Territorial Army | Reserved Occupations | 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division | BEF
Up The Terriers Aka Territorial Army Recruiting (1939)
The Class Z Reserve was a Reserve contingent of the British Army consisting of previously enlisted soldiers, now discharged.
The first Z Reserve was authorised by an Army Order of 3 December 1918. When expected problems with violations of the Armistice with Germany did not eventuate, the Z Reserve was abolished on 31 March 1920
Following the Second World War, a new Z Reserve of soldiers and officers who had served between 3 September 1939 and 31 December 1948 were available for recall if under 45 years of age.
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The Army Reserve (previously known as the Territorial Force, Territorial Army (TA) and the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) from 1920 to 2014) was created as the Territorial Force in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane, when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force, with the mounted Yeomanry (at the same time the Militia was renamed the Special Reserve). Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Only one infantry unit, the London Regiment, has maintained a separate identity.
During periods of total war, the Army Reserve is incorporated by the Royal Prerogative into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for the duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War, for example, the Army Reserve - or Territorial Army as it was known then - was not demobilised until 1947.
New recruiting started in early 1920, and the Territorial Force was reconstituted on 7 February 1920. ... As part of the post-war "Geddes Axe" financial cuts, the TA was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps units were either reduced in size or abolished. The bounty was also reduced to £3 for trained men and £2.10s 0d for recruits, which resulted in finding £1,175,000 of the total savings required from the army as a whole. An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London.
On 29 March 1939, it was announced that the size of the TA was to be doubled by the reforming of the 2nd line units. The total strength of the TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organised in 26 divisions, while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. When the 2nd Line was reformed, they were a little different from their First World War predecessors. They had slightly different names and the regiments assigned were different. After VJ Day in August 1945, the Territorial Army was significantly reduced, with all 2nd Line and several 1st Line Divisions once again disbanded.
In 1938, a Schedule of Reserved Occupations was created with the goal of exempting skilled workers from being conscripted into service. This idea was drawn up because of lessons learned during World War I when many skilled labourers were drawn into service, which created problems where positions needed filling. Examples of reserved occupations in the Second World War included coal mining, ship building, and many engineering-related trades. The idea was constantly reviewed throughout the war, as women, again, began to work more in industries such as munitions. This meant that men were free to join other organisations such as the Special Constabulary, the Home Guard or the ARP.
It also allowed for men to join up and give them responsibilities towards the war effort, as well as allowing for them to be less stressed about not being able to directly be involved in the action. Also, many pacifists and conscientious objectors worked in reserved occupations as a compromise or to avoid call-up. Harper Adams Agricultural College saw a huge demand for places during the Second World War, as both agricultural students and farmers were exempt from conscription.
In the UK, coal mining was not a reserved occupation at the start of the war, and there was a great shortage of coal miners. Consequently, starting in December 1943, one in ten men conscripted was chosen at random to work in the mines. These men became known as "Bevin Boys" after the creator of the scheme, Ernest Bevin, the Minister of Labour and National Service.
The territorial division, by now designated as the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, was mobilized on 3 September 1939 on the outbreak of the Second World War. Initially in Southern and then Eastern Commands, the division, under the command of Major-General Edmund Osborne, was sent overseas where it joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France and Belgium on 1 April 1940, and was assigned to III Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Ronald Forbes Adam. It took part in the Battle of St Omer-La Bassée (23–29 May) during the retreat to Dunkirk. At the end of May 1940 they were evacuated at Dunkirk after the German Army threatened to cut off and destroy the entire BEF from the French Army during the battles of France and Belgium.
After returning to England the division, much reduced in manpower and woefully short of equipment, and now under the command of Major-General Arthur Percival (who had taken command in late June 1940, until late March the following year), spent the next nearly two years on home defence, anticipating a German invasion which never arrived, travelling variously through the counties of Kent and Sussex and serving under I and XII Corps.
