UK conscription age restrict for males as WW3 fears rise and officers step up worst-case plans
War planners in the UK are reportedly stepping up their preparations for a worst-case conflict scenario, after new threats were issued by Russian officials
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made warnings to the West(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Britain’s older men could need to prepare for war – after the age limit to be called up into the Army Reserves was raised.
The UK’s war planners are said to be stepping up preparations for a worst-case conflict scenario after new threats were made by Vladimir Putin and his team in which they suggested an assault on the West could be imminent.
Fresh warnings aimed at the UK from Dmitry Medvedev, a close confidant of the Russian President, said leaders in Western countries should start taking heed of the nuclear warnings sent by the nation, claiming they are “not hints” but instead, threats.
The Russia Ukraine war is rumbling on(Image: east2west news)
The warning came as concerns mount in Britain that Putin could soon green light attacks on critical infrastructure. Medvedev, who leads the main pro-Putin political party United Russia and serves as deputy chairman of the powerful Kremlin security council, said the warnings should be “given gravity” in an interview with Vedomosti newspaper.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has since been warned that Britain faces an “inevitable” Russian attack on its defence and security systems as payback for the UK’s steadfast support of Ukraine.
And now it can be revealed the age range of those who could be called up should Britain go to war – and it is older than you might think.
Russia has recently struck the Ukraine Poland border(Image: east2west news)
Earlier this year, the upper age limit for men eligible for recruitment into the Army Reserves was raised from 55 to 65. And historical precedent shows that during wartime, men up to the age of 60 have been called upon to serve, reports Wales Online.
Should a new worldwide conflict erupt, a lack of numbers in the British military could mean a compulsory military service. During the Second World War, conscription began for men aged between 20 and 22 in 1939, commencing up to six months before war was officially declared.
The UK Parliament website says: “During the spring of 1939, the deteriorating international situation forced the British government under Neville Chamberlain to consider preparations for a possible war against Nazi Germany. Plans for limited conscription applying to single men aged between 20 and 22 were given parliamentary approval in the Military Training Act in May 1939. This required men to undertake six months’ military training, and some 240,000 registered for service.”
Putin’s threats should be taken seriously, say aides(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Once hostilities were declared, however, the eligible age bracket was rapidly widened to a significantly higher upper limit, covering any male between 18 and 41 years of age.
The website goes on to say: “On the day Britain declared war on Germany, 3 September 1939, Parliament immediately passed a more wide-reaching measure. The National Service (Armed Forces) Act imposed conscription on all males aged between 18 and 41 who had to register for service.”
Men who were deemed medically unfit, or those working in industries vital to the war effort, were the only ones granted exemption from call-up. It adds: “Those medically unfit were exempted, as were others in key industries and jobs such as baking, farming, medicine, and engineering.”
By 1942, the conscription age had increased further, drawing men up to 60 into service. By the end of 1941, women and ‘all childless widows’ aged 20 to 30 had been enlisted, while men up to 51 were mobilised for military duty. Even individuals between 52 and 60 were required to undertake “some form of military service.”
