Why men enlisted

Some men enlisted out of patriotism, a sense of love for one's country; others through a sense of adventure or as a result of the pressure of government propaganda. Some were shamed into joining up by women handing out white feathers as a mark of cowardice to those men not in uniform. W.H.A. Groom's reasons may have been typical:

A military band and marching soldiers are always an inspiring sight, but this was for real - they were off to war and how we youngsters envied them ... And to tell you the truth that was it - glamour - to be in uniform - to take part in a great adventure was as much the reason for so many youths joining up as any sense of patriotism ...

In 1916 with the knowledge that the war would not be a short one there was increasing pressure for more volunteers ... Recruiting sergeants interrupted cinema shows with lurid (grisly) descriptions of German brutality ... of the killing of women and children for the fun of it and in the war hysteria of the day we believed it. The truth is we wanted to believe it ... The most effective recruiting agents, however, were the women and girls who handed out white feathers to men not in uniform and not wearing a war service badge.

W.H.A. Groom, Poor Bloody Infantry

Neil Demarco: Britain and the Great War; Oxford University Press, 1992/2000, page 26