Hello,

I am interested as to whether anyone knows how many men from Britain (not Dominion or other parts of the empire) served overseas in the various theatres of operations between 1914-1918

I know that in January 1917 there were approx 1,200,000 men on the western front and that the highest number reached was c 1,800,000 to 2,000,000. Given that there were some 539,000 killed in france and flanders between 1914-18 and that probably 3 times this number were wounded (63% of whom would have returned to duty in some form or other), would I be correct in thinking that in this theatre (france) there would have been perhaps 3,000,000 having served in france at various times between 1914 -1918?


I do not know about the other theatres ( salonika, egypt etc) but I assume that at most perhaps 300,000 british (not dominion) troops would have served during the war?

Thanks for any information.


Ron

According to Richard Holmes in Tommy (P138), just over 5,700,000 men served in the British Army during the 1914-18 war. However not all will have served in combat theatres while many would have been employed behind the lines.
Jon

Chris' main sire gives some indication as to total numbers:

http://www.1914-1918.net/growth.htm

One route might be figuring how many men in each division served in combat and how you define "combat".

Jim

Ron,

Yes the question itself is full of holes.

What Do you mean combat or non combat roll, as not all Infantry in a Bn would be combat soldiers, and as the war went on a per cent age was LOB as a nuclus to rebuild the Bn
if destroyed (at lest in the AIF I am unsure of the British).

Do you include the cooks and drivers as they although not in the front line combat are exposed to shell, air and some times MG fire.

Like ways the supply system and Artillery are not at the front but are exposed to counter fire.

Of cause numbers of those supply services were (at lest in the AIF) maned by soldiers who had served in the front line but due to medical or other reasons got a break in the rear.

So mate we need to more general then you are after.

Cheers

S.B

hello,

thanks for the replies.I guess strictly non combat would be those who worked outside the range of guns,probably at depots,ports etc, and of course those who worked in the UK! With regards to the RFC, I assume that alot of the ground crew were probably in non combat roles!?

However, whether combat or non-combat, my question is really concerned with how many men were actually overseas.


Cheers

Ron

It certainly could not have been less than five million.
Jon