Recruitment (SQA National 5 History): Revision Note

Summary 

As soon as war had been declared on Germany, many Scots rushed to sign up and volunteer to fight. In this early stage, recruitment was voluntary and popular. A strong martial tradition and patriotism were important drivers of recruitment in 1914. Friends, neighbours and co-workers willingly signed up in a spirit of camaraderie in local ‘Pals battalions’.

At the same time, war hysteria grew with the surge of propaganda posters and newspapers. These shared a narrative of a quick Allied victory and shame for conscientious objectors who failed to enlist. Some Scots were attracted by the regular income, adventure and the hope that the war would be over by Christmas. By 1915, the nature of recruitment changed and conscription was introduced, making military service compulsory.

Methods of recruitment

• Propaganda posters were displayed in every Scottish town

• These encouraged duty and played on feelings of guilt if men were hesitant to enlist

  • One example is the 1915 Parliamentary Recruiting Committee poster showing a kilted Highland soldier

  • The soldier is pointing toward a peaceful rural scene with the slogan “Your country’s call -  Isn’t this worth fighting for?”

• There were recruitment meetings and speeches in halls, churches and town squares

• These were led by officials and local leaders and encouraged men to sign up to fight

  • One example of this was a rally led by Sir George McCrae in the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, in November 1914

  • Within hours of this rally, almost 300 men enlisted and over 800 within a week

  • These men became members of McCrae’s Battalion (16th Royal Scots)

• Pals battalions were established, which encouraged friends, teammates or co-workers to enlist together

  • In 1914, 16 Heart of Midlothian players enlisted (the first British team to join)

  • Many hundreds of Hearts supporters and other footballers from nearby clubs, such as Hibernian and Raith Rovers, also enlisted

• Public pressure tactics were used to encourage recruitment

  • Women associated with the Order of the White Feather publicly handed feathers to men in civilian clothes as a sign of cowardice

Reasons for enlisting

Martial tradition

• There was a strong tradition, particularly in the Highlands, of military service passed down through families and communities

• Famous kilted regiments such as the Gordon Highlanders and Black Watch were held in high regard

  • Local identities were often tied to specific kilted regiments

• Being a soldier was seen as honourable and natural to some men

Patriotism

• Some Scottish men believed it was their duty to defend Britain and the British Empire in wartime

• Lord Rosebery held a recruiting rally in Glasgow in Dec 1914, where he urged Scots to join up as a duty to Britain and Belgium

Camaraderie

• Friends, teammates and co-workers enlisted together as Pal’s Battalions

• This made them feel a sense of belonging and pride

  • An example is the Glasgow Tramways Battalion, which included many Glasgow Corporation Tramways men

Public pressure

• Public pressure drove many men to enlist as they feared being labelled publicly as a coward

• Halftime parades at football grounds like Tynescastle pushed hesitant men to enlist

Impact of recruitment

• Recruitment was highly successful in 1914 

• There was a huge response that filled Scottish military units

  • McCrae’s Battalion signed up hundreds within a week

• The impact of communities, co-workers, families and friends enlisting in Pal’s Battalions was:

  • Local communities were emptied of men

  • Services were disrupted

• As the war progressed, losses hit the same neighbourhoods and industries hard

• Heart of Midlothian lost many first-team players to McCrae’s Battalion.

• By 1915, recruitment started to decrease because:

  • It became clear that the war was not going to be won by Christmas

  • The number of casualties grew

  • The realities of trench conditions and trench warfare became more widely known

• Recruitment rallies in Edinburgh and Glasgow  drew fewer volunteers

• Falling volunteer numbers led to the Miltary Service Acts from 1916-1918

  • This led to conscription (compulsory military service) for single men aged 18-41

  • This was later extended to include married men

  • By 1918 the upper age limit was increased to 51

• Local tribunals in cities such as Aberdeen and Dundee decided exemptions for men in reserved industries such as the Clyde shipyards