Army morale and national service possibilities

[Mike Reed]

and young men in that era until 1960 were conscripted to supplement the armed forces.

I remember conscription to national service being axed around autumn of '58, Tony. I was to be sent to British Columbia (relatives) as my 18th birthday was in November '58. In the end, I wasn't called up and the B.C. scheme folded, so I started my working life in Tooting as there was nothing in my home town (Sheerness). £4.16 per week as a clerk, with £2 for a room in a Jamaican lady's house. Bit of a struggle but a good grounding in retrospect.

 

[eevo1969]

The kids will be more tooled up than the army. Another gimmick by the Tory fools.
edited for the shakes

 

[palacefan]

I remember conscription to national service being axed around autumn of '58, Tony. I was to be sent to British Columbia (relatives) as my 18th birthday was in November '58. In the end, I wasn't called up and the B.C. scheme folded, so I started my working life in Tooting as there was nothing in my home town (Sheerness). £4.16 per week as a clerk, with £2 for a room in a Jamaican lady's house. Bit of a struggle but a good grounding in retrospect.

BC would have been a great posting Mike. Lots of confusion about the dates some comments say that 1960 was the official end date and the last demob was 1963.

Perhaps you got lucky and escaped capture because they cancelled BC or did not require any one beyond Letter R in the alphabet.

I was born before the war and suffered micky taking by a younger brother born 1945 who missed out.

Hope you are keeping well. Best Wishes.

 

[TheFlash]

Let's remind ourselves that the National Service mentioned in the headlines is not National Service as most of us understand the term. By conversing as if it is, we reinforce the Tory spin thing.

 

[RJohan]

You don't want to live in fascist state, like I do, where young men are pressganged into the military. I have the experience.