National Service

[islandman]

Before I email the BBC to tell them they were wrong, would someone confirm that the 60's, means any yr between 1960 & 1969. They said Nat. Ser. ended in the 60's. I was 18 in 1958 and it had ended then.

[Ethel]

The BBC is right.

http://www.seniorsnetwork.co.uk/forces/

[islandman]

I've read that thanks, but I'm still not sure how I excaped call-up in 1958

[Ethel]

Just be thankful!

[islandman]

Hey, just had a thought, you don't think they'll read this and come after me do you ?

[rogerr]

There coming to take you away Ha Ha!

[rogerr]

OOps they're

[derekpara]

Were you an apprentice ? Their NS was deferred until completion.

[reinganum]

Ethel's link (I have just read the article) gave the right dates but the article confused Bevin with Bevan.
The conscripts ordered to the mines were Bevin Boys (after Ernest Bevin, the Minster of Labour during world war II).
Aneurin Bevan was Minister of Health in the post-war Labour government, and was the architect of the National Health Service.

[derekpara]

A friend of mine was a Bevin Boy during the latter part of the war. Apparently, when you were called up and were lining up to get your service number, if it ended with zero you became a Bevin Boy and were sent down the mines. You were given no choice in the matter.

[islandman]

No, I wasn't an apprentice. I seem to remember that when I was 16'ish, (1956) being somewhat relieved when either something I'd read or been told, that by the time I was 18, ( that of course would be 1958) I would not be called up. I can also rmember that none of the people I knew from school were called up either.

[JillP]

A cousin of mine, who was eighteen in 1958 never got called up for National Service so, presumably, it had ended by then.

[islandman]

This is exactly what I mean, if it had ended then, and clearly it had, then it ended in the 50's

[fuggy]

i was in the outer hebrides in 1962. there with me were two lads, one from manchester and the other from liverpool. there claim to fame was the they were the last waiting for demob.