Recruiting Meeting - Newspaper Advertisement, 1915
Title
Recruiting Meeting - Newspaper Advertisement, 1915
Date
6 Oct 1915
Description
Newspaper advertisement in Nottingham Evening Post for Great Recruiting Meeting to be held at the Theatre Royal on 7 October 2015, plus Grand Orchestral Concert.
What's the story?
This advertisement for a Great Recruiting Meeting at the Theatre Royal is part of a wider Recruiting Rally for the war effort across Nottingham in 1915.
According to an article by David Nunn on World War 1 in Nottinghamshire on www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk recruitment fluctuated throughout 1915. It spiked briefly in May 2015 following the Lusitania disaster, but again declined through the summer amidst depressing news from overseas.
The threat of conscription gave some impetus to local recruitment in August, October and November but most people realised that Britain was heading inexorably towards compulsory military service.
Before conscription was finally announced by Prime Minister Asquith in January 1916, 24,229 men from Nottingham (out of a national total of 2.4 million) had enlisted voluntarily for service with the British Army, 18,527 for New Army units and 5,702 for Territorial battalions.
The Theatre Royal remained opened throughout from 1914 to 1918, but was clearly committed to the war effort by offering the venue for recruitment meetings such as this.
According to an article by David Nunn on World War 1 in Nottinghamshire on www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk recruitment fluctuated throughout 1915. It spiked briefly in May 2015 following the Lusitania disaster, but again declined through the summer amidst depressing news from overseas.
The threat of conscription gave some impetus to local recruitment in August, October and November but most people realised that Britain was heading inexorably towards compulsory military service.
Before conscription was finally announced by Prime Minister Asquith in January 1916, 24,229 men from Nottingham (out of a national total of 2.4 million) had enlisted voluntarily for service with the British Army, 18,527 for New Army units and 5,702 for Territorial battalions.
The Theatre Royal remained opened throughout from 1914 to 1918, but was clearly committed to the war effort by offering the venue for recruitment meetings such as this.
Type
Newspaper advertisement
Location of item
Nottingham Local Studies Library
Rights
Nottingham Local Studies Library
Contributor
Researcher: Lynn Whitley
