At the end of the Second World War, there were approximately five million servicemembers in the British Armed Forces. The demobilisation and reassimilation of this vast force back into civilian life was one of the first and greatest challenges facing the postwar British government.

Demobilisation plan
The wartime Minister of Labour and National Service and Britain's first post-war Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, was the chief architect of the demobilisation plan. The speed of its introduction was attributed to the tide of public opinion, which favoured slogans and policies that appealed to peace and disengagement. According to some sources, it was also driven by the labour shortage due to post-war reconstruction. The plan received bipartisan support, which was not seen during the 1930s when Labour and Conservative positions lacked consensus.
The details involving the criteria and framework for demobilisation were unveiled to the public on 22 September 1944. It was scheduled to be implemented on 18 June 1945 and, a month before that date, British soldiers were already well informed about the process, including the welfare system that would support the veterans. Under the plan, most servicemen and servicewomen were to be released from the armed forces according to their 'age-and-service number', which, as its name suggests, was calculated from their age and the months they had served in uniform. A small number of so-called 'key men' whose occupational skills were vital to postwar reconstruction were to be released ahead of their turn. Married women and men aged fifty or more were also given immediate priority.
Service personnel being demobilised passed through special demobilisation centres.
Release process
The release process began on schedule, about six weeks after V-E Day. Decommissioned soldiers received a one-time grant of £83 each, the promise of a right to return to their old jobs, and a set of civilian clothing, which included the so-called "demob suit", shirts, underclothes, raincoats, hat, and shoes. At the end of 1945, demobilised soldiers reached 750,000 and this number doubled two months later after Japan's surrender. By 1947, about 4.3 million men and women returned to 'civvy street'. The process was not without controversy. Frustration at the allegedly slow pace of release led to a number of disciplinary incidents in all branches of the armed services in the winter of 1945–6, most famously the so-called RAF 'strikes' in India and South East Asia. This frustration led to the abandonment of some of the pre-release programmes.
Personal challenges
Aside from the institutional problems of release, returning service-men and -women faced all kinds of personal challenges on their return to civilian life. Britain had undergone six years of bombardment and blockade, and there was a shortage of many of the basic essentials of living, including food, clothing, and housing. Husbands and wives also had to adjust to living together again after many years apart. One indicator of the social problems this caused was the postwar divorce rate; over 60,000 applications were processed in 1947 alone, a figure that would not be reached again until the 1960s.
Demobilisation centres
At the end of World War II, British servicemen and women returned to civilian life by passing through a demobilisation centre. Personnel returning to this country from abroad for the purpose of release passed first through a disembarkation unit. They then went on to a dispersal unit.
Military Disembarkation Camp Units
Command or District | Title of Unit | Location |
---|---|---|
Southern | No. 1 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit | Ranikhet Camp Reading |
No. 2 Military Disembarkation Camp, Unit | Slade Camp, Oxford | |
Eastern | No. 3 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit | Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe, Kent |
Western | No. 1 Military Disembarkation Camp, Group H.Q. | Hadrian's Camp Carlisle |
No. 4 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit | ||
No. 5 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit | ||
Northern | No. 6 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit | Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall, York. |
Military Dispersal Units
Command or District | Title of Unit | Location |
---|---|---|
Scottish | No.1 Military Dispersal Unit | Redford Barracks, Edinburgh |
Northern | No. 2 Military Dispersal Unit | Fulford Barracks, York |
Eastern | No. 3 Military Dispersal Unit | Talavera Camp, Northampton |
No. 5 Military Dispersal Unit | Queen's Camp, Guildford | |
London | No. 4 Military Dispersal Unit | Regent's Park Barracks, Albany St., N.W.I. |
Southern | No. 6 Military Dispersal Unit | Sherford Camp, Taunton |
Western | No. 7 Military Dispersal Unit | North and South Camps, Ashton-under-Lyne |
No. 8 Military Dispersal Unit | Bradbury Lines, Hereford | |
Northern Ireland | No. 9 Combined Military Collecting and Dispersal Unit | Victoria Barracks, Belfast |
See also
- Civil Resettlement Units
- Demobilization
- Demobilisation of the Australian military after World War II
- Demobilization of United States armed forces after World War II
- Demob suit
- Military discharge
- Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II
- National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939
- Royal Air Force Mutiny of 1946
- Post–World War II demobilization strikes
References and sources
- References
- Allport (2009), p. 3
- Nolfo, Ennio Di (1991). The Atlantic Pact forty Years later: A Historical Reappraisal. New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 79. ISBN 3110127385.
