Reserved Occupation of Bricklayer in 1942?

I am looking into a relative who enlisted in the army in April 1942, his service record states he was a bricklayer on enlisting. On the 1939 schedule of reserved occupations, I see that a bricklayer was reserved: - Bricklayer, building (general hand) on page 8.

I know changes were made in December 1941, that The National Service (No, 2) Act came into force, declaring that all persons of either sex for the time being in Great Britain were liable to undertake some form of national service, and the 1939 reserved occupations schedule was abandoned. I have found the Ministry of Labour Gazette from December 1941 which states: -

Heading: Reservation by Occupations to be replaced by a system of Individual Deferments

It has been decided that the system of block reservation under the Schedule of Reserved Occupations must in general be replaced gradually by a system of individual deferments under which each individual case will come under review. This transition will be effected by raising the age of reservation, as shown in the December1941 revise of the Schedule of Reserved Occupations by one year steps at monthly intervals beginning at 1st January. Where necessary, men below the ages of reservation for their occupations, including men who have ceased to be reserved as a result of the monthly raising of ages of reservation, will be retained in industry by means of individual deferment of their calling-up. The arrangement for progressive de-reservation will not apply to merchant seamen, full-time members of the Royal Observer Corps, reserved occupations in Civil Defence students, lay evangelists, veterinary surgeons, and occupations covered by special schemes of deferment dealing with men in agriculture, the Civil Service and allied Services, building and civil engineering, and coalmining.

My questions are: -

Was a bricklayer removed as a reserved occupation early in 1942?
Or was an age limit applied as part of the staged changes and if so, what was it? I see from the 1939 schedule there was no age stated.
Was it possible for him as a bricklayer to enlist anyway regardless?

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks

 

From a thread below posted by another member

Don't know about carpenters, but my grandfather was a builder (bricklayer) by trade.

I know that he had to complete his apprenticeship before he could join up - this meant he didn't join up until the age of 21. He went into the Royal Engineers, which at least meant that they could make use of his skills.
Reserved Occupations

 

Mine didn't use his trade in the war, he joined the medical core. I think he completed his apprenticeship first.

 

My Dad was a slater and tiler pre war and was in a reserved occupation. Conscripted in July 1940.

His unit destroyed two churches (Bofors) being used as German OPs. Post war, he retiled a church steeple in Dulwich.

I visited the restored churches in 2015. I gave a copy of the unit war for their records. I was given a slate tile as a gift.

 

Bick layers and builders were required in several Regiments and Corps including the Royal Artillery.


Bricklayers and Builders
67th Field Regt RA TA on joining the BEF 1st Infantry Division January 1940.

Pictures below: Various types of 25 pounder gun pits 67th FR (Mennell Family Collection)

 

My father was a carpenter and joiner. When he joined up he assumed that he would be in the REs. However he was told that they had enough chippies so he had to be a dispatch rider, which he resented. His records show that he was paid a trade allowance! He got his transfer in Italy in 1943 and was happy.

 

Did he enlist post Dec 1941 when he would have been assessed? I believe before that it was a blanket RE for groups listed.

 

No he enlisted on 11 March 1940, his birthday. He spent the next two and a half years earning a stripe, or sometimes two and then losing them again, basically for being arsey I think. He wasn't long in the REs before he got three stripes, and kept them!

 

Thanks that's is interesting to knew.