‘This Honourable Obligation’: The King's National Roll Scheme for Disabled Ex-Servicemen 1915–1944

Abstract

The King's National Roll Scheme (KNRS) was an employment programme implemented for disabled ex-servicemen of the First World War. It was practical, innovative and ahead of its time. However, whilst it has been subject to examination in recent disability history studies, it has generally been ignored in both Great War and disability historiography. Indeed, very little secondary material exists on the scheme, despite a plethora of material surrounding postwar reconstruction itself. This article is intended to provide a critical history of the KNRS. Its central argument is that the KNRS was the most important piece of legislation enacted for disabled ex-servicemen in interwar Britain. Not only did it achieve significant short-term goals but it also invoked wider debate regarding the employment of disabled veterans and the responsibility of the state, paving the way for future reforms. This article will examine the implications of the KNRS for both disabled ex-servicemen and the wider disabled community.

résumé: Le King's National Roll Scheme était un programme pour l'emploi des mutilés de guerre de la première guerre mondiale au Royaume Uni. Bien qu'étudié par les historiens du handicap il a été négligé par les historiens de la guerre malgré le volume de la documentation. Cet article présente une histoire de ce groupe. Non seulement cet organisme fut important du fait de ses réalisations entre les deux guerres mais il créa un domaine de responsabilité pour l'état et pour des réformes futures. Cet article considère les implications de cet organisme pour les mutilés de guerre et pour les handicapés en général.

Notes

 [1] Bolderson, Social Security, Disability and Rehabilitation, 36–38; Cohen, The War Come Home, 29–47; Latcham, “Journey's End”, 321; Reznick, Healing the Nation, 129.

 [2] Borsay, Disability and Social Policy Since 1750, 128; Cohen, The War Come Home, 29–47.

 [3] Report of the Committee Appointed by the Local Government Board Upon the Provision of Employment for Sailors and Soldiers Disabled in the War , Cd. 7915 (1915), 3.

 [4] Rothband, Scheme for Finding Employment for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers: Extracts from Letters Containing Expressions of Opinion on his Proposals for a National Roll of Employers, 1; “Employment for Disabled Soldiers”, Manchester Guardian, 28 February 1918, 8.

 [5] Rothband, Employment for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers, 3.

 [6] Rothband, The Rothband Employment Scheme for Sailors and Soldiers Disabled in the War: Parliament to the Rescue, 7.

 [7] Rothband, Employment for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers: A Scheme for a National Roll of Employers, 16.

 [8] Hansard Parliamentary Debates , 5th ser., vol. XCI (1917), col. 608.

 [9] Hansard Parliamentary Debates , 5th ser., vol. XCI (1917), col. 1956.

[10] Hansard Parliamentary Debates , 5th ser., vol. XCI (1917), col. 270.

[11] Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Years 1923 and 1924, Cmd. 2481 (1925), 168.

[12] Mitchell, “What Has Been Done for the Training of our Disabled Soldiers and Sailors”, 107.

[13] “The Care of Disabled Soldiers”, British Medical Journal, 7 August 1915, 227–28; Hutt, The Future of the Disabled Soldier, 101.

[14] Rothband, The Rothband Employment Scheme for Sailors and Soldiers Disabled in the War: Official Objections Examined; Rothband, A Scheme for finding Employment for Disabled Soldiers & Sailors: Extracts from Press Notices of Mr. Rothband's Scheme; Extracts from Letters Containing Expressions of Opinion on his Proposals for a National Roll of Employers.

[15] Bolderson, Social Security, Disability and Rehabilitation, 36.

[16] Bolderson, Social Security, Disability and Rehabilitation, 36

[17] Rothband, Employment for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers: A Scheme for a National Roll of Employers, 2.

[18] As reprinted in Rothband, Employment for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers: A Scheme for a National Roll of Employers 18.

[19] PRO CAB 24/71 GT 6423, War Cabinet Papers, “Provision of Employment for Disabled Men: Joint Memorandum by the Minister of Pensions and the Minister of Labour”, December 1918.

[20] “Disabled Soldiers in Industry: National Scheme Launched”, Manchester Guardian, 15 September 1919, 3.

[21] PRO CAB 24/81 GT 7414, “Memorandum by the Minister of Labour to the War Cabinet in Regard to Employment of Disabled Ex-Servicemen”, June 1919.

[22] See for example, Hansard Parliamentary Debates , 5th ser., vol. XCI (1917), col. 1956.

[23] “Disabled Soldiers in Industry: National Scheme Launched”, Manchester Guardian, 15 September 1919, 3; Rothband, The Rothband Scheme for the Employment of Disabled Men, 16.

[24] “Disabled Soldiers in Industry: National Scheme Launched”, Manchester Guardian, 15 September 1919, 3.

[25] “Employment of Disabled Soldiers: Progress of the Scheme”, Manchester Guardian, 20 October, 1919, 10.

[26] PRO CAB 24/114 C.P. 2092, Report for the Ministry of Labour for the Week of the 13 ^th of November, 1920.

[27] PRO CAB 24/110 C.P. 1794, Ministry of Labour Report for the Week of the 21 ^st of August, 1920.

