I once met the widow of former dispatch rider who showed me lots of paperwork (c.1939/40) regarding the Auto Cycle Union and Motorcycle News negotiating that if he joined the Army he would be guaranteed a dispatch rider job. He did, he was. Are there any other roles were a similar agency would lobby for recruits? It seems a sensible idea however not the kind of interference the military countenances! Of course I have heard the anecdotes where recruit's skills and experience were ignored. However it can work the other way - in my grandfather-in-law's case, he omitted to tell them he was a butcher (having been turned away multiple times as it was a reserved occupation), he wanted excitement and adventure, he found himself in the RAF as a cook! Keith
Both 'Motor-Cycle' and 'Motor-Cycling' had recruitment schemes. The forces clearly had a need for more riders and drivers than they could train and the ability to drive was not all that widespread in the general population. Added to this, the 'Old Boy' network that involved army officers competing in motor sport and favours from manufacturers to senior officers who could influence purchasing decisions seems to have mean that the motorcycle press had some high level access. The system certainly worked in the early days, but I believe that as time went on, less was guaranteed.
Railroad workers and engineers could also join to units with their specialty to operate military trains.
The pre-war Territorials could also be quite specialised. There were Royal Signals units for instance which were principally composed of Post Office Telephones engineers and linemen etc. Doctors, Dentists and Chaplains too but that's stretching a point as they were officers. It would be interesting to know of there were hobbies other than motorcycling where active recruiting was done. Did they advertise for snipers in 'Shooting Times' ?
