Let us now turn to the Reserve Forces at home, composed of the two classes of Army Reserves, Militia, Militia Reserve, Yeomanry, and Volunteers. We will not take into account either the Native Indian Reserves, as they are not yet fully formed, or the Colonial Militia or Reserves, as they are inextricably mixed up with the Colonial Forces already described.
Army Reserve.
The 1st Class Army Reserve, created in 1877, consists of men who have served their three, seven, or eight years with the Colours, and who then pass to this Reserve to complete their service to twelve years. They are liable to service at home and abroad when called out; this would happen only in case of war or national danger. The men would then either join their own regiments or be formed into separate corps, or, with their consent, be attached to a regiment or corps other than their old one. This class numbers over 54,000 men.
The 2nd Class Army Reserve, in which there are not quite 3,000 men, is composed of those men who have served twelve years with the Colours and then choose to enter this Reserve, and of a few other special classes of men. They do not serve out of Great Britain. Both classes are liable to be called out for an annual training, but have never yet been so called out.
Militia.
The Militia consists of men voluntarily enlisted for six years, with power to re-engage for periods of four years up to forty-five years of age. The recruits are trained for six months or less at the depôt of the regimental district, and have subsequently to undergo only twenty-eight days’[10] training a year with their corps when called out. During these twenty-eight days the men receive regular pay, with a “bounty” of 10s. or upward at the end of the training. They are then dismissed till next year.
In cases of national emergency, the Militia may be called out, i.e. “embodied,” for active service. This has occurred four times already in this century; during the Crimean War, for instance, ten battalions of Militia were garrisoning our possessions in the Mediterranean, and no fewer than 32,000 entered the Regulars and fought before Sebastopol.
The Militia comprises Artillery, Engineers, and Infantry.
The Artillery consists of 34 brigades of Garrison Artillery, attached to the regular Garrison Artillery Divisions as follows:—4 to the Eastern, 21 to the Southern, and 9 to the Western Division. The Engineer Militia numbers 7 companies.
The Infantry consists of 131 battalions, attached to the different regiments of Infantry of the Line as their 3rd and 4th or other battalions, and belonging to the same regimental districts. Some regiments have only one Militia battalion attached, others as many as five.