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  1. #1

    Default National Service 1940s

    I am a bit puzzled about the following question. A person I am researching was born in 1925. He served in the army at the end of WW2, presumably as soon as he was old enough. He then went to university in 1947, but took an accellerated course of only two years, on account of doing National Service starting in about 1949.

    My question is: since he was already over 21, and had already served in the army, why was he required to do national service? Or perhaps this was a voluntary preference on his part?

    His older brother also went to university 1945-48 having served in the RAF and joined the university air squadron. He additionally signed up to the RAFVR in 1947. Would he have been called up too? In fact, tragically he was killed in a Tiger Moth in 1948 along with his friend and university colleague Douglas William Finlay DFC (Lancaster pilot and POW).

    Grateful thanks

    Tony

  2. #2
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    National service is a system of either compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term national service comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes. Compulsory military service typically requires all male citizens to enroll for one or two years, usually at age 18 (later for university-level students), while voluntary national service requires only three months of basic military training.

  3. #3
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    Something doesn't sound right there.

    Haven't you got his service record?

  4. #4

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    National Service Act 1948

    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/...9480064_en.pdf


    Section 24 covers those with previous service. Could it be that he hadn't "clocked up" the required 12 months?
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  5. #5

    Default Grateful thanks

    Thanks everyone. And yes, it would seem that as he only joined the army in 1945 when he was old enough, he did not get in a full year of service, and so had to do national service too.

    Best wishes

    Tony

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