National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers facts for kids

The National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers (NFDDSS) was a group in Britain for veterans, which means people who had served in the armed forces. It was formed to help these soldiers and sailors after they returned home.

Why Was It Started?

The NFDDSS was created in January 1917. Many London-based veterans' groups came together because they were unhappy about a new law. This law, called the Military Service (Review of Exceptions) Act 1917, meant that soldiers who had been sent home because of injuries or illness could be made to join the army again. The Federation's main ideas were "Every man once before any man twice" and "Justice before charity." This meant they believed no one should have to fight twice before everyone else had fought once, and that fairness was more important than just giving handouts.

Who Led the Federation?

At first, the Federation invited important military leaders to their meetings, but these leaders said no. So, two politicians from the Liberal Party, James Hogge and William Pringle, took charge. They worked hard to get better pensions for veterans and to make sure veterans had a say in government decisions. Later, Frederick Lister became the president. The group also believed that big businesses and land should be controlled by the government, which is called nationalisation. Even though they had different ideas, their main goals were generally about fairness and change.

Standing Up for Veterans

In 1919, the Woolwich branch of the NFDDSS organised a march to Parliament Square in London. Police used their batons (sticks) to control the crowd during this march. Other local groups worked closely with trade unions, which are groups that protect workers' rights. Some even set up soup kitchens to help people who were struggling.

The Federation had mixed feelings about the workers' movement. They agreed to a "trade union manifesto" that said members should not work during strikes to help break them. However, they were against strikes during World War I. Some of their leaders even secretly tried to stop strikes that happened after the war. In 1918, the Federation voted not to join the Labour Party, which was a political party that supported workers. The next year, they spoke out against a big railway strike. They even asked the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, to "hold firm against Labour tyranny," meaning to stand strong against what they saw as unfair control by the workers.

Because the Federation supported the government against the railway workers, many members who had more left-wing views left the group. They joined a rival group called the National Union of Ex-Service Men, which supported the railway strike.

Political Involvement

A member of the NFDDSS named F.B. Hughes tried to become a Member of Parliament in a special election in Liverpool in 1917. He ran against Edward Stanley from the Conservative Party but did not win many votes. This attempt by the NFDDSS to get into politics led the Earl of Derby to create a different veterans' group called Comrades of the Great War, which had more traditional views.

The NFDDSS also supported many candidates in the 1918 general election. Only five of these candidates were officially approved by the main committee. Other candidates were supported by local branches. For example, in Leeds, three candidates were supported by both the NFDDSS and two other groups, the Comrades of the Great War and the National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers. This joint effort was sometimes called the "Silver Badge Party". During the election campaign, two candidates, Dawson and Thompson, were no longer supported by the Federation.

Joining Forces: The Royal British Legion

In 1920, the Federation invited other veterans' groups, including the National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers (NADSS), Comrades of the Great War, and the Officers' Association, to a meeting. They wanted to talk about joining together. This merger happened in 1921, and it created the well-known organisation we know today as the Royal British Legion.