Imperial War Museum

John Duffield recalls serving with a bantam unit during the First World War Players: Realplayer 5 | Quicktime 4 Need help with audio? View Transcription

Alfred Bigland, MP for Birkenhead, pressed the War Office in 1914 for permission to form a “bantam” battalion of men who failed to reach the British Army's normal height requirement (5ft 3in) but who were otherwise perfectly capable of serving. About 3,000 men – many of them previously rejected – rushed to volunteer. These first bantams were formed into the 1st and 2nd Birkenhead battalions of The Cheshire Regiment (later redesignated the 15th and 16th battalions). Bantams had to be not less than 5ft (1.5m) tall and no more than 5ft 3in (1.6m).

Men of the 16th (Bantams) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in training, 1915. (Neg Q 53724)

The West Yorkshire Regiment, The Royal Scots, and The Highland Light Infantry all had bantams. Many bantam recruits were miners, and some of the units were formed into The British 35th Infantry Division. The 40th Division had a mixture of bantam and regulation units, although it is generally considered to have been a bantam division. The bantams were very popular at home, and were often featured in the press.

By the end of 1916, however, the general fitness and condition of men volunteering as bantams was no longer up to the standard required. Brigades were informed that no more undersized men would be accepted, and the divisions lost their bantam status as replacements diluted the number of small men in the mix.

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Sources:

The History of the Lancashire Fusiliers 1914-1918, by J.C. Latter (pub. Gale & Polden, Aldershot, 1949)

British Regiments 1914-1918, by Brigadier E.A. James (pub. Samson Books, London, 1978)