KITCHENER’S MOB
Britain’s volunteer army was created from across the nation’s social divides, and faced unparalleled tragedy on the front line of First World War
Peter Doyle is professor of history at London South Bank University, and secretary of the All Party Parliamentary War Heritage Group. He is the author (with Chris Foster) of
(History Press, 2016)
At the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, Lord Kitchener was a national hero; it is therefore not surprising that he would be called to his country’s service as Secretary of State for War. The task facing Kitchener was a huge one. With the six regular divisions of the British Expeditionary Force already committed to the Western Front, there was little left in reserve. There were regulars posted across the globe on colonial service, and there were the volunteer Territorial Force battalions whose original destiny had been service at home.
Winston Churchill recorded his impressions of the man who would ultimately shape an army in his name, “In soldierly sentences [he] proclaimed a series of inspiring and prophetic truths. Everyone expected that the war would be short; but wars took unexpected courses, and we must now prepare for a long struggle. Such a conflict could not be ended by sea power alone. It could only be ended only by great battles on the Continent. In these the British Empire must bear its part on a scale proportionate to its magnitude and power. We must be prepared to put armies of millions in the field and maintain them for several years. In no other way could we discharge our duty to our allies or to the world.”
Pre-war, there had been a decline in recruitment to the British Army, so to add sufficient men to the ranks to fight the war on the continent, there would need to be a significant ‘step up’ in recruiting men.
Kitchener’s approach was clear. He would bypass the part-time territorials and create new battalions of 1,000 men each.
Without delay, sanction was sought for the raising of 500,000 men. Recruiting for the first 100,000 was announced in the press on 8 August 1914. “A Call To Arms! Your King and Country Need You,” was carried prominently in all major regional papers. Kitchener’s call made a direct connection with the men of Britain.
On the day ‘the Call to Arms’ was announced, recruitment was steady, but not overwhelming. Why was this the case? Perhaps it was a misunderstanding about the nature of the modern soldier – after all, Rudyard Kipling had done much to paint him as a rough diamond.
It was fortunate that recruitment took a sharp upwards turn in the wake of the retreat from Mons in late August. The initial engagement of the BEF had tested the Germans, but the weight of their advance was too much. With the French armies in retreat, the BEF had no choice but to retire. ‘Thrilling’ stories of plucky soldiers filled the newspapers on Saturday 29 August. The effect on recruiting was immediate; some
“WE MUST BE PREPARED TO PUT ARMIES OF MILLIONS IN THE FIELD AND MAINTAIN THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IN NO OTHER WAY COULD WE DISCHARGE OUR DUTY TO OUR ALLIES OR TO THE WORLD”