When civilian drilling was more important than military drill

I have made mention in previous blog entries of the recall of around 200 men of the 4th Battalion after their mobilisation in August, 1914. Many had key skills that simply could not be replaced overnight and local employers were understandably alarmed about the loss of so many skilled men to what in effect was rather mundane sentry duty in the south of England.

An example was Private Edward Smith, of Great Urswick. He had enlisted on June 11th, 1911, as a peace-time Territorial and, upon mobilisation, moved with the rest of the 4th Battalion to duty guarding the Great Western Railway. In doing so, he left behind his work as a driller (machinist) at Vickers' Shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, a fairly specialised occupation.

On February 2nd, 1915, he was recalled and returned to his trade at Barrow, but still remained a mobilised member of the Territorial Force. He remained subject to Military Authority - and recall to the Colours at any time - although, to the best of my knowledge, he never again wore a uniform. Assuming that he had signed the Imperial Service Obligation agreeing to serve overseas then he may have worn an Imperial Service Badge to protect him from accusations of "slacking" or cowardice.

In February, 1917, he was renumbered - along with all Territorial Soldiers - and allocated the new number 200127. I don't know his original Service Number but would guess it was around 1745. Shortly after this, in March, 1917, his term of service with the Territorial Force expired and he was formally discharged, all the while continuing to work at the shipyard.

Then in May he became ill, being diagnosed with tuberculosis, from which he ultimately died on April 11th, 1919. His surviving records acknowledged that he contracted the illness while still officially a soldier and so he was awarded a pension, and when he died, he was accorded official commemoration by the Imperial War Graves Commission.

He is buried in Urswick (St. Mary) Churchyard and, following a 2005 campaign by a resident of the village, his name is now also inscribed on Urswick War Memorial, and quite rightly so.