His son Graham Rushworth, of Thongsbridge, said: "During the war he wanted to join the Coldstream Guards but ended up in the Home Guard because his occupation as an engineer was a
reserved occupation.
'Ah, well, I was in a
Reserved Occupation, you know.
He said: "I knew he had not been a soldier, he was in a
reserved occupation so didn't get sent away to be trained as an officer and with his background, he may have been very useful."
He was in a
reserved occupation but served in the Home Guard during the war.
He had been working in a
reserved occupation, making sten guns, so could have chosen not to go into battle.
That's according to the Imperial War Museum, which also said the new rules, introduced on January 27, 1916, under the Military Service Act, came into force in the UK and required every unmarried male between the age of 18 and 41 who was not in a
reserved occupation eligible for conscription into the armed forces.
Coal mining was a
reserved occupation during the First World War, meaning those within it were exempt from service, but many miners enlisted to 'do their bit'.
In 1916, Britain was in the middle of the First World War, but because coal mining was so vital to the war effort, it was listed as a
reserved occupation, meaning miners were not required to fight.
In 1916, Britain was in the middle of the First World War, but because coal mining was so vital to the war effort it was listed as a
reserved occupation, meaning miners were not required to fight.
ONE of the many advantages of being part of the post-war baby-boom, and having a father who was in a
reserved occupation during the Second World War, was that as a child I was regaled with stories about the war.
Albert, who died when he was 89, worked for British Rail at the time of the Second World War and was spared from fighting due to his
reserved occupation.
I was in a
reserved occupation because we made aeroplanes so I worked there throughout the war." Thomas did go on to meet a Spanish war widow called Connie who became his wife of 50 years..