Volunteer recruitment meeting (1917)

Post date: May 15, 2014 12:22:26 PM

Extract from Kent Messenger of 22nd December 1917

5th BATT. KENT VOLUNTEERS

RECRUITMENT MEETING AT MEREWORTH

FARMER'S APPEAL TO FARMERS

A largely attended meeting was held on Tuesday evening at the School House, Mereworth, with the object of securing sufficient men to form a new Platoon for the 5th Batt. Kent Volunteer Regt. the headquarters of which are at Maid­stone, and who still require a large number of men to bring the Battalion to its war establishment, viz., 1,000 all ranks. Mr. Bernard Champion presided at the meeting, and was supported by the Rev. W. Moore (Rector), Capt. C. B. Mercer (Second in Command of the Batt.), Captain W. C. Price (Battalion Adjutant), Capt. F. J. Bryan, and Second Lieut. Walter Phillips, who commands the newly formed Wateringbury Platoon of the Battalion.

The Chairman having conveyed Lieut.Colonel Borton’s great regret for his unavoidable absence, stated, that he (the speaker) had acquired the reputation of being against the Volunteer movement, and had been told so on more than one occasion. He would like to tell them how he had earned that repu­tation. “I have been your representative,” said Mr Champion, “on the local Tribunal, and we

have had the help and co-operation of the Mili­tary Representative, who has been particularly keen to enrol men for the Volunteers if he could not get them for the Army. I, as a far­mer, have often felt that this man and that man should not join, so that Mr. Watson and myself have been in opposition. That has brought about a feeling that I am against the Volunteers. To prove that I was not always in the wrong, I may say that the agriculturist is now dealt differently with in the Volunteers than he was in the earlier days; concessions have been made which I feel tend to help the Volunteer who is also engaged whole-time on agriculture.” Mereworth, he went on, had done its bit for the Army, 100 men having joined the ranks out of a total of 700- (cheers), and he felt sure that with regard to the Volunteers also that Mereworth would not be behind. He felt it was the duty of every fit man who

could spare the time to join the Volunteers, and so prepare himself for any eventuality. Farmers were told that it was their duty to feed the nation, and as such the farmer was in a protected industry, but he could not say it more plainly that in his opinion every farmer who could find the time should make it his duty to join the Volunteer Force (cheers).

Captain Mercer expressed great pleasure at seeing “an old opponent” in the chair at a re­cruiting meeting on behalf of the Volunteers, and he welcomed Mr. Champion’s presence as a good omen for the success of the formation of the new Mereworth Platoon of his Battalion. Wateringbury, as most of them knew, had in the course of a week or so raised a complete Platoon (cheers), and he felt sure that the appeal that evening would result in a good start with a Platoon in that area. The Battalion

was gradually pulling up in its recruits, and al­though it was still short in numbers if was hoped before many months to show complete strength. The Chairman had referred to the work of the farmer. He knew the difficulties of the farmer joining the Volunteers, as he was a large employer of farm hands himself, but he (Captain Mercer) had always felt that where there was a will there was a way, and the state of the country at the present time did not leave anyone much option in the matter as to the path of duty. Agriculturists had found the time to do their drills and to make

themselves efficient, and he felt that with the concessions now made to this type of man there ought to be no hanging back of the fit young men employed on the land (cheers).

Captain Price made an earnest appeal for Volunteers, and explained the role of the Force. He feared that the ranks of the Volunteers were thin owing to ignorance on the part of the man in the street as to what the Force was. Few recognised the extraordinary encouragement and facilities for training which the War Office were extending to Volunteers, even in excess of the facilities available to pre-war Territorials. The average Battalion was now equipped with rifles of the latest pattern, ammunition, leather equipment, uniform, machine guns, and all mus­ketry training accessories. Yet unless some measure of compulsion were applied it was evi­dent that the efficiency of the Force would be a very inadequate return for the expense involved.

The Adjutant explained that entry into Section A, B, or C, was really not difficult for any man, as it only required 14 hours’ time in any one month, and when the Volunteer was passed efficient he was only required to put in 10 hours a month. Captain Price made special mention of the fact that every effort was made to ar­range drills so as to fit in with the Volunteer’s civil occupation and his private circumstances. Moreover, special circumstances desired to facili­tate compliance with the programme of drills had been sanctioned. For example, a Volun­teer was allowed to count as many as three

drills in one day, or five drills in two consecutive days towards the minimum number which he

had to attend in one month. Furthermore, in case of difficulty, there were ways, in which he could spread the minimum monthly requirement over the quarter. Special Constables could also join the Volunteers without detriment to their duties as constables, and such men were placed in Section “P,” which, in effect, was to ear­mark them, for duty with the civil power in case of invasion, but after their duty with the police was finished they could rejoin their Volunteer unit for duty.

The Rev. W. Moore and Captain F. J. Bryan also spoke, the latter emphasising the necessity for large additions being made to the Volunteers and impressing upon those present the import­ance of the place which the Volunteers would have to occupy in the future. It was necessary for every available man to go into the trenches in his turn, and to enable those men to go, the burden of defending the country, must be shared by the Volunteers (applause).

Subsequently, when recruits were asked for, no less than 15 men enrolled, and other names were

promised, which it is anticipated will bring the numbers up to about 30, thus forming the nucleus of a new Platoon, which will be known as the Mereworth Platoon of the Battalion.

On the motion of Second Lieut. Phillips, sup­ported by Captain C. B. Mercer, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Champion for his pre­sence there that evening, and for giving such a practical demonstration of his sympathy with the Volunteer movement in the neighbourhood.