My Great uncle, Stanley Fletcher served in a bantam battalion of the Durham light infantry. He was killed at the 2nd battle of Ypres in 1917 and he is commemorated on the menin gate.
My grandfather was (as far as I have been able to ascertain) also in the DLI. He was wounded when he fumbled a grenade, losing two fingers, and so was sent home. Again as far as I have been able to find out, he served at Beaumont Hamel on the Somme, and was invalided home before the disastrous battle. He lived until 1980, and held down a job as a postman until he retired. As well as that, my great-grandfather on the other side of the family, fought under Lord Roberts in the 2nd Afghan Campaign, and took part in the great march from Kabul to Canadahar.
Despite the height they volunteerd to fight for Britain and deserve to be rememberd, courage and determination more than made up for their short stature. Thank you superb as always.
Despite the height they volunteerd to die for Britain and deserve to be rememberd, as the victims of a pointless war fought simply for the vanity of the various aristocracies. A war that would go on to spawn the worst instincts of humankind, in the bloodiest century of all history. A century that would change the world for the worse, forever. What a cause to die for?
I was once "politely asked to leave" an inter-collegiate history conference while I was discussing Sir Stamford Raffles. It really irritated the moderator (an old batty woman with as much cheer and character as a dried-out scarecrow) when I mentioned, "If the British Empire was the greatest force for good in human history, Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles deserves his own plinth in the pantheon of heroes of the Empire. After all, his name, likeness, and statues still exist in post-colonial southeast Asia. Can't say the same for Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba, can you?"
@TheHistoryChap 18th (service) Battalion (2nd Glamorgan) The Welsh Regiment. He was a lorry driver and a story he told was that he was driving the last lorry in a convoy and only the first and last lorry survived an attack from the enemy. His name was private Albert John Allen.
Great episode, Chris! My wife's grandfather, Bristol-born Private Thomas Henry Potter (1896-1988), volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) 10th July 1916 at Hamilton, Ontario, while working as a ‘Wireman’ for a local telephone company. Initially assigned to the 216th Overseas Battalion, CEF (“The Bantams”) following basic infantry training, he was sent for further training in February & March of 1917 as a telegraph signaller. His unit sailed from Halifax to England 18 April 1917 aboard the ‘S.S. Scandinavian’; arriving in Liverpool 29th April. His medical record described him as 5’-2” tall, weighing 122lbs-truly a ‘bantam’! Numerous transfers then ensued in England, between the Canadian Reserve assembly areas of the West Sandling Camp (Shorncliffe, Kent), and the Witley Camp (Aldershot, Surrey), resulting in Thomas becoming a Gunner, as well as a Signaller, with 8th Army Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, CEF. This brigade provided artillery support to the 3rd & 4th Canadian Divisions in France and Flanders for the remainder of the war. After the war, Thomas returned to Canada via Halifax on 5 April 1919 with a severe case of bronchitis (contracted on the voyage), before returning to his old job at the telephone company in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A pity I can't upload some photos of him here.
It shows how poor a diet the lower class men were used to - nearly all malnourished and stunted working men, many miners, foundry workers and factory hands who all died young and worked hard for very little money but still wanted to fight for their country.
Historical records show the tallest people on the planet were once the Scot’s, before the industrial revolution, they say I diet including oats fish and game was why
Another cracking story thank you. A family story is Jock T a miner joined the 18HLI after calling in sick at the local pit, he was wounded at Gilmerton? and twice more before then end, I was told his brother joined the BtL from the Glasgow Yeo but I don't know about that connection. We have lot of stories in the family lol I served 10 years myself. Please keep them coming
Excellent video A serious dilemma for Great Britain 🇬🇧 These men were not short. When the Boers took British prisoners, they found that the officers were tall and the privates’ much shorter. It was due to malnourishment in British working class society. But in the WW2, shorter men were in great demand for armoured fighting vehicles and cramped spaces in warplanes.
