Army discharge papers

[dot.hawkes]

Hi
I have obtained a copy from my ex husband's cousin of army discharge papers for their mutual great uncle. There are sets of papers including his enlistment papers dated oct 1914 and the discharge papers dated oct 1914.
The reason for discharge was 'not expected to make an efficient soldier', it says he was to be in the infantry.

His vital statistics say he was 5ft 2 and a half, weighed 113 lbs.

Is that likely to be the reason why? it does not mention any health issues.

My own Grandad was onlt 5ft 6ins and very very slim build, but he went to the Somme and stayed in as reserve til 1928, and he joined at 16 too!!

[Hammond Egg]

http://www.forrestdale.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Ki ngsRegs1912/Para392Introduction.html


should tell you what you want to know - most likely reason appears to be medical unfitness. Para 3 is the one that covers
the case you mention. I don't think height would have had anything to do with it, he may have had some longstanding physical condition which prevented him from serving.

[dot.hawkes]

thanks for that!! Very very good link, I shall pass that info on, he did die in his 40s i believe.

[Peter Pedant]

Hi Dot Kiss kiss !
You have been such help generally that I hope my two penny worth is useful

5 ' 2" (to use old units) and 50kg
50 kg is pretty geeky and it may have been used to show a tendency (diathesis) towards TB (consumption) which had only just been shown to be infectious (1890s)
Normal wt is now 70 kg - which is one-and-a-half your gt uncles. Wow - small.

actually I am just astounded that anyone was found to be unfit to be cannon fodder. IN 1940, my father was asked, Can he kill Germans ? Yes. Well enlist him.

Nonetheless the txtbks record that the impetus for public health was given a boost during the Great War because the recruiters were appalled at the quality of volunteers coming from the slums of Brum and Manchester.

The War did other things - in 1915 there was an enquiry into maternal mortality - women dying in childbirth - because someone noticed that the mortality had not dipped from ...er......1815 (!) Despite asepsis, antisepsis and anaesthesia. This led to the medicalisation of pregnancy - pregnancy is an illness and needs doctors to treat it - and the growth of antepartum care - which DID reduce mortality. [Apparently walking into a hospital and saying I have concealed this pregnancy for 8 1/2 mo and now I am gonna have a baby in 45 mins carries an appreciable death rate - which everyone did up to 1915]