ARMY OF BRITAIN’S HOME FRONT

Evening Star, Issue 23699, 5 October 1940, Page 3

ARMY OF BRITAIN’S HOME FRONT

VOLUNTEERS OF THE OLD WORLD (By David England.) Britain’s new Local Defence Volunteers are helping to strengthen the national defence at the points where it was weakest, although it would have seemed ridiculous not long back to suggest forming an “ Army of the Home Eront ” to repel invaders from the skies.

The excellent response from all oyer the country proved that the old spirit which was so obvious at tho time of tho Armada and the Napoleonic Wars, tho two occasions during the past nine centuries when there was a serious threat of invasion, still lives. For the system of volunteers is an old one, and has played a great part in the history of Britain. The Militia, revived last, year, were a resuscitation of tho old Militia, who wore very important bodies of troops from the middle of the eighteenth century onwards. Side by side with them wore trained ,men who had volunteered to join the forces. In the days of the Napoleonic Wars Britain was just as highly organised as now to repel any invader, . alid tho alarm was given by means of tho lighting of beacons. On one occasion, 1804, a Berwickshire beacon was fired by accident, and from peak to peak the message flew. Bv next morning all—or most of—the volunteers in southern Scotland w'ere mustered and under arms, although some had to ride from 30 to 40 miles, and others had to travel over rough tracks. Sir Walter Scott left an account of tho mustering.

Similarly, at the time of the coming of the Armada, tho message flashed from cast to west and from south to north, as described in a poem by Macaulay 'The main mustering places W'ere at Harwich, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Falmouth, and Tilbury, and a note of the Privy Council in the time of Elizabeth records the numbers who could be thus assembled. In all it is estimated that 70,000 raeu could bo mustered in 24 hours, in addition to the more regular troops of the period, and they were in all essentials volunteers.

It was in the eighteenth century, however, that volunteers in the more modem sense of the terra came into their own. A very famous branch of the movement w T as the Yeomanry. The officers of this historic force were country gentlemen and, as the name painly indicates, the majority consisted of farmers and yeoman who provided their own horses. A Militia Bill was passed 1757, and four years later the Yeomanry was formed. War always acts as a stimulant of recruiting, and when the wars with Franco began 5,000 men volunteered. Some years later, when Napoleon was toying with the idea of invasion, the Yeomanry was rapidly expanded, the several tnousand men already recruited forming a nucleus. It is said that in 1803 the numbers had already grown to 44,000. With the return of peace the numbers dropped to about a quarter of that total, but the force was again expanded at the time of the South African War. The Yeomanry formed a first-class training organisation for men who later performed heroic service iq Africa. A few years later the Yeomanry became part of the new Territorial force. DuriVig the World War the only theatre where cavalry could be employed in the classic fashion was in Palestine, Allenby’s campaign there being one of the most celebrated in history, and there the Yeomanry regiments did magnificent work.

_ As for volunteers on foot, during the eighteenth century every parish had to provide so many militiamen. For some years the volunteers were voluntary substitutes for these militiamen, but afterwards special corps, quite distinct from the militia, were formed. After the Seven Years’ War and the War of American Independence were over and a period of peace appeared to be ushered in, the Volunteers were disbanded. But as. uhth the Mounted Yeomanry the Napoleonic threat soon sent the men of Britain rushing to the colours again in one way and another. At the beginning of last century the British Islands had a regular army, a militia, and no fewer than 380,000 Volunteers—striking proof of the spirit of patriotism and the determination to resist invasion which animated the people. After the fall of Napoleon most of the Volunteers were disbandedAbout half a century later, when the Continent was again characterised by unsettled conditions, another “ Volunteer Force ” was formed, and a commentator of the time, when writing of the famous long bow of England, said; “ The ancient weapon of England had degenerated into a plaything, but in the Volunteer movement we have a revival of the spirit which made the long bow so formidable in the ‘ happy hitting hands’ of our ancestors; and we may say of the rifle as of the bow; ‘ Youth should use it for the most honest pastime in peace, that men might handle it as a most sure weapon in time of war.’ ” Although the movement was entirely aimed at the protection of the Homeland, oven then there were those whoSe consciences were pricked as to whether it was right to join the Volunteers. We read that in May, 1861, the Reformed Presbytery, meeting in Edinburgh, had to discuss the question as to whether it was right for young men in their body to become Volunteers—some were so anxious to do so they had already enlisted. “Highly patriotic and almost loyal views wore expressed on the Volunteer question and warm expressions of admiration and love for Her Majesty were uttered, and of willingness to defend her person and protect the soil

from invasion. . . .” In the cud no recommendation was made as to holding aloof from tho movement. Eighty years back there were well over 100,000 Volunteers, and their enthusiasm is evident when it is stated that they had to supply all. their own equipment. This onerous condition of service was removed when the Government decided on maintaining them as part of the regular defensive system. The second line of Britain’s defence after the Regular Army thus became composed of patriotic citizens who spared what time they could from their civil occupations to fit themselves for home defence. They were to be called out in times of “ imminent national danger and great emergency.” During the South African War a number of those men went into the Yeomanry for service overseas, and in all no less than one-third of the force declared their willingness to join the regular forces. Tho movement came to an end when the organisation was absorbed into the now Territorial Force, but it had played an honourable and valuable part in the historv of the defence of Britain.