Special Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Special Reserve |
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Recruitment poster for the British Army and Special Reserve
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| Active | 1908–1919 |
| Country |  UKGBI |
| Type | Army reserve |
The Special Reserve was a special group of soldiers in the British Army. It was created on April 1, 1908. Its main job was to have extra soldiers ready for the army. It also trained new soldiers during wartime.
This group was part of big changes to the military. These changes were led by Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, who was the Secretary of State for War. The Special Reserve replaced an older group called the Militia. Many militiamen did not join the new Special Reserve. Because of this, the Special Reserve often did not have enough soldiers or officers.
Soldiers in the Special Reserve joined for six years. They had six months of basic training when they first joined. After that, they trained for three to four weeks every year.
The Special Reserve was set up in groups called battalions. These battalions helped the regular army's infantry regiments. Besides sending new soldiers to the regular army, the Special Reserve also protected Britain at home. They guarded the coast and important places during the First World War. After the war, the Special Reserve was ended in 1919. The Militia was brought back in 1921 to do a similar job.
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Why Was the Special Reserve Created?
For a long time, people in England and the UK did not fully trust a large, permanent army. Because of this, there were many part-time military groups. The oldest of these was the English Militia. It had been around since the 1500s.
By the late 1800s, the British Militia was a group of volunteers. It was meant to help the regular army defend the country. Other groups like the Yeomanry and the Volunteer Force also helped. These groups were not meant to fight overseas. They often lacked good organization, equipment, and training. They also did not work well together or with the regular army.
Making the Army Stronger
The British Army was small but had many duties defending the empire. To help with this, changes were made starting in 1871. These changes aimed to connect the part-time groups with the regular army. For example, the Gloucestershire Regiment was formed in 1881. It combined two regular army battalions with two Militia battalions. This made the Militia less independent. It became more of a way for men to join the regular army.
Even with these changes, the army still needed more soldiers. During the Second Boer War around 1900, Britain's defenses at home became very weak. The government had to ask for volunteers to help the regular forces overseas. Many militiamen and volunteers joined the army to fight in South Africa.
How the Special Reserve Was Formed
The problems during the Boer War showed that the army needed more help. Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, the Secretary of State for War, made new plans. He created a six-division Expeditionary Force for fighting overseas. He also reorganized the part-time forces into the Territorial Force. This new force was better trained and equipped.
Haldane wanted to use the Militia as a reserve. But the Militia leaders did not agree. So, Haldane decided to get rid of the Militia completely. Instead, he created the Special Reserve. Both the Special Reserve and the Territorial Force started on April 1, 1908.
Setting Up the Battalions
The Special Reserve's infantry units became part of the regular army's system. Most infantry regiments got a 3rd (Reserve) battalion. Some regiments with more battalions got a 5th and 6th (Reserve) battalion. There were also some "Extra Reserve" battalions.
These reserve battalions were meant to provide new soldiers for the regular army. They also helped the Territorial Force with home defense. Haldane also hoped that Extra Reserve battalions could serve overseas.
Soldiers in the Special Reserve were volunteers. They had to be at least 17 years old. They signed up for six years. They had six months of training when they joined. Then, they trained for three to four weeks each year. Officers for the Special Reserve came from a new group called the Special Reserve of Officers.
Challenges in Getting Soldiers
About 35,000 former militiamen joined the Special Reserve. This was about 60 percent of the old Militia. Another 20,000 new recruits joined. But many of them left to join the regular army or were rejected for health reasons.
The Special Reserve often struggled to find enough recruits. It was usually 16–18 percent short of its goal of 80,300 soldiers. Because the training was long, many recruits were unemployed or very young. Some boys as young as 15 were accepted. Getting enough officers was also a big problem.
The Special Reserve in World War I
When the First World War started on August 4, 1914, Special Reserve units went to their war posts. For example, the 3rd Battalion, Border Regiment, defended the Thames and Medway rivers. The 3rd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, guarded the Royal Arsenal in London. The 3rd Battalion, Essex Regiment, took up defense duties in Harwich.
At the same time, Special Reserve battalions helped manage the flow of new soldiers. They helped with both their own reservists and the new recruits for Kitchener's New Army. This made battalions grow to 2,000 men. They started sending new soldiers to the regular battalions fighting overseas. For example, the 3rd Essex Battalion sent 300 men to its 2nd Battalion.
The huge number of new soldiers caused problems. Depots became very crowded. Special Reserve units had a high turnover of men. They constantly sent soldiers to replace those fighting and getting injured in France.
Supporting the War Effort
By September 1914, the Special Reserve had sent 35,000 replacement soldiers. It started to run short of trained men. Many of its instructors also left to join the New Army. In the first year of the war, the 3rd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, sent over 3,800 officers and men to its regular battalions. Almost every reserve battalion did similar work.
Field Marshal Sir John French said the Special Reserve faced great difficulties. They had to train new soldiers and defend Britain at the same time. In 1915, Special Reserve units also helped train other volunteer groups.
When conscription (forced military service) started in 1916, the Special Reserve battalions continued to train replacements for their own regular battalions. If they were full, new recruits went to the centralized Training Reserve.
In 1916, some Special Reserve battalions, called 'Extra Reserve' battalions, were sent to fight on the Western Front. These battalions saw a lot of action. Examples include:
- 7th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
- 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
- 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment
Most Special Reservist units at home had few casualties. Some were from air raids, like the 3rd Battalion, Manchester Regiment, which lost 31 men during a Zeppelin raid in 1916. Most losses were due to sickness or training accidents.
After the War
After World War I, the Special Reserve had only about 9,000 soldiers left. A committee decided in July 1919 that it should be ended. By the end of that year, it had mostly stopped existing. Because its wartime duties were mostly routine, it was not often mentioned in regimental histories after the war.
In 1921, the Special Reserve was renamed the Militia. Its units still had the same job: providing a reserve for the regular army. But no effort was made to recruit new soldiers, except in Northern Ireland. Militia battalions existed on paper until they were officially ended in April 1953. In 1924, the Special Reserve/Militia's role was taken over by the Supplementary Reserve. This new group provided special technical support to the regular army during emergencies.
