Nearly two million more men will, it is expected, be called up for service in the British armed forces during the present year as the result of a Proclamation, signed by the King at a Privy Council last night, which affects all men who on January 1, 1940, had reached the age of 19 but were not yet 28. Registration and calling-up dates for the age groups will be announced at intervals.
This is the third Royal Proclamation to be made under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, and its effect is to ╥warn╙ for military service:
Men of nineteen years of age (although these will not be called up until they reach the age of twenty).
Men who have reached the age of twenty since December 1, 1939 (the date of the last Proclamation).
Men whose ages on January 1, 1940, were twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, and twenty-seven.
The number of men who since the introduction of compulsory military service have been registered or have a liability to be called up for service now reaches a total of between 2,500,000 and 2,750,000, from which must be deducted men exempted for various reasons, including those in reserved occupations. The total does not include men who were members of the regular, reserve or auxiliary forces before the outbreak of war and those who have entered as volunteers since the war.
