First World War - 100 Years Today - Joining Up By George Coppard

For the 100^th Anniversary of the start of the Great War, I am posting a small extract from the excellent book by George Coppard “With A Machine Gun To Canbrai.”

I think this interesting snippet captures how many young men felt in those days in early August 1914.

"Glossing over my childhood, I merely state that in 1914 I was just an ordinary boy of elementary education and slender prospects. Rumours of war broke out and I began to be interested in the Territorials trampling the streets in their big strong boots. Although I seldom saw a newspaper, I knew about the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at Savajevo. News placards screamed out at every street corner and military bands blared out their martial music on the main streets of Croydon, This was too much for me to resist, and as if drawn by a magnet, I knew I had to enlist straight away.

I had no fixed idea of what branch of the Army I wanted to join and considered I would be lucky if I was accepted at all. Although weighing over ten stone I was very much a boy in heart and mind. Towards the end of August I presented myself to the recruiting sergeant at Mitcham Road Barracks, Croydon. There was a steady stream of men, mostly working types, queuing up to enlist.  The sergeant asked my age and when told replied, “Clear off son. Come back tomorrow and see if you’re nineteen, eh?”  So I turned up again the next day and gave my age as nineteen. I attested in a bunch of a dozen others and, holding up my right hand, swore to fight for King and Country. The sergeant winked as he gave me the King’s  shilling, plus one shilling and ninepence ration money for that day. I believe he also got a shilling for each man he recruited.

I see from my discharge papers that I enlisted on 27^th August 1914. As I was born on 28^th January 1898, it follows that I was 16 years and 7 months old. The Battle of Mons had just been fought, and what was left of the Old Contemptibles was engaged in the famous retreat. I knew nothing about this. Like a log flung like into a giant river, I had only just started to move. Later on I was pushed from behind, relentlessly, without any chance of escape."

George Coppard, who was awarded the Military Medal at Cambrai