[28] “Trade Training for Disabled Men: A Preston Factory”, Manchester Guardian, 7 November 1921, 12; PRO CAB 24/110 C.P. 1712, Ministry of Labour Report for the Week of July 31 ^st 1920.

[29] PRO CAB 24/116 C.P. 2282, Report for the Ministry of Labour for the Week of the 11th of December, 1920.

[30] PRO CAB 24/120 C.P. 2675, Ministry of Labour Report for the Week of the 5 ^th of March, 1921.

[31] Harding, Keeping Faith, 76.

[32] “Disabled Ex-Servicemen”, The Times (London), 20 May 1924, 10; Wooton, The Politics of Influence, 322.

[33] Cohen, The War Come Home, 40.

[34] Hansard Parliamentary Debates , 5th ser., Vol. 153 (1922), cols. 997–1038. For an examination of the schemes in place in Germany see Cohen, The War Come Home and Whalen, Bitter Wounds.

[35] Employment and Maintenance of Disabled Ex-Servicemen [Bill 191], 1923; Wooton, The Politics of Influence, 323.

[36] Harding, Keeping Faith, 76.

[37] Harding, Keeping Faith, 76

[38] Borsay, Disability and Social Policy in Britain Since 1750, 135.

[39] Wootton, The Official History of the British Legion, 269.

[40] “Baronets”, The London Gazette (Second Supplement), 29 June 1923, 1.

[41] “Rothband, Sir Henry Lesser”, Who Was Who 1941–50, 1001.

[42] Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1937, Cmd. 5717 (1938), 25; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1938, Cmd. 6016 (1939), 21.

[43] Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Years 1923 and 1924, Cmd. 2481 (1925) 97; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1926, Cmd. 2856 (1927), 25; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1927, Cmd. 3090 (1928), 23; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1929, Cmd. 3579 (1930),18; Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 5th ser., vol. 255 (1931), col. 775; Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 5th ser., vol. 264 (1931–2), col. 287; Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 5th ser., vol. 276 (1933), col. 1956; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1934, Cmd. 4861 (1935), 27; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1935, Cmd. 5145 (1936), 22; Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 5th ser., vol. 335 (1937–8), col. 1408; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1937, Cmd. 5717 (1938), 25; Report of the Ministry of Labour for the Year 1938, Cmd. 6016 (1939), 21. Fluctuating numbers were due to many factors. The state did not keep a record of men who left the KNRS of their own volition, men who retrained for other jobs, men who had to quit work owing to health problems, or men who subsequently died. Firms were only obliged to sign on for one year at a time; the worsening economic conditions of the interwar years prevented many employers from renewing their contracts.

[44] Ministry of Labour Report for the Year 1935 , Cmd. 5145 (1936), 22.

[45] Ministry of Labour Report for the Year 1937 , Cmd. 5717 (1938), 25.

[46] Ministry of Labour Report for the Year 1937 , 25.

[47] PRO CAB 24/139 C.P. 4257. “Select Committee on Training and Employment of Disabled Ex-Servicemen.” Memo by the Ministry of Labour, 5 May 1922.

[48] Broca, Artificial Limbs, 156.

[49] PRO CAB 24/125 C.P. 3013, “The Employment of Severely Disabled Ex-Servicemen”, Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Ex-Chequer (1921).

[50] Cohen, The War Come Home, 34–37.

[51] “Trade Training for Disabled Men: A Preston Factory”, Manchester Guardian, 7 November 1921, 12; PRO, Ministry of Labour Report for 31 July 1920, CAB24/110/ C.P. 1712.

[52] “Oldham Spinners’ Scheme”, Manchester Guardian, 25 September 1919, 12.

[53] Koven, “Remembering and Dismemberment”, 1176; Searle, A New England, 398–99.

[54] J. B. Brunel-Cohen, The Times, 20 May 1924, 10.

[55] “Oldham Spinners’ Scheme”, Manchester Guardian, 25 September 1919, 12.

[56] Humphreys and Gordon, Out of Sight, 66.

[57] One such man was Cumbrian architect T. H. Mawson who designed segregated ‘disabled villages’ in which ex-servicemen could form their own communities and control certain agricultural markets. See Mawson, An Imperial Obligation.

[58] Hansard Parliamentary Debates , 5th ser., vol. LXXXI (1916), col. 479.

[59] PRO CAB 24/8 G.T. 261, “Report for the Ministry of Pensions”, 17–23 March 1917.

[60] PRO CAB 24/112 C.P. 1916. “Ministry of Labour Report for the Week of 2 October, 1920”; PRO CAB 24/114 C.P. 2030. “Ministry of Labour Report for the Week of 30 October 1920”.

[61] PRO CAB 24/112 C.P. 1945, Report for the Ministry of Labour for the Week of the 2nd of October, 1920.

[62] Rothband, Extracts from Press Notices of Mr. Rothband's Scheme for Finding Employment for Partially Disabled Sailors and Soldiers, 1–3.

[63] British Legion Journal , October 1922, 79.

[64] “The King's Roll: Is Compulsion Feasible?”, British Legion Journal March (1923): 216.