h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Peter.
Twice a Citizen.

Peter, I wonder if you could do some research into a particular subject. I think that you are probably the most likely person to know where to look for the information I am seeking.
It regards Pre-war volunteers not regular Force but part-time volunteers.

They really come into two categories.

1 Military forces both male and female.

RNVR and the female equivalent.

Territorial Army and the female equivalent which was I believe the ATS

RAFVR including ground crew volunteers and the female equivalent

2 Observer Corps.

3 and what might be called PAD (passive air defence) e.g. auxiliary fire service, air raid wardens and similar.

There were a number of schools that had Cadet Corps and OTC's but I would not want to include these units.

Would you have a breakdown of the Territorial Army into Divisions. Air Defence units which were not grouped into divisions at that time, also the Territorial Divisions that werethe accurate with the British Expeditionary Force in France 39 -- 40.
Another interesting but difficult thing to find would be the number of Territorial soldiers mobilised for the Munich Crisis in 1938. Another figure would be the number of Territorial units involved in partial manning prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. I believe that the codename was " Couverture".
I think that this might be quite a tall order but if anybody can find the answers I'm sure it would be you.
As this is the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war any of the people that served as part-time volunteers would be over 80 years old. I am only interested in the part-time aspect not regular forces.
I realise that this is quite a daunting task, but, I feel that people today do not realise the extent of the volunteer services prior to the second world war and the part they played holding the line.
Thank you Peter I'm sure you will come up with some very interesting figures.
Yours Aye
John

This is a tall order, John, and would require much detailed research. I can only give a general outline. I have "The Intelligent Man's Review of Europe Today" a gem of a book I picked up in almost new condition, published by Gollancz in 1933. It gives all European forces data for 1931. Britain than had 137,000 regulars and 153,000 part-time volunteers in all services. To put this in context, France than had 662,000 all-service regulars (rotated compulsory service).

As war clouds gathered, on 29 March 1939, following the Inskip Review of 1938, the government decided to double the size of the Territorial Army; to achieve this smoothly the War Office authorized the "duplication" of all units. Thus The East Yorkshire Regiment, which had only one Territorial Army battalion, the 4th, began to form a 5th Battalion as its duplicate. (Other forms of notation were less common; for example the duplicate of the 6th Battalion. The Queen's Royal Regiment was the 2/6th Battalion). In effect, the Territorial Army doubled from 13 to 26 divisions. For regiments of the British Territorial Army in 1939 go here http://regiments.org/milhist/uk/lists/ta1939.htm

Also in 1939, just before the war, the Compulsory Training Act called up reservists for six months' training, and in May conscription was introduced. The Order of Battle for the 26 divisions of the Territorial Army would require quite a thick book just to list them down to battalion level. To give you some idea, the Order of Battle 1939-1945 is a hefty quarto volume of over 600 pages. Then there would be the Air Force and Navy to tackle.

All I can do is give you the War Establishments of Divisions in 1939. This is for an infantry division and their equipment from War Establishments Volume II(1931):

All Ranks: 13,863
Pistols: 1,486
Rifles: 10,222
Rifles Atk .55: 361
LMGs: 644
Machine Guns: 56
Mortars 2": 108
Mortars 3": 18
Dischargers Smoke Generators: 56
Guns-
18/25 pounders field: 72
2 pdr Atk: 48
25-mm Atk: 27

Vehicles
Bicycles: 330
Motor cycles solo: 670
Cars misc.: 117
Carriers -
Bren: 90
Scout: 50
Ambulances: 24
Trucks-
8 cwt: 279
15 cwt: 531
Vans 12 cwt: 30
Lorries-
1 ton: 20
30 cwt: 444
3 ton: 224
Tractors Field Artillery: 156
Tanks Light: 28
Trailers: 28

The above should give you some idea of the training and special skills required. On 25 May 1939 the Army council decided that an Armoured Division was to consist of a light armoured brigade and a heavy armoured brigade, each to consist of 3 regiments of tanks, plus an armoured Support Group was to be formed consisting of artillery, engineers, and infantry,

The May 1939 tank establishment for a division was:

Armoured Division HQ: 3 light cruisers; 5 heavy cruisers = 8 tanks.
Armoured Brigade HQ: 6 light cruisers; 4 heavy cruisers = 20 tanks
Light Armoured Regiment (3): 36 light tanks; 22 light cruisers = 174 tanks
Heavy Armoured Regiment (3): 26 light cruisers; 8 CS cruisers; 15 heavy cruisers = 147 tanks ... a total of 349 tanks.

That, I'm afraid, is it in broad outline. It hardly answers your question to the degree you want. However, much of the detail you wish, John, I am fairly sure can be found at Kings College, London, in the Liddel Hart Archives. You will find a list of what's available for private research here http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/liddell/li1503b.htm on the Army, and on the Air Force here http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/liddell/li1503d.htm

If you do decide to take it further, good hunting!

Kind regards,

Peter