As War was declared in 1914, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was keen to play his part. He volunteered for service, writing,“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.”He felt that if he volunteered at his age, others would be encouraged to do so.
The Army turned him down.
Meanwhile, he realised that Sussex, where he lived, would be on the frontline in the event of an invasion. Approached by a number of concerned locals, he called a meeting on 4 August to discuss setting up of a local defence force. Before long, drawing on his experience in creating civilian rifle clubs after the Boer War, he was drilling volunteers and having them dig trenches on common outside the house. He wrote to The Times on 6 August encouraging the setting up of similar local forces. The letter was published on 8 August.
SIR, – The future is dark and we do not know that we will not need our last ounce of strength before we are through. We can afford to neglect nothing.
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? In a word, the suggestion is to form civilian companies of the National Reserve. There are tens and hundreds of thousands of men in this country from 35 to 55 who are often harder and fitter than their juniors, but for whom no place is found in our scheme of defence.
Many of them are good shots, they are longing to help in any possible way, and they would fall into line instantly if they could only see how to do it. They would speedily become capable of guarding railways or buildings, helping to garrison fortresses or performing many other military duties.
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