Monthly recruiting figures for the British Army in the First World War
Encyclopedia
This is a table of the number of recruits for the British Army
during the First World War, 1914-1918.
All recruits were technically volunteers until January 1916, when men were recruited under the Derby Scheme
and as conscripts following the Military Service Act 1916. From July 1917, all recruits were counted as Conscripts.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War, 1914-1918.
All recruits were technically volunteers until January 1916, when men were recruited under the Derby Scheme
Derby Scheme
The Derby Scheme was a voluntary recruitment policy in Britain created in 1915 by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby. The concept behind The Derby Scheme was that men who voluntarily registered their name would be called upon for service only when necessary...
and as conscripts following the Military Service Act 1916. From July 1917, all recruits were counted as Conscripts.
Month | Volunteers | Conscripts & Attested | Total |
---|---|---|---|
August 1914 | 298,923 | 0 | 298,923 |
September 1914 | 462,901 | 0 | 462,901 |
October 1914 | 136,811 | 0 | 136,811 |
November 1914 | 169,862 | 0 | 169,862 |
December 1914 | 117,860 | 0 | 117,860 |
January 1915 | 156,290 | 0 | 156,290 |
February 1915 | 87,896 | 0 | 87,896 |
March 1915 | 113,907 | 0 | 113,907 |
April 1915 | 119,087 | 0 | 119,087 |
May 1915 | 135,263 | 0 | 135,263 |
June 1915 | 114,679 | 0 | 114,679 |
July 1915 | 95,413 | 0 | 95,413 |
August 1915 | 95,980 | 0 | 95,980 |
September 1915 | 71,617 | 0 | 71,617 |
October 1915 | 113,285 | 0 | 113,285 |
November 1915 | 121,793 | 0 | 121,793 |
December 1915 | 55,152 | 0 | 55,152 |
January 1916 | 49,411 | 16,554 | 65,965 |
February 1916 | 18,738 | 79,891 | 98,629 |
March 1916 | 15,876 | 113,617 | 129,493 |
April 1916 | 15,119 | 91,789 | 106,908 |
May 1916 | 31,013 | 94,755 | 125,768 |
June 1916 | 21,109 | 135,277 | 156,386 |
July 1916 | 8,611 | 79,602 | 88,213 |
August 1916 | 8,157 | 103,614 | 111,771 |
September 1916 | 5,454 | 65,741 | 71,195 |
October 1916 | 4,906 | 92,778 | 97,684 |
November 1916 | 3,060 | 72,998 | 76,058 |
December 1916 | 3,308 | 48,697 | 52,005 |
January 1917 | 4,652 | 81,017 | 85,669 |
February 1917 | 4,181 | 114,060 | 118,241 |
March 1917 | 3,130 | 116,409 | 119,539 |
April 1917 | 3,125 | 83,907 | 87,032 |
May 1917 | 4,322 | 84,172 | 88,494 |
June 1917 | 4,258 | 77,456 | 81,714 |
July 1917 | 0 | 60,367 | 60,367 |
August 1917 | 0 | 49,354 | 49,354 |
September 1917 | 0 | 37,342 | 37,342 |
October 1917 | 0 | 36,543 | 36,543 |
November 1917 | 0 | 30,823 | 30,823 |
December 1917 | 0 | 24,928 | 24,923 |
January 1918 | 0 | 35,150 | 35,150 |
February 1918 | 0 | 33,722 | 33,722 |
March 1918 | 0 | 30,197 | 30,197 |
April 1918 | 0 | 78,298 | 78,298 |
May 1918 | 0 | 84,019 | 84,019 |
June 1918 | 0 | 88,950 | 88,950 |
July 1918 | 0 | 59,360 | 59,360 |
August 1918 | 0 | 29,918 | 29,918 |
September 1918 | 0 | 22,550 | 22,550 |
October 1918 | 0 | 23,768 | 23,768 |