After months of often rancorous debate and distracting delays, the full impact of Jersey's new Military Service Act is now being felt in homes across the island.
After months of often rancorous debate and distracting delays, the full impact of Jersey's new Military Service Act is now being felt in homes across the island. Since 23 March, official documents have been dropping through letterboxes summoning men to report for army service.
In St Helier, the first group called-up were 18-year-olds of No 1 Class, born after 23 March 1899 and during 1898. The instructions are explicit: report immediately to Fort Regent for medical examination. Conscripts in the east of the island must report to Grouville Arsenal and those in the west to St Peter's Barracks.
This first step in the conscription process assesses each man's fitness for military service, grading them as either category A, B or C. All those judged as being in the first category are considered fit for active service overseas, and dispatched to the mainland within a few days. Presently, men from Jersey are being mostly sent to south coast regimental depots such as those of the Hampshire and Dorsetshire regiments.
Men judged as being category B or C will either remain in the island for local garrison duty or could leave for overseas service in non-combat roles.
D/AP/R/13/40 contains lists of men from the west of the island called up in 1917 for military service.