Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Dad’s Army.

“Though I am 55 years old, I am very strong and hardy, and can make my voice audible at great distances which is useful at drill.“ So said Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the outbreak of the First World War. Conan Doyle had applied for an army commission, but the War Office turned him down. He was too old for active service. 

However, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was still determined to serve his country in any way he could. On 4 August, 1914, Conan Doyle organised a meeting in his local town of Crowborough in Sussex. Conan Doyle proposed setting up a local civilian volunteer reserve.

In a letter to The Times newspaper he expanded on the idea. Published on 8 August, 1914, the letter explained Conan Doyle’s proposal:

“Will you allow me to point out how a reserve force can be formed which will be numerically large and which if it does nothing else can relieve more mobile and trained troops for the fighting line?“ 

Conan Doyle went on to suggest that such an organisation could consist of men aged 35 to 55; “…who are often harder and fitter than their juniors, but for whom no place is found in our scheme of defence.“

The response to Conan Doyle’s letter was phenomenal. No less than 1200 towns and villages across England expressed an interest in the idea. However, the War Office stepped in and disbanded the fledgling volunteer reserves.

As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle commented: “Kitchener has struck up our Civilian movement.“ In a letter to his brother Innes, Conan Doyle wrote; “I am convinced he does not appreciate its force or scope or how it would focus his material and put it under his hand for recruiting. I am going up today to see if anything can be done.“

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used his influence on a committee that was chaired by Lord Desborough. This resulted in a change of heart from the government. (Who already needed more younger men for the frontline.) In a letter to his mother dated 12 December, 1914, Conan Doyle wrote; “We now have government sanction and we are going ahead and hope to drill and train half a million of men.“

The Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps was set up to oversee and co-ordinate the many units of Volunteer Reserves. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle served on its organising committee. Conan Doyle’s reservists became the Crowborough Company of the Sixth Royal Sussex Volunteer Regiment. 

Conan Doyle was offered a position of command in the Crowborough Company. However, he stated that he was happy to serve as a humble private. He thus became Private No. 184343, 4th Battalion, Sixth Royal Sussex Volunteer Regiment. 

This new role suited Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In a letter he commented that he, “found the life of a private soldier a delightful one.“ Conan Doyle once spent an eight hour shift in the pouring rain, standing guard over German prisoners of war who were loading carts with manure. An unglamorous task indeed for the world famous author!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle later wrote about the Volunteer Civilian Reserve in his autobiography Memories and Adventures, (1924.) He described it as; “a universal one where every citizen, young and old, should be trained to arms - a great stockpot into which the nation could dip and draw its needs.“ Conan Doyle certainly succeeded in his aim to do just that.

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