Many thanks for this Sir. My Granddad enlisted into the 17th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment (1st Glamorgan's). A signaler, his Battalion was all decimated at Bourlon Wood and were dissolved. He then joined the 18th (Service) Battalion, (2nd Glamorgan's) and was wounded in the 1918 Spring Offencive (Michael). Again his Battalion suffered huge loses. Granddad received his Honourable Discharge in December 1918. A really lovely Man. Many thanks again for helping to tell his war-time story. 9:09
After applying to join the army in 1997, after passing all tests,I became the smallest man to join the Scots Guards when the height restrictions were removed,,i felt like a garden gnome,years later when i left,i was almost a foot taller than some i stood proudly at 5'6" DYNAMITE COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES!!😢
I am 5'4" I served 40 years in the United States Army. As a Infantrymen and a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, and the 3 rd Battalion 325th Airborne combat team, and the 101st Airborne air assault division. I have deployed to combat in every conflict beginning w the Panama and last in Iraq/Afghanistan. Taller and stronger had to keep up with me.
My late father, stout and short, served in the Royal Navy. A great father, but feisty. He’d taught us, never start a fight but finish it, and should you lose, ensure they hurt more. A great piece of information. Choked-up at the many tragically lost in action as ‘cannon fodder’. Great men all. Lest we forget. 🇦🇺🦘👍
I was in the Canadian Army (Infantry) during the 1970s. One of the toughest guys in my Company was a guy just a wee bit over 5 feet. He looked like he would fly off in a stiff breeze, but he carried the same pack and kit we did. I could just imagine what a whole Battalion of guys like him would be like. With his small stature, he was quite excellent at camouflage and concealment; he was invisible.
Good morning, Chris, I was initially gob smacked about how many men volunteered. But I have been reading up about the Home Guard and how many volunteered in the first few days of the announcement on the formation of Local Defence Volunteers or LDV. I had a laugh at how hard the bantams fought. It reminded me of the chap who was in my intake when I joined the army 40years ago. He was the shortest chap in the platoon, also left-handed and Tasmanian. But was a boxing champion in the bantam class. Our Bombardier found out the hard way how tough he was. Thanks again for another brilliant telling. I will have to play catch up as I missed a couple of episodes. Cheers
My maternal grandfather, a miner and just 5'-4" served until gassed and invalided out in 1917. A proud man that I wish I had got to know better. A truly amazing documentary with so much color and detail
Height is a funny thing. My grandfather was 5'8" tall and, as he was over 5'7" was assigned to the artillery during War 1. He may have survived the war because he was artillery rather than infantry... or maybe not. In any event, he did return to Canada in 1919 and went on to sire my father. Now my father was only 5"2" tall.. but served with distinction during War 2 and in Korea as an infantry soldier . The other lads called him "Ti Rouge" which means "Little Red" (he served in a French Canadian unit, obviously).... apparently it was just partially about his reddish hair and more about his fierceness (so I was told by a man he served with). I'm his son... I served too... but I'm 5'10" (the product of a 5'2" father and 5'1" mother)... and I've a brother who is 6'1" and, more recently, a daughter who is over 5'11"... my sons hover about my height.... though my wife is 5"4". Our height is a crap shoot.... it means very little in terms of who we are as individuals. Go Bantams!
Just imagine the Bantams facing the Prussian Guards. How would you feel fighting someone who is the same height as you nether region. That's one place you would not want to be attacked.
Another great vid!! I remember in Battle comic in late seventies early eighties there was a strip called Charley’s War. Set in WW1 I remember a character from The Bantams making an appearance. Great stories in that publication. 👍
Do you know what, I am a former serving British soldier who, in my youth was fascinated by military trivia along with the usual stories behind famous battles and not so famous raids etc but even though I had heard of Bantam units in the great war but I was unaware of how many let's call them. ' vertically challenged ' young men volunteered to fight, men had a different set of values back then, these days if there was a call to arms the majority of today's lads would be looking for a way OUT of being recruited into the forces nevermind going out of there way and having to fight red tape to get IN to the armed forces. How times change.
Thanks for that Chris. I'd never heard of the Bantam Battalions before. 30,000 brave little men who wanted to ' Do their bit' British pluck at its best.
Another great video Chris. Thanks and please keep them coming. I remember my Great Uncle talking about Bantums when I was a child. I knew he kept chickens but ,as a 7 or 8 year old, didn't realise he ment soldiers. I did know, via Victor and Battle Action comics, that there were mining copmanys. Do you read Charlie's war?
Great video and presentation Chris, up to your usual high standard. You mentioned the Hindenburg Line that the Bