Britain's Home Defenders
Britain's Home Defenders is an article published in the Daily Express on 26 november 1914.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was among the speakers.
Britain's Home Defenders
NEW TRAINED BANDS TO RESIST INVASION.
LORD MAYOR'S APPEAL.
A great meeting, which was attended by representatives of volunteer training corps all over the country, was held yesterday at the Guildhall. It was convened by the Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps, and was presided over by the Lord Mayor.
Among those on the platform wore Lord Desborough president of the association, Lord Leigh, Sir E. Clarke, Sir F. Schuster, Mr. H. G. Wells, the Marquis of Lincolnshire, General Sir O'Moore Creagh, V.C., Sir A. Conan Doyle, Lord Glenconner, the Marquis of Winchester, and the Public Trustee (Mr. C. J. Stewart).
The Lord Mayor, in his opening speech, said that if he thought the movement was to be in any way a substitute or an alternative for recruiting by those who were competent and capable of serving with the colours he would have nothing to do with it.
"The association," he said, "is reminiscent of the trained bands which rendered to the reigning sovereign such brilliant service in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The present movement revives the spirit of those trained bands, and is managed on the principles of the original Volunteers.
"The association has been intrusted with a task of co-ordinating all the voluntary efforts throughout the country for the defence of home undertaken by men willing to become efficient in drill, training, and shooting. At present there are 10,000 corps all over the United Kingdom. I hope that all cities and municipalities will come forward to finance such a good and patriotic scheme."
CALL FOR OFFICERS.
Lord Desborough said that he had received a letter from the well-known cricketer, Mr. P. F. Warner, who was now employed in securing officers for the new armies of Lord Kitchener, and who had asked him to send the names of gentlemen qualified to take commissions in the Regular forces. That would be a duty which the association and himself would do to the best of their ability.
Some of the corps (he said) had attained a very high state of efficiency, and had cyclist sections, pontoon sections, or signalling sections, and one even had a field kitchen and was engaged in digging trenches when he paid it a visit of inspection.
Sir A. Conan Doyle declared that all the men willing to help in case of invasion, unless they ban military training, would be of no more use to the country than if they were so many women or professional footballers.
A resolution endorsing the movement was passed, and the meeting closed with the singing of the National Anthem and cheers for the King.
During the meeting the Lord Mayor announced that the City of London Territorial Force Association had been ordered that morning to form six more battalions. It was stipulated, he said, that 80 per cent of the members of the new battalions must enlist for foreign service.
One of the new battalions was that of the Honourable Artillery Company, four would be embodied in the City of London Fusiliers, and one with the London Rifle Brigade.
IN THE EVENT OF INVASION.
In the House of Commons yesterday Mr. Tennant, Under-Secretary for War, replying to Mr. Touche, described how the Volunteer Training Corps would be used in the event of invasion.
"Their utility in time of emergency," he said, "will be to remove stock and help the threatened inhabitants, and lend as instance generally to the military operations.
UNWORKABLE RULES.
To the Editor of the "Daily Express."
Sir, — Representatives of the committee of the King's Norton Rifle Corps attended a meeting called at tho Guildhall to-day by the Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps.
Delegates attended from various corps all over the country, and listened to a number of speeches. At the close of the meeting a considerable number of delegates waited in the body of the hall and expressed much discontent that the rules issued by the War Office were not discussed, and that no business other than that affecting the London corps was transacted.
As it is important that those corps all over the country should know that the War Office rules have not be an adopted, I shall be glad if you will permit me to point this out, and that, those rules only form the basis of discussion and negotiation between the Central Volunteer Association and the War Office.
Rules Nos. 1 and 7 are admittedly unworkable, since, if adopted and carried out, these voluntary corps would be the means of exercising a compulsion, which the Government itself dare not exercise.
E. A. BRESMAN,
Hon. Sec.,
King's Norton (Worcs) Rifle Corps.
Rules Nos. 1 and 7 provide that men of military age who join the new force must agree to enlist if specially called on by recruiting officers, who may visit the corps for this purpose at any time.
LORD MAYOR'S APPEAL.
The following appeal was issued yesterday by the Lord Mayor:—
Mansion House, Nov. 25, 1914.
On entering on my year of office I appeal to you, the citizens of the greatest and most populous city of the Empire, to come forward in your thousands for the defence of our beloved country.
Remember that the real defence of our shores lies in beating back the enemy in France. Our brave soldiers in the trenches are in very truth defending the sanctity of their homes and the freedom of this country.
Fellow citizens, I rely on you not only to do your share, but to show a glorious example to every city of our world-wide Empire.
Charles Johnston,
Lord Mayor.
MANCHESTER'S "BANTAMS."
The Lord Mayor of Manchester yesterday received authority from the War Office to form a battalion consisting of men between 5ft. and 5ft. 3ins. in height. In anticipation of the decision, the men gave in their names on Tuesday and yesterday to the number of 1,208.
