the War Officer Cadet Battalions

Officer Cadet Battalion: 9th Scottish http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=194698 Temporary Officer Training Battalions OTB Number Location 1 Newton Ferrers 2 Pembroke College, Cambridge 3 Bristol 4 Oxford 5 Trinity College, Cambridge 6 Balliol College, Oxford 7 Moore Park, County Cork, Ireland 8 Lichfield 9 Gailes, Ayrshire 10 Gailes, Ayrshire 11 Pirbright 12 Newmarket 13 Newmarket 14 Berkhamstead 15 Romford 16 Kinmel, Rhyl 17 Kinmel, Rhyl 18 Bath 19 Pirbright 20 Crookham, Aldershot 21 Crookham, Aldershot 24 (Tank Corps) Hazeley Down, Winchester Household Bushey 1 Cavalry Netheravon Garrison Jesus College, Cambridge Interpreting Temporary Officer Medal Cards Awarded the MC (Military Cross), DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal) & MM (Military Medal).

“Comm”, for “commissioned from ranks”

“R&F” = “Rank and File” (i.e. Originally and Enlisted Man ) roll L/105B15 page 2556, TNA

http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/interpretmic.html

Wartime Service

• Officer Corps heavily overrepresented with Upper Classes

• Regular Officers looked down on Temporary Officers.

• Massive attrition rate during war – Subalterns had short lives at the Front. Rates of Attrition

Source: http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/memoir/docs/statistics/diagrams/d51.gif Post-war and Demobilization • June 1919 – 3,000,000+ soldiers & officers demobilized.

• Working odd-jobs to survive hardships.

• Peacetime wages <£200 p.a. (Mottram in Bank)

– Wartime wages up to £360 (same wage paid to Auxiliaries). 250 £1

200

150

100

50

0 1914 1915 1918 Junior Officers wages 1914-1918: Figures in pence (240d = £1)

Officer Corps Class Bias discussing delinquent …

Colonel (sweetly). "BUT ISN'T THAT BETTER THAN BEING A "BUT THERE—WHAT CAN YOU PERMANENT EXPECT? HE'S ONLY ONE OF BLIGHTER?" THOSE TEMPORARY BLIGHTERS!"

Punch Magazine, c. 1916 Joining the Auxiliary Division

The Times Who Attested?

• Munro & Lycette – Both promoted from enlisted ranks

• Officers trying to survive by working where they could. – Cooks, Musicians, Begging. Auxiliary Register

• TNA HO 184/50 The Auxiliary Register & Nominal Roll.

• Sample of 1000 entries. – Largely Subaltern Ranks – 800+ entries with actionable data – 481 Lieutenants (Army/RFC/RMLI) – 133 2nd Lieutenants (Army/RFC/RMLI) – 8 Sub-Lieutenants (Navy/Merchant Marine) – 2 Midshipmen (Navy/Merchant Marine) – 2/3 of Sample: ¼ of Division.

• Captain & = 175 • = 6 • Brigadier = 2

Commission Types within ADRIC Figures from TNA HO 184/50

16%

27% Officer

Probable Officer

11% 46% Temporarily promoted from ranks

Probable Temporarily promoted from ranks Class vs Positions of Authority

Regular Commissions Temporary Commissions

Commandant Deputy-Commandant Adjutant

Company Commander Company Commander Company Commander Company Commander Company Commander Company Commander Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander Deputy-Company Commander

ADRIC Attestation Timescale

Date of Attestation No. attesting

Aug 1920 51 Oct 48 46 45 1920 July 43 42 1920 40 37 36 34 32 30 27 26 25 25 23 23 22 Sept 22 20 1920 16 14 13 12 12 11 9 6 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556575859606162636465 Career Mobility New Units