- Grant, Neil (2017). British Tank Crewman 1939-45. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 9781472816979.
- Broad, Roger (2017-05-27). Volunteers and Pressed Men: How Britain and its Empire Raised its Forces in Two World Wars. Fonthill Media.
- Hollowell, Jonathan (2003). Britain Since 1945. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 5. ISBN 0631209670.
- Dale, Robert (2015). Demobilized Veterans in Late Stalinist Leningrad: Soldiers to Civilians. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 18, 19. ISBN 9781472590770.
- Allport (2009), p. 23-4
- Allport (2009), p. 26
- "VJ Day 75: Troops Returning to a Changed UK". Royal British Legion. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- Allport (2009), p. 43
- Allport (2009), p. 87
- HL Deb 17 October 1945 vol 137 cc353-5, UK Parliament
- Sources
- Alan Allport, Demobbed: Coming Home After the Second World War, Yale University Press, 2009, ISBN 0-300-14043-6
- Hansard - HL Deb 17 October 1945 vol 137 cc353-5
Further reading
- Allport, Alan. Demobbed: coming home after the Second World War (Yale University Press, 2009) in UK.
- Broad, Roger. The Radical General: Sir Ronald Adam and Britain's New Model Army 1941-46 (The History Press, 2010),ISBN 978-0-7524-6559-3
- Summers, Julie. Stranger in the House: Women's Stories of Men Returning from the Second World War (Simon and Schuster, 2009) online.
- Summers, Julie. When the children came home: Stories of wartime evacuees (Simon and Schuster, 2011) online.
- Turner, Barry, and Tony Rennell, When Daddy Came Home: How Family Life Changed Forever in 1945, Pimlico, 1995, ISBN 0-7126-7469-1
External links

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At the end of the Second World War there were approximately five million servicemembers in the British Armed Forces The demobilisation and reassimilation of this vast force back into civilian life was one of the first and greatest challenges facing the postwar British government Mr C Stilwell returns to his home in Farnham Surrey after being demobbed and is greeted by his wife Demobilisation planThe wartime Minister of Labour and National Service and Britain s first post war Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin was the chief architect of the demobilisation plan The speed of its introduction was attributed to the tide of public opinion which favoured slogans and policies that appealed to peace and disengagement According to some sources it was also driven by the labour shortage due to post war reconstruction The plan received bipartisan support which was not seen during the 1930s when Labour and Conservative positions lacked consensus The details involving the criteria and framework for demobilisation were unveiled to the public on 22 September 1944 It was scheduled to be implemented on 18 June 1945 and a month before that date British soldiers were already well informed about the process including the welfare system that would support the veterans Under the plan most servicemen and servicewomen were to be released from the armed forces according to their age and service number which as its name suggests was calculated from their age and the months they had served in uniform A small number of so called key men whose occupational skills were vital to postwar reconstruction were to be released ahead of their turn Married women and men aged fifty or more were also given immediate priority Service personnel being demobilised passed through special demobilisation centres Release processThe release process began on schedule about six weeks after V E Day Decommissioned soldiers received a one time grant of 83 each the promise of a right to return to their old jobs and a set of civilian clothing which included the so called demob suit shirts underclothes raincoats hat and shoes At the end of 1945 demobilised soldiers reached 750 000 and this number doubled two months later after Japan s surrender By 1947 about 4 3 million men and women returned to civvy street The process was not without controversy Frustration at the allegedly slow pace of release led to a number of disciplinary incidents in all branches of the armed services in the winter of 1945 6 most famously the so called RAF strikes in India and South East Asia This frustration led to the abandonment of some of the pre