On 29 May 1942, the division, now under the control of the War Office and commanded by Major-General Ivor Hughes, departed the United Kingdom to take part in the North African Campaign. It arrived in Cairo, Egypt on 24 July – the long sea journey being due to transiting via the Cape of Good Hope.
Less than three weeks after its arrival, however, the division was soon ordered by General Sir Harold Alexander (replacing General Sir Claude Auchinleck on 13 August), the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), Middle East, to be sent forward to join the British Eighth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, at El Alamein. The 44th Division, serving under XIII Corps under Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks (a former commander of the division between June 1941 and March 1942), fought at the Battle of Alam el Halfa (30 August–7 September) where the 132nd Brigade was temporarily detached to the 2nd New Zealand Division and suffered heavily, with just under 700 casualties being sustained.
On 8 September, the 133rd Brigade was detached from the division. It was briefly assigned to the 8th Armoured Division before being assigned to the 10th Armoured Division on 29 September as a lorried infantry unit. Therefore, as a result of this change, the division started the Battle of El Alamein (23 October–4 November) with just two brigades. It was still assigned to XIII Corps,[59] alongside the 7th Armoured and 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Divisions. The Corps was on the southern flank with the task of tying down enemy reserves while the main thrust was made in the north with XXX and X Corps. The division was further reduced when the 131st Brigade was also detached. It joined the 7th Armoured Division on 1 November, likewise as a lorried infantry brigade, as its original brigade (the 7th Motor) had been transferred to the 1st Armoured Division.
The Battle of El Alamein was the 44th Division's last action; it was disbanded on 31 January 1943. The 132nd and 133rd Brigade were dispersed, with the battalions ending up as British battalions in British Indian Army brigades. The 131st Brigade continued to serve with the 7th Armoured Division for the rest of the war, taking part in the rest of the North African Campaign, culminating in May 1943 with the surrender of almost 250,000 Axis soldiers as prisoners of war, the Allied invasion of Italy from September–November 1943, and in the campaign in North-West Europe from June 1944 until Victory in Europe Day in May 1945.
Men were expected to do basic training at their local Drill Hall, usually one or two nights a week, for which they received small expenses, and to attend an annual camp, when they were paid as full time soldiers. They also received a Bounty for regular attendance.
The TF was created for home defence but were asked to volunteer to serve abroad. Battalions garrisoned Malta and Gibraltar in September 1914 and the East Lancashire Division went to Egypt.
The first TF infantry sent to France were 14th battalion, London Regiment (London Scottish), who fought at Messines on 31st October 1914. The TF had their own port and base camp at Rouen and other units were gradually transferred to bolster the Expeditionary Force. TF Divisions fought on many fronts during the war.
After WW1 the TF was disbanded as the army reorganised on a peacetime basis, but in 1920 was reconstituted as The Territorial Army. In a long period of defence cuts the TA was an easy target and suffered from lack of money.
They continued to recruit and maintain a basic strength, holding their annual camps (which continued to be a draw for many men, promising a fortnight’s full army pay, good army food and the adventure of military training in the open). To aid recruiting some units added bars, billiard and reading rooms to their Drill Halls.
As WW2 loomed the Bounty and travelling expenses were increased and more allowances paid. By the summer of 1938, buoyed by new recruits, the TA was bigger than at any time after 1920. They were even beginning to see new equipment though, as ever, the Regulars took priority.
Most Yeomanry units replaced their horses with armoured cars. Other units retrained as searchlight and anti-aircraft units. The Munich Crisis of September 1938 saw 58,000 Territorials called up to man anti-aircraft guns around London and thousands more men were recruited. TA units trained alongside Regular Army units at their summer camps in 1938 and 1939.
On the outbreak of WW2 the Government formally incorporated the TA into the British Army. By early 1940 three former Territorial Divisions were in France, the 48th (South Midland), 50th (Northumbrian) and 51st (Highland). At Dunkirk 50th Division fought until their ammunition ran out to allow the maximum number of men to evacuate.
