Research Help Needed with the Drafting Process

Discussion in 'General' started by marimoo, Oct 30, 2015.

  1. marimoo

    marimoo New Member

    Hey, so I'm new here, and I pretty much found this forum hoping to get some help with many questions I have regarding the draft of world war II. Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, or if I am doing this all wrong. I'm trying very hard, and after weeks of trying to get all my questions answered, I am hoping I can get some help here.

    I'm a student, and I love the 1940's. I spend a lot of time researching about lifestyles and the home front, but when it comes down to details around the war I get stuck. I'm also a writer, and my latest project is set during 1942 New York, and while it does not deal directly with the war, there are a lot of things I need to know that I am having trouble finding elsewhere.

    Okay so. When someone is drafted, are there any specifics regarding what time of the year they might be drafted and then shipped off? I want to make sure I have dates right.
    And also, how exactly are they notified?

    After they were notified, what was the process and where do they go? How were they shipped off and did they go anywhere else first? I read about the service time being extended from the original 12 month, but the article I was reading showed no specifics into how long they changed it to. So. How long might someone be in service? I'm assuming that if someone was injured they would be sent home, but maybe that is incorrect.

    My main problem is that I want to write about the various other war jobs, not just soldiers and pilots. Like the engineers and all the smaller jobs that are still important, like working on planes. I'm having trouble finding information on those jobs, and the process for being drafted into those.
    Was the draft only for people that would be sent to fight?
    For the other building/engineer jobs, was there a training process?

    Basically every resource I have found has given me facts about drafting, and the selective service acts, but I need enough details to be able to right about it directly from the POV of someone going through the draft.

    I'm sorry if these are all pathetically obvious questions, but I really am aspiring for accuracy in this story and am miserably stuck.

    This is a super important subject to me, so thank you for any help at all.
     
  2. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I will probably get laughed at for suggesting this but Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers might cover this sort of thing.

    I'm fairly certain that US conscription would have been used to fill all roles within the Army - combat and support - but there may have been a disproportionate number of conscripts in the infantry as you'd think that most volunteers would volunteer for something else.
     
  3. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Hi Marimoo Welcome to WW2Talk.
    I can see you are very enthusiastic about your project, by the questions you ask, some which interrelate to each other. As this forum is mainly about the British and commonwealth Troops etc.
    It may be difficult to find the answers to US drafting. However I think that Drafting (US) and conscription (UK) would be run along the same lines.
    The age, education, physical build, present job and where your character lived would have a bearing on his drafting.
    This might help you as it provides some answers.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_Training_and_Service_Act_of_1940
    Okay so. When someone is drafted, are there any specifics regarding what time of the year they might be drafted and then shipped off? I want to make sure I have dates right.
    And also, how exactly are they notified?

    No it happened all year round.
    This is roughly how it works. Once the person is on the register.They when required would receive a letter stating where and when they had to report to, with this letter would be a rail card/ticket permit to travel, to get them to the nearest station to the training depot, where they would be picked up by lorry/truck.
    They would then spend the next six weeks going through initial training.
    Then they would be shipped/posted to the Regiment/Battalion to be trained in the role of whatever they were designated. As they left a new intake would take their place.
    So the date they were drafted would depend on when they were required and which training camp they were assigned.


    I read about the service time being extended from the original 12 month, but the article I was reading showed no specifics into how long they changed it to. So. How long might someone be in service? I'm assuming that if someone was injured they would be sent home, but maybe that is incorrect. I read about the service time being extended from the original 12 month, but the article I was reading showed no specifics into how long they changed it to. So. How long might someone be in service? I'm assuming that if someone was injured they would be sent home, but maybe that is incorrect.

    The original twelve month was changed to six months after the war ended. So the time of service would depend on when they joined to approx Feb 46, unless they enlisted for another period of service.

    If anyone was injured they would be treated by Army medical corps in their own hospital /sick bays depending on injuries could be sent home on sick leave and would have to report back when recuperated. If they were badly injured then they would be invalidated out of service.

    Was the draft only for people that would be sent to fight?

    No For every fighting man it is said that there has to be fifteen men behind him to supply him with the basic needs to fight.

    For the other building/engineer jobs, was there a training process?

    Yes. In the British army this is carried out by Regiments, corps such as The Royal Engineer and Pioneers. The US have equivalents.

    Basically the Army, Navy and Air forces are independent forces set up for the defense of a country, and provide everything from healthcare to entertainment.
    Civilians: as you will see from the Wikki link Draft Classifications.

    When a person registered they were giving a Class, such as I-A = Available for unrestricted military service. So they would be the first to be called up/drafted.
    Or II-C = Registrant deferred in support of agriculture (Agricultural Occupation). Fit for unrestricted military service.
    This man although fit for service would not be drafted until if and when needed.
    Volunteer’s; the only advantage a volunteer would have is that he could maybe join the service that suited him. But would still have to go through all the training.

    Hope this helps.
     
  4. marimoo

    marimoo New Member

    Thank you so unbelievably much. This is exceedingly helpful. And thanks for explaining the forum a bit more. Ahhh this is very helpful, so, really, thank you.
     

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