British Army statistics of the Great War

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.1914-1918.net:80/faq.htm","20170718163308","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1500395588"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />   <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="author" content="Chris Baker"> <meta name="Description" content="A resource for military historians, genealogists and others with an interest in the Great War of 1914-1918"> <meta name="Keywords" content="First World War, army service records, world war 1, British, Army, Great War, WW1, warfare, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, Ypres, Somme, Vimy, Mons, military, casualties, Victoria Cross, tank, machine gun, Arras, Passchendaele, battlefield, tour, graves, war, VC, medal, history, soldier, Flanders, France, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Palestine, Salonika, armistice, regiment, trench, trenches, ANZAC, western front, family, genealogy, research, poster, cause, gas, start, when, why, soldier, soldiers, service, record, records, national archives, died, society, western front association, expeditionary force, great war forum, Haig, Kitchener, Churchill, Lloyd George, Kaiser, armistice, searching, archaeology, tanks, phosgene, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170718163308im_/http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"/>  <title>British Army statistics of the Great War</title>      <link href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170718163308cs_/http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet">  <link href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170718163308cs_/http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk//css/modern-business.css" rel="stylesheet">  <link href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170718163308cs_/http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk//font-awesome/css/font-awesome.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">    </head> <body>  <nav class="navbar navbar-inverse navbar-fixed-top" role="navigation"> <div class="container">  <div class="navbar-header"> <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#bs-example-navbar-collapse-1"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> </button> <a class="navbar-brand" href="index.html">The Long, Long Trail</a> </div>  <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="bs-example-navbar-collapse-1"> <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right"> <li active> <a href="index.html">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="soldiers/research.html">Soldiers</a> </li> <li> <a href="army.htm">Army</a> </li> <li> <a href="greatwar.html">Battles</a> </li> <li class="dropdown"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">Popular sections <b class="caret"></b></a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li> <a href="soldiers/research.html">Researching a soldier</a> </li> <li> <a href="touring.htm">Touring the battlefields</a> </li> <li> <a href="onthetrail/index.php/category/reviews/">Book and other reviews</a> </li> <li> <a href="onthetrail/index.php/category/news/">News and views</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="dropdown"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">Other Pages <b class="caret"></b></a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li> <a href="copyright.html">Copyright notice</a> </li> <li> <a href="aboutllt.html">About this site</a> </li> <li> <a href="welcome.htm">About the author</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div>  </div>  </nav>  <div class="container"> <div class="row">  <div class="col-md-9">   <h2> Some British Army statistics of the Great War</h2> <p>The British Army of 1914 was very small in comparison with the mighty armies of continental neighbours France and Germany. It was considered as 'contemptibly small' by Kaiser Wilhelm II. But rapid expansion ensured that from mid-1916, it faced the main body of the main enemy on equal or better terms, in addition to providing winning forces in many other theatres. By 1918, the scale, firepower and tactical sophistication were all very much greater than in the early days. The statistics of it all would fill a very large book: here are a few key facts. </p> <h3>How big was the British Army of 1914-1918? 8.7 million men served at some time</h3> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="1"> <tr> <td width="46%" valign="top">Men from United Kingdom in army in August 1914:</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>733,514</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="46%" valign="top">plus recruited from England :</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>4,006,158</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="46%" valign="top">plus recruited from Scotland: </td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>557,618</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="46%" valign="top">plus recruited from Wales and Monmouth:</td> <td width="17%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>272,924</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="46%" valign="top">plus recruited from Ireland:</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>134,202</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" valign="top">plus Empire contingents sent to serve overseas:</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From Canada:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>418,035</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="left">of total 628,964 in arms</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From Australian and Tasmania:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>330,000</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="left">of total 416,809 in arms</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From New Zealand:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>100,471</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="left">of