National Service Act 1948
Encyclopedia
The National Service Act 1948 was an Act of Parliament
which extended the British conscription
of World War II
into peacetime, in the form of National Service. After a first version of the act had been approved in 1947, to be implemented 1 January 1949, the Cold War
and the Malayan Emergency
caused a revised and extended version to be approved in December 1948, only days before it came into force.
The act was a modified version of the National Service Act of September, 1939
, which it superseeded, and mainly aimed to address whether National Service would continue after the war. The National Service Act of September 1939 did not address this issue.
The National Service Act 1948 applied to all healthy young males who were not registered as conscientious objector
s, as it did not affect neither the exemption for, nor the possibility to register as, conscientious objectors.
The act also changed the trades considered essential services
to the merchant navy, farming and coal mining (previously, essential services were coal mining, ship-building, engineering-related trades and—to a limited extent—medicine). Young men working in the essential services were exempted from National Service for a period of eight years. If they stopped working in these industries before this period of eight years ended (that is, before turning 25), they could be called up for National Service.
, the service period was extended to two years. To compensate the reserve period was reduced by six months.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
which extended the British conscription
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
into peacetime, in the form of National Service. After a first version of the act had been approved in 1947, to be implemented 1 January 1949, the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
caused a revised and extended version to be approved in December 1948, only days before it came into force.
The act was a modified version of the National Service Act of September, 1939
National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939
The National Service Act 1939 was enacted immediately by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on the day the United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, at the start of the Second World War. It superseded the Military Training Act 1939 passed in May that year, and enforced full...
, which it superseeded, and mainly aimed to address whether National Service would continue after the war. The National Service Act of September 1939 did not address this issue.
The National Service Act 1948 applied to all healthy young males who were not registered as conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s, as it did not affect neither the exemption for, nor the possibility to register as, conscientious objectors.
Background
In 1946, the British post-war government realised the need for an Armed Forces larger than what voluntary recruitment would provide. Discussions were soon started in parliament on a new National Service Act with a first such act being approved in July 1947. This first version was to come into force on 1 January 1949 and established the period of National Service to 12 months. However, financial crises, the advent of the Cold War and the Malayan Emergency caused the act to be amended before coming into force. The amendment was approved in December 1948, with the date in which it would come into force still being 1 January 1949.Differences to the previous act
The act changed the age range from 18-41 to 17-21, and increased the period of National Service required from 6 to 18 months. As with previous acts, men who completed the service remained on the reserve list for the number of years in the age-range (4 years) which starting being counted from the moment they finished serving. However, men on the reserve list could only be called for periods of up to 20 days (previous acts allowed the period to be indefinite), and could not be called more than three times.The act also changed the trades considered essential services
Reserved occupation
A reserved occupation is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt - in fact forbidden - from military service....
to the merchant navy, farming and coal mining (previously, essential services were coal mining, ship-building, engineering-related trades and—to a limited extent—medicine). Young men working in the essential services were exempted from National Service for a period of eight years. If they stopped working in these industries before this period of eight years ended (that is, before turning 25), they could be called up for National Service.
Korean War modifications of the act
In October 1950, in response to the British involvement in the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the service period was extended to two years. To compensate the reserve period was reduced by six months.