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Joseph, 1917 by David Hewitt (view source)
Revision as of 15:00, 22 February 2017
, 15:00, 22 February 2017no edit summary
{{infobox
|title=Joseph, 1917
|author=David Hewitt
|reviewer=Ani Johnson
|}}
During the autumn of 1915 Edward Stanley, the Earl of Derby and Director General of military recruitment inaugurated the Derby Scheme. Men of fighting age would be encouraged by door-to-door canvassers to 'attest' that they would sign up for military service at a recruitment office within 48 hours. They would then be put in categories according to marital status and be called up, with 14 days' notice, in an order in line with their household responsibilities. The idea was a sound one: married men with children only being called on if absolutely necessary. Lancastrian Joseph Blackburn chose to attest but then for him and many others, unforeseen results ensued.
[[:Category:David Hewitt|David Hewitt]] is a writer and also a lawyer who sits on judicial tribunals. This, together with his love of researching obscure stories to reveal more about familiar historic moments, makes him the ideal candidate for a historical documentary like this. The time is right since we're amidst the four years of centenary commemorations of World War I so we may feel as if all has now been revealed. Yet David provides us with this example of a lesser known scheme siding with a political expediency and inconsistency that became bogged down in a dangerous ineptitude. (The scheme that is, not David's writing!)