total 220,099 in arms</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From South Africa:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>74,196</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="left">of total 136,070 in arms</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From Newfoundland:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>10,610</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="left">of total 11,922 in arms</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From West Indies:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>16,000</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="left">This total to end of 1917</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From other Dominions:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>31,000</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="46%" valign="top">Total British Army servicemen available for deployment:</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>7,165,280</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">From the Indian Army and other 'coloured troops':</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">1,524,187</div> </td> <td valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">Total force available for deployment:</td> <td valign="top"><div align="right"><b>8,689,467</b></div> </td> <td valign="top"> </td> </tr> </table> <h3>Where did these men serve? 5.4 million men served in France and Flanders (the Western Front)</h3> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="1"> <tr> <td width="35%" valign="top">Theatre of war:</td> <td width="32%" valign="top"> <div align="right">Peak strength (i.e. maximum at any one time)</div></td> <td width="33%" valign="top"> <div align="right">Total employed (i.e. saw service <br/> in this theatre at some point)</div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="35%" height="14" valign="top"><div align="right">France and Flanders:</div></td> <td width="32%" height="14" valign="top"> <div align="right">2,046,901</div> </td> <td width="33%" height="14" valign="top"><div align="right">5,399,563</div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="35%" valign="top"><div align="right">Mesopotamia:</div></td> <td width="32%" valign="top"> <div align="right">447,531</div> </td> <td width="33%" valign="top"><div align="right">889,702</div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="35%" valign="top"><div align="right">Egypt and Palestine:</div></td> <td width="32%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right">432,857</div></td> <td width="33%" valign="top"><div align="right">1,192,511</div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="35%" valign="top"><div align="right">Salonika:</div></td> <td width="32%" valign="top"> <div align="right">285,021</div> </td> <td width="33%" valign="top"><div align="right">404,207</div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td valign="top"><div align="right">Italy:</div></td> <td valign="top"><div align="right">132,667</div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="right">145,764</div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td valign="top"><div align="right">Gallipoli:</div></td> <td valign="top"><div align="right">127,737</div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="right">468,987</div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td valign="top"><div align="right">Other theatres:</div></td> <td valign="top"><div align="right">293,095</div> </td> <td valign="top"><div align="right">475,210</div> </td> </tr> </table> <h3>How many soldiers of the British Army died in the Great War?</h3> <p>According to figures produced in the 1920's by the Central Statistical Office, total British Army casualties were as follows:</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="1"> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="46%" valign="top">Total killed in action, plus died of wounds, disease or injury, plus missing presumed dead:</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>956,703</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"><div align="right"> of which Royal Navy and RFC/RAF casualties were <b>39,527</b></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="46%" height="14" valign="top">of which, from the British Isles were:</td> <td width="17%" height="14" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>704,803</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" height="14" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="46%" valign="top">and from Canada, Australia, India and other places: </td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>251,900</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="46%" height="27" valign="top">Total British Army deaths in France and Flanders:</td> <td width="17%" height="27" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>564,715</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" height="27" valign="top"><div align="right">of which <b>32,098</b> died of disease or injury</div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="46%" valign="top">Total British Army deaths on the Gallipoli front:</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>26,213</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="46%" valign="top">Total British Army deaths on all other fronts:</td> <td width="17%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>365,375</b></div> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> </table> <h3>How many soldiers of the British Army do not have a known grave? </h3> <p>In March 2009, the totals from the Commonwelath War Graves Commission for the First World War are a s follows. These figures include all three services:</p> <p>Buried in named graves : 587989<br/> No known graves, but listed on a memorial to the missing : 526816, of which <br/> - buried but not identifiable by name : 187861<br/> - therefore not buried at all : 338955</p> <p>The last figure includes those lost at sea. </p> <p>So it is fair to say that about half are buried as known soldiers, with the rest either buried but unidentifiable or lost. </p> <h3>How many soldiers of the British Army were wounded in the Great War?