National Service

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Description

As Britain emerged from the Second World War, the armed forces desperately needed extra manpower to face new threats from old allies and to meet the considerable obligations of its Empire. Between 1947 and 1960, more than 1.1 million men were conscripted for a oneor two-year stint as national servicemen to help the Army, RAF, and, to a lesser extent, the Navy, cope with the demands placed on them. After basic training of bull, blanco and square-bashing, recruits would quickly be turned into soldiers, airmen and sailors and posted all over the globe many of them to fight guerillas, cope with riots and civil war, or even serve on the front line in such theatres as Korea, Malaya, Suez and Aden. Peter Doyle and Paul Evans here explain what life was like for these recruits, from training to demob, and how they were affected by their experiences.

Author Bio

Peter Doyle is a scientist and military historian specialising in the role of terrain in warfare. He has written, amongst others: The British Soldier of the First World War, Shire, 2008; Prisoner of War in Germany, 19391945, (Shire 2008); The British Soldier of the Second World War (Shire, 2009); ARP and Civil Defence in the Second World War (Shire 2010).

Paul Evans is a specialist dealer in twentieth century art and design, having a particular interest in posters, graphics and the propaganda arts, and is the author of The 1960s House for Shire (2010) Both authors live within half-a-mile of each other in London. This will be their fourth collaboration after: The Home Front 1939-1945, (Crowood, 2007); Tommys War in Europe, British Military Memorabilia 1939-1945, (Crowood 2009); and, The 1940s House (Shire 2009)