In the 1941 Syrian campaign the Cheshire Yeomanry became the last British unit to go into battle on horseback, crossing the frontier with swords, cap badges and stirrup irons blackened. Other TA units retrained as tank battalions and former TA units fought in the desert, in Italy, at D-Day and on into Germany.
A soldier emerges from the 'mud bath' during training at the 44th Division's battle school near Tonbridge in Kent, 22 April 1942.
Phoney war and Blitzkrieg: the territorial army in 1939–1940
At the ‘outbreak of war in 1939, the Regular army was augmented by Territorials and militia to make up the British Expeditionary Force. By May 1940, they had suffered serious defeats which, given that the Territorials had theoretically been training for years, raised worrying questions. Here Peter Caddick‐Adams explores why the TA was in fact so unprepared for war, tracing back from its initial deployment the roots the problems encountered in. out of date equipment, training, recruitment and leadership, highlighting the dichotomy’ between peacetime and wartime ‘needs. These shortcomings were exacerbated by a lack of understanding of German strength and tactics, which contributed to the defeats encountered in Belgium. After considering the credible performance of the TA against the odds, Captain Caddick‐Adams discusses the poor financing and lack of commitment on the part of the authorities during, the 1930s. Despite these difficulties, TA units performed credibly, and with increasing importance and ability throughout the war. While the TA may be much better integrated into toddy's military capabilities the author concludes that current feelings of under‐ funding and undervalue still prevail and need to be countered if today's TA is not to be taken for granted.
In the late 1930s neither the regular army nor the TA were getting enough recruits. In 1937-8 the regular army, with an establishment of about 200,000 was some 20,000 under strength, and took only 50,000 recruits compared to 70,000 in 1932. However, in April 1939 the Secretary of State for War announced the regular army's total strength as 224,000. The increasing threat of war was gaining recruits, particularly those who wanted to be sure of serving in the regiment or corps of their choice. Most TA units were well under strength, and in the 1930s their reduced establishment was only about 60% of war strength, but totaled some 436,000 including officers. TA artillery regiments had a regular army adjutant, regimental sergeant major and a small number of senior NCOs as 'permanent staff'.
According to the League of Nations Yearbook, there were about 140,000 reservists, although this figure excluded some 40,000 Supplementary Reservists mostly tradesmen whose civilian jobs were directly relevant to the army. However, most reservists were those completing their 12 years of service or had volunteered for reserve service after 12 years. There were three sections of these regular other-rank reservists, excluding the Supplementary:
A - Volunteers enrolled for 1 year at a time who agreed to be called out without Proclamation when 'warlike operations were in preparation or progress' (the Supplementary Reserve was also on this basis).
B - Men completing their 12 years of service.
C - Men who had completed 12 years service and volunteered for a further 4 years reserve service.
B and C were liable to call-out by Proclamation when there was 'imminent national danger', this also extended the service of regular soldiers due to complete their service with the colours. All three sections were liable for annual training but in practice this seldom if ever happened. All this left a substantial number of ex-regular soldiers who had not completed 21 years service and were not part of the Reserve.
There were also only 14,000 regular and 19,000 TA serving officers for the entire army. Regular officers who retired before the compulsory retiring age were liable for service in the Regular Army Reserve of Officers until they reached retiring age. There were also a few thousand reserve TA officers. Of course there were also many thousands of men in their 40s who had been officers in WW1 but were not officially reservists. To put all this in perspective nearly a quarter of a million army Emergency Commissions were granted in WW2.
Artillery strengths were:
31 Dec 1939 - 14,202 Officers, 312,309 Other ranks
31 Dec 1940 - 22,882 Officers, 443,457 Other ranks
31 Dec 1941 - 36,548 Officers, 642,188 Other ranks
Peak strength was reached in about June 1943 when all-rank totals for the British Army's arms were:
Royal Armoured Corps - 120,433
Royal Artillery - 699,993
Royal Engineers - 231,985
Royal Signals - 133,920
Infantry - 551,742
Of the RA totals about 40% was field artillery with about 7% officers, however, AA had only some 5% and Coast 3% officers.
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