</h3> <p>The enormous firepower of the armies of 1914-1918 guaranteed a high proportion of wounded to men in action. According to figures produced in the 1920's in the Official History of the Medical Services, total British Army wounded were as follows:</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#000000"> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="47%" valign="top">Total British Army wounded in action, plus other casualties (e.g. accidental): if a man was wounded twice he appears here twice: </td> <td width="13%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>2,272,998</b></div> </td> <td width="40%" valign="top"><div align="right">Royal Navy and RFC/RAF casualties were <b>16,862</b></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="47%" height="14" valign="top">Proportion returned to duty:</td> <td width="13%" height="14" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>64%</b></div> </td> <td width="40%" height="14" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="47%" valign="top">Proportion returned to duty but only for lines of communication, garrison or sedentery work:</td> <td width="13%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>18%</b></div> </td> <td width="40%" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="47%" valign="top">Proportion discharged as invalids:</td> <td width="13%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>8%</b></div> </td> <td width="40%" valign="top"><div align="right">i.e. approximately <b>182,000</b></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="47%" height="21" valign="top">Proportion died of wounds received:</td> <td width="13%" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>7%</b></div> </td> <td width="40%" valign="top"><div align="right"></div></td> </tr> </table> <h3>How many soldiers of the British Army were sick in the Great War?</h3> <p>In every previous war, deaths and casualties to sickness far outstripped those from military action. By 1914 and beyond, medical advances and an increasingly well-organised medical chain of evacuation made sure this was not the case. The number of men evacuated to England from France and Flanders, who were suffering from an illness:</p> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="1"> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="25%" valign="top">Year</td> <td width="36%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right">Officers</div> </td> <td width="39%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right">Other ranks </div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="25%" height="14" valign="top"><div align="right">1914</div></td> <td width="36%" height="14" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>892</b></div> </td> <td width="39%" height="14" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>25,013</b></div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="25%" height="13" valign="top"><div align="right">1915</div></td> <td width="36%" height="13" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>5,558</b></div> </td> <td width="39%" height="13" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>121,006</b></div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="25%" height="15" valign="top"><div align="right">1916</div></td> <td width="36%" height="15" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>12,818</b></div> </td> <td width="39%" height="15" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>219,539</b></div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="25%" valign="top"><div align="right">1917</div></td> <td width="36%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>15,311</b></div> </td> <td width="39%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>321,628</b></div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td width="25%" valign="top"><div align="right">1918</div></td> <td width="36%" align="right" valign="top"><b>15,311</b></td> <td width="39%" align="right" valign="top"> <div align="right"><b>265,735</b></div> </td> </tr> </table> The proportion of men suffering from illnesses was very much higher in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli and East Africa.  </div>  <div class="col-md-3"> <div class="list-group"> <a href="index.html" class="list-group-item">Home</a> <a href="javascript: history.go(-1)" class="list-group-item">Back to previous page</a> <a href="soldiers/research.html" class="list-group-item">Researching a soldier?</a> <a href="menu_life.htm" class="list-group-item">Life in the army</a> <a href="army.htm" class="list-group-item">Regiments and formations</a> <a href="insights.htm" class="list-group-item">Army regulations</a> <a href="greatwar.html" class="list-group-item">The battles of WW1</a> <a href="touring.htm" class="list-group-item">The battlefields</a> <a href="onthetrail/index.php/category/reviews/" class="list-group-item">Book and other reviews</a> <a href="onthetrail/index.php/category/news/" class="list-group-item">News and comment</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170718163308/http://www.fourteeneighteen.co.uk/" target="blank" class="list-group-item">Professional help</a> </div> <hr> <div> <h4>Search the site</h4>  <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20170718163308/http://www.1914-1918.net/results.htm" id="searchform"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000206519056447404021:msjzldhacnc"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:11"/> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8"/> <input type="text" name="q" value=" Search the site…" onfocus="this.value=(this.value=='Search the site…')? 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British Army statistics of the Great War