Medical requirements for enlisting during WWI

Snickers Man

Does anyone know how stringent medical examinations were for ordinary infantrymen joining up in WWI?

I ask because I am curious as to why my grandfather was the only one of six brothers never to have served in the army.

For a long time I thought he might have been too young for service in WWI but the census records of 1901 and 1911 reveal that he was of prime military age when war broke out. By that time one of his brothers had already been killed in some colonial war, another three were regular soldiers and the fifth joined up when war broke out.

There are any number of reasons why my grandfather might not have joined.

As the youngest son he might have been prevailed upon by his widowed mother to stay behind, or he may just not have fancied it, or he may, although this is doubtful, have had more determinedly nationalist/republican views than the rest of his family.

He could, of course, have failed the medical. I know he was a diabetic. (It eventually killed him before he was 50) Would detectable diabetes have kept a man out of active service in WWI?

johnny_doyle

at the start of WW1 the army was very keen to take anyone hence so many under age soldiers. Height was an issue and later height was lowered with the creation of Bantam Battalions.

I've not come across diabetes as an issue.

A lot of those accepted early in WW1 were later discharged as "unlikely to make an efficient soldier". Any chance your man was one of these?

spurious

If there was a biggish farm he may have been exempted to run it, if all the other brothers were gone.

tac foley

Flat feet would have done it for him in the early days, as would deafness or poor eyesight, up to an including lack of vision in one eye.

One old boy I knew in North Wales was turned down for military service in WW2, not simply because he literally spoke not a word of English, but because of his flat feet. Nevertheless, when I made his acquaintance back in the late sixties, he could quite happily carry a sheep under each arm up the usual 45 degree slope found on most Welsh sheep farms.

Spurious' suggestion, however, is the more likely reason.

tac

Snickers Man

tac foley wrote: »

Flat feet would have done it for him in the early days, as would deafness or poor eyesight, up to an including lack of vision in one eye.

Spurious' suggestion, however, is the more likely reason.

tac

I think in one of Spike Milligan's war memoirs his medical inspection consists of the question "Have you ever had flat feet, varicose veins, piles or asthma?"

Of course, those who have read Bombardier Milligan's memoirs will know that it was piles which eventually, indirectly, led to his being invalided out of active service and sent to play trumpet in the band but that's another story.

The farm exemption wouldn't have counted in my grandad's case. He was an inner-city plumber.

spurious

Snickers Man wrote: »

The farm exemption wouldn't have counted in my grandad's case. He was an inner-city plumber.

He may still have been considered too useful at home to send away.
There are probably records somewhere showing it.

ohnonotgmail

Snickers Man wrote: »

Does anyone know how stringent medical examinations were for ordinary infantrymen joining up in WWI?

I ask because I am curious as to why my grandfather was the only one of six brothers never to have served in the army.

For a long time I thought he might have been too young for service in WWI but the census records of 1901 and 1911 reveal that he was of prime military age when war broke out. By that time one of his brothers had already been killed in some colonial war, another three were regular soldiers and the fifth joined up when war broke out.

There are any number of reasons why my grandfather might not have joined.

As the youngest son he might have been prevailed upon by his widowed mother to stay behind, or he may just not have fancied it, or he may, although this is doubtful, have had more determinedly nationalist/republican views than the rest of his family.

He could, of course, have failed the medical. I know he was a diabetic. (It eventually killed him before he was 50) Would detectable diabetes have kept a man out of active service in WWI?

out of all the things you have mentioned his diabetes is probably the most likely. Pre 1922 when insulin was invented the treatments for diabetes were mostly dietary based and would not be conducive to a life of active military service. Even now militarys will not take somebody with diabetes.

johnny_doyle

Snickers Man wrote: »

The farm exemption wouldn't have counted in my grandad's case. He was an inner-city plumber.

Exemption would suggest conscription which didn't apply in Ireland.

Do you know which class of diabetes he suffered?