Are there records of reserved occupations during the Second World War?
QI have been told that my father was in a reserved occupation in the Second World War, and that this is why he was not called up. His name was Albert John Froment, born on 1 April 1908 in Enfield, Middlesex. At the outbreak of war he was a lorry driver, driving large tipper trucks to sand and gravel pits, then delivering the contents to building sites.
I am unsure of the dates, but he was initially sent to Norfolk, where he delivered sand and gravel for the building of airfields. After leaving Norfolk he was based at the bus station in Godstone, Surrey, and the intention was that he would drive coaches of children to their evacuation homes.
Where can I find records of reserved occupations? Barbara Garner
AIn 1938 Ministry of Labour statisticians began calculating how many men (and women) were necessary to keep vital industries running in wartime. The flood of volunteers at the start of the First World War had resulted in shortages of labour in key industries, so it was decided to restrict workers from some industries from being conscripted or volunteering.
On the basis of a male population aged 18–44 of 9,500,000, they calculated that 4,410,000 worked in non-vital jobs and could be conscripted.
In restricted occupations age limits (from 21 to 35) were imposed under which men could be conscripted if necessary. These restrictions were amended from time to time. Men and women were allowed to volunteer into a service trade (such as driver or mechanic) equivalent to their civilian job.
In Albert’s case, as he’d have come within the overall category of ‘Driver (Road Vehicle)’ and sub-category of ‘Lorry driver (heavy four-wheeled vehicle)’, the age restriction was 25 so he was already beyond that age when war broke out.
He could have volunteered for a driving job in the services, but there was no requirement for him to do so. Provided he remained a heavy lorry driver (even if he changed employer), he was safe. Unfortunately any surviving records on individuals still held by the Ministry for Work and Pensions (successor to the Ministry of Labour) would be retained for reasons of data protection.
You can download a free copy of the 1939 Schedule of Reserved Occupations (Provisional) at anguline.co.uk/free/reserved.pdf, which contains an explanation of how the system was to work along with named jobs and the ages at which restrictions applied. Phil Tomaselli