release programmes Personal challengesAside from the institutional problems of release returning service men and women faced all kinds of personal challenges on their return to civilian life Britain had undergone six years of bombardment and blockade and there was a shortage of many of the basic essentials of living including food clothing and housing Husbands and wives also had to adjust to living together again after many years apart One indicator of the social problems this caused was the postwar divorce rate over 60 000 applications were processed in 1947 alone a figure that would not be reached again until the 1960s Demobilisation centresAt the end of World War II British servicemen and women returned to civilian life by passing through a demobilisation centre Personnel returning to this country from abroad for the purpose of release passed first through a disembarkation unit They then went on to a dispersal unit Military Disembarkation Camp Units Command or District Title of Unit Location Southern No 1 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit Ranikhet Camp Reading No 2 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit Slade Camp Oxford Eastern No 3 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit Moore Barracks Shorncliffe Kent Western No 1 Military Disembarkation Camp Group H Q Hadrian s Camp Carlisle No 4 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit No 5 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit Northern No 6 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit Queen Elizabeth Barracks Strensall York Military Dispersal Units Command or District Title of Unit Location Scottish No 1 Military Dispersal Unit Redford Barracks Edinburgh Northern No 2 Military Dispersal Unit Fulford Barracks York Eastern No 3 Military Dispersal Unit Talavera Camp Northampton No 5 Military Dispersal Unit Queen s Camp Guildford London No 4 Military Dispersal Unit Regent s Park Barracks Albany St N W I Southern No 6 Military Dispersal Unit Sherford Camp Taunton Western No 7 Military Dispersal Unit North and South Camps Ashton under Lyne No 8 Military Dispersal Unit Bradbury Lines Hereford Northern Ireland No 9 Combined Military Collecting and Dispersal Unit Victoria Barracks BelfastSee alsoCivil Resettlement Units Demobilization Demobilisation of the Australian military after World War II Demobilization of United States armed forces after World War II Demob suit Military discharge Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II National Service Armed Forces Act 1939 Royal Air Force Mutiny of 1946 Post World War II demobilization strikesReferences and sourcesReferences Allport 2009 p 3 Nolfo Ennio Di 1991 The Atlantic Pact forty Years later A Historical Reappraisal New York Walter de Gruyter p 79 ISBN 3110127385 Grant Neil 2017 British Tank Crewman 1939 45 London Bloomsbury Publishing p 62 ISBN 9781472816979 Broad Roger 2017 05 27 Volunteers and Pressed Men How Britain and its Empire Raised its Forces in Two World Wars Fonthill Media Hollowell Jonathan 2003 Britain Since 1945 Oxford Blackwell Publishing pp 5 ISBN 0631209670 Dale Robert 2015 Demobilized Veterans in Late Stalinist Leningrad Soldiers to Civilians London Bloomsbury Publishing pp 18 19 ISBN 9781472590770 Allport 2009 p 23 4 Allport 2009 p 26 VJ Day 75 Troops Returning to a Changed UK Royal British Legion Retrieved 2 August 2024 Allport 2009 p 43 Allport 2009 p 87 HL Deb 17 October 1945 vol 137 cc353 5 UK Parliament Sources Alan Allport Demobbed Coming Home After the Second World War Yale University Press 2009 ISBN 0 300 14043 6 Hansard HL Deb 17 October 1945 vol 137 cc353 5Further readingAllport Alan Demobbed coming home after the Second World War Yale University Press 2009 in UK Broad Roger The Radical General Sir Ronald Adam and Britain s New Model Army 1941 46 The History Press 2010 ISBN 978 0 7524 6559 3 Summers Julie Stranger in the House Women s Stories of Men Returning from the Second World War Simon and Schuster 2009 online Summers Julie When the children came home Stories of wartime evacuees Simon and Schuster 2011 online Turner Barry and Tony Rennell When Daddy Came Home How Family Life Changed Forever in 1945 Pimlico 1995 ISBN 0 7126 7469 1External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Demobilization of the British Army after World War II