Men on Class Z Reserve

[Chris_Baker]

Class Z Army Reserve was the normal route out of the army once a man was demobilised. I understand that the Class Z commitment was for a year.

I have a number of questions.

Was a man paid anything for his Class Z commitment?

Did he have to attend any training?

Were any Class Z men recalled for service, 1919-1921?

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Chris,

My great-uncle was recalled in 1920 for 5 months - he did Home Service on the South Coast. Outside that I have no further information.

Ian

[Terry_Reeves]

Chris

The Class Z Reserve was established by Army Order on the 3rd December 1918, to guard against the possibility of any emergency re-mobilization that may have been required in the event of Germany refusing to accept the terms of a peace treaty.

The Class Z Reserve was abolished as a result of AO 98 on 29 March 1920, which said that "All soldiers in Class Z of the Army Reserve will be deemed to have been discharged as from the 31st March 1920."

Whilst there is no accounting for individual soldiers, it seems unlikely that many men would have been re-called from the Z Reserve given the reason for its formation.

Terry Reeves

[eviltaxman]

I've been reading my Grandfathers "memoirs" recently and he mentions that after his demob in 1946, he was a "Z Class Reserve". One can only assume "Z Class" was reinstated after WW2 for the same reasons as nearly 30 years earlier.

He does go on to say that he "doesn't recall ever being taken off this", so possibly it was more informal?!?!?

Les.