How long to make Sergeant?

[Guest Lee G]

Hello,

I'm curious as to how long it might take a new recruit, who enlists in July 1915, to become a Sergeant! The attached photo shows that this Sergeant is an assistant instructor in/of signalling... so my question is really two questions... How long might it take to become a Sergeant and how long might it take to become a signals instructor too?

Many Thanks,

Lee G.

[kingsman64]

Lee

I am sue some of the ex-army guys will give a very logical answer to this one, regarding progression through the ranks and the structure therein.

Just bear in mind that during WW1 promotion was on a needs must basis!

A quick local example, the 7th Service Battalion of the Nortamptonshire regiment raised in 1914 was under canvas in Shoreham with other units from the 24th Division when they realised they desperately needed more NCO's.

Edgar Mobbs ex-England and Northampton Saints rugby player who raised "D" company of the 7th was immediately promoted Sergeant Major, and wore some yellow ribbon on his sleeve! Others where immediately made Sergeant and given green ribbon, any man with previous service in the militia, yeomanry, TF, or regular army was immediately made a full Corporal with blue sleeve ribbons. Then came the problem of Lance Corporal's, it was decided that any man who had been a boy scout could be a Lance Corporal!

It is recorded in other Pals battalions, Liverpool for example that where blocks of men from one trade or office building had volunteered together the office structure already in place was often maintained, so clerk would become a private senior clerk a corporal and office supervisor a sergeant and so on. I am sure there are many other examples of this kind of ad hoc rapid promotion within the Pals and service battalions of Kitcheners army recruited in the heady days of 1914.

Hope this helps.

By the way I have a casualty pair and plaque to a Sgt. who was a Sgt at nineteen! This was because his first two years war service was with a new army battalion in the UK but as a crack shot he was promoted so he could act as a musketry instructor.

Regards

[Guest leibregiment100]

It took my grandfather 7 days according to his records as a former regular army soldier joining a Yeomanry regiment on the outbreak of war, it took me 12 years having been a L/Cpl twice and Cpl twice, Paul

[Glenn Warnes]

How long is a piece of string????

[David Seymour]

Paul,

Most interesting information. It is not easy to find this sort of thing.

Do any other Pals have similar material?

Are there any books which deal with this aspect of the social history of the army, perhaps in the way that Jeremy A.Crang, The British Army and the People's War, 1939-1945, Manchester, 2000 deals with WW2? Crang considers: Other rank selection, officer selection, officer promotion, officers and men, the soldier's working life, army welfare, army education.

Regards,

David

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Another couple of examples for information:

171689 Pte William Duck MGC was promoted Sgt when he arrived at Camiers in October 1918, he was only 19.

107562 Pte Sidney Gedye 180th Coy Labour Corps was promoted to Corporal within 2 weeks of being called up in February 1917, due to being the oldest in his Coy at 39 years of age!

And finally my own grandfather was promoted to Corporal at the age of 19. He outranked both his brothers who at the time were 33 & 24 years of age.

Ian