Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907

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The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the reserve forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territorial Force (TF) and by redesignating Militia units as part of the Army Reserve. This formed the mainstay of the Haldane Reforms.

[edit] County Associations

Part I of the Act dealt with the establishment of County Territorial Associations, who were to administer (but not command) the new Territorial Force. The Army Council was given the power to make schemes incorporating associations and to give them an appropriate name. The areas for which associations were to be formed were to correspond to the lieutenancy counties created by the Local Government Act 1888, Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898.

The lord lieutenant of the county was to be the president of the association, while the other members, who were to be appointed by the Army Council, were to be:

• Military members: officers representative of all arms and branches of the TF in the county. Military members were to make up not less than 50% of the membership of each association.
• Representative members: representatives of the county and county borough councils, the town councils of royal, parliamentary or police burghs with a population of more than 20,000 and of universities in the county.
• Co-opted members: including, "if considered desirable", representatives of employers and workmen.

The chairman and vice-chairman were initially to be appointed by the Army Council for a three-year period, after which they were to be elected by the members of the association. An establishment scheme was also to provide for the terms of office and rotation of other members and the procedures to be used by the association. Sub-associations could be formed where the size or population of the county dictated.

Among the powers and duties of a territorial association were:

• Organisation of TF units and their administration other than when called out for training or military service.
• Provision and maintenance of rifle ranges, buildings, magazines and sites of camps.
• Facilitating provision of areas to be used for manoeuvres.
• Arrangement with employers of holidays for training.
• Establishment of cadet battalions.
• Provision of horses for peace time requirements of the TF.

[edit] Territorial Force

Part II of the Act permitted the establishment of the Territorial Force. Where a county association had been formed an order in council could be made providing for the transfer of the yeomanry and volunteers in the county to the TF, and for their titles.

[edit] Area of service

The TF was liable to serve in any part of the United Kingdom but could not be carried or ordered to go out of the country. Nevertheless, it was permitted for TF units or men to offer, through their commanding officer, to serve in any place outside the UK or to be called out for actual military service for home defence.

[edit] Reserve forces

Part III of the Act dealt with the transfer of the militia to the army reserve. Units of the militia specified by order in council were to become units of the "special reserve".

[edit] See also

List of units of the British Army Territorial Force 1908

[edit] Sources

• Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907

[edit] References