Reserved Occupations

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Phillip, Aug 23, 2009.

  1. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Allied to this subject are the industries closed down during the war, I am at present researching the industrial support that SOE mobilized during the war. In the Kidderminster area a firm called Carpet Traders had their premises and staff utilized to packing containers for SOE, the Southern Gas Board manufactured the containers dropped to the Resistance in Europe, other light industrial companies made gun magazines, webbing equipment, uniforms etc.
     
  2. Ray Hanson

    Ray Hanson Member

    They obviously changed the criteria over time. My father, aged 18, volunteered for the the Navy and the RAF IN 1941 and was turned down as being in a reserved occupation so he got married instead. He was then 'called up' into the army a year later. He spent his service career trying to transfer out of the infantry into any unit where he could get trade pay. He never really forgave the army for denying him trade pay..
     
  3. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Back in the 70s a chap in our local, Jack S had his own decorating business, a typical old matelot full of hillarious stories, I remember him telling us that when the war started he had been out of the RN for some years he had done his time. He told of the recall letter that he had to report to Southampton common for a medical well he told of efforts to convince the service that he had a small and vital business he was running in Winchester, he said they were very sympathetic, he said as I was an old hand I would be an instructor and with my gunnery experience be on port defence at somewhere like Pompey. Two months later I was Jack S CPO on a bloody ship in the Med!
     
  4. bpaullada

    bpaullada Junior Member

    On the topic of reserved occupations during ww2. I'm researching what my dad did during the war. he was born in 1908 so would have been 31 in 1939. he wasnt in the forces and i've only recently found out he was in a reserved occupation(something to do with enginering I think). But From what I'm reading even these people were eventually called up. But dad was definately never called up. the only (possible clue i have is for years after the war he wore a bark blue and white striped blazer with the initials CAV on a badge on the pocket which I think is related to what he did. Wish I'd asked him before he died but I was only 15 and mum never spoke about it.
     
  5. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    Although the qualifications for reserved occupations were more restricted as the war went on, the concept was never entirely abolished, and one factor was age, the older members of a reserved trade being both more experienced and therefore more useful in their trade and likely to be less fit for active military service. A man already 31 by 1939 and in a reserved occupation was not likely to be called up.
     
  6. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    My dad was a draughtsman's apprentice in Cammell Laird's - he always said he was a can lad, but when he went to volunteer, was told that it was a reserved occupation. He was only 17 anyway and had to do Boy's Service but I see, 'ship designer' on the list - that would have tickled him.
     
  7. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

    Hi,

    Does anyone know if people in reserved occupations were "protected" from investigation by the police?

    a family story says that my father in law got into trouble with the police, got out of town in a hurry (to where or to do what we do not know). Returned and sought out the policeman who had been harassing him to taunt him by saying he could not be touched.

    Any suggestions??
     
  8. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    On the topic of reserved occupations during ww2. I'm researching what my dad did during the war. he was born in 1908 so would have been 31 in 1939. he wasnt in the forces and i've only recently found out he was in a reserved occupation(something to do with enginering I think). But From what I'm reading even these people were eventually called up. But dad was definately never called up. the only (possible clue i have is for years after the war he wore a bark blue and white striped blazer with the initials CAV on a badge on the pocket which I think is related to what he did. Wish I'd asked him before he died but I was only 15 and mum never spoke about it.
    Missed this when it was first posted. "CAV" suggests "CA Vandervell" to me.

    C. A. Vandervell and Co
     
  9. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    I'm afraid the list on Wikipedia is pretty unreliable.

    Apart from other comments made about the unreliability of the Wikipedia purported list of Reserved Occupations, as cited on this thread, and the complexities of the definitions of Reserved Occupations, the cited list confuses Reserved Occupations with entirely separate categories of exceptions from call-up.

    For example, being a formally ordained minister of a recognised denomination was an "exempted" category, not "reserved".

    Having one's call-up deferred pending completion of academic study or an apprenticeship was deferment, and had nothing to do with being in a reserved occupation.
     
  10. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    The war could not have been fought without those in reserved occupation. I was a young engineer in reserved occupation. I don't think that too many young men tried to get into that class. I think that many more tried desperately to joIn up and help save their country. i was one of those young idiots...
     
  11. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    Does anyone know if people in reserved occupations were "protected" from investigation by the police?

    A family story says that my father in law got into trouble with the police, got out of town in a hurry (to where or to do what we do not know). Returned and sought out the policeman who had been harassing him to taunt him by saying he could not be touched.

    Any suggestions??

    The short answer is that it depends on what is meant by "protected" and "investigation by the police". As a general principle, persons in reserved occupations had no more and no less protection than any other citizen of the realm. All men of military age (initially 18-41, later 18-51) had to carry documentation showing that either they were in one of the armed forces or they had duly registered under the National Service (Armed Forces) Acts; any police constable had the right to ask to see such documentation at any place or at any time. If relevant documentation was produced, it was not for the police to investigate any further, unless a constable had reasonable grounds for suspicion of some irregularity. Even then, it was not for the police to investigate further, and the matter would be referred to the Ministry of Labour and National Service.

    "Getting into trouble with the police" usually meant during WW2 the same as now, i.e. being suspected of an offence. A man so suspected could not escape the sanction of the law in such a case either by running away or by being designated as in a reserved occupation. The family story as recapitulated sounds more like meaningless bravado than having any substance.
     
  12. Thunderbox

    Thunderbox Member

    One of my grandfathers was a Rolls Royce engineer in Derby (Merlins and jet engines). Not only was he told from the outset that he was in a reserved occupation, but he was also on some sort of invasion evacuation list during 1939-41 - registered and regularly checked by the police, and warned that he might be collected at any time of the night or day and sent to an undisclosed location (thought to be Canada).

    My other grandfather was a bridging engineer on the railways, also a reserved occupation. The family say that his workload was so intense that he was twice compulsory hospitalised with exhaustion.
     
  13. red devil

    red devil Senior Member

    The Gov decided what and what wasn't a Reserved Occupation, the police would have had nothing to do with it. The police were more involved with spivs, gangster and profiteers than reserved occupations. That is my opinion. Walker (Dads Army) would have ended up in nick!!
     
  14. Maureene

    Maureene Well-Known Member

  15. goldenage

    goldenage New Member

    Hi there, I'm trying to find out whether someone in a reserved occupation (such as a teacher) could volunteer to fight - whether by opting out or resigning from their teaching position (for example). Would it have been in any way possible?
     
  16. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Being a carpenter did not stop my uncle being called up despite being bombed out in Bristol three times he was called up for General Service in 1943 and ended up as a Signaller in Burma in 1944.
    His older brother, my father was in St John Ambulance working for the Railway. He volunteered for the RAMC but was refused due to his reserved occupation.
    The youngest an electrician, went to Catterick to train in signals in 1940 going to North Africa in 1941 coming home from Italy in 1945.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2021
    goldenage likes this.
  17. goldenage

    goldenage New Member

    Thanks for this! Very interesting.
     
  18. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  19. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    That is quite a comprehensive list amazing that they got so many recruits.
    Should resolve a lot of enquiries.
     
  20. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Interesting document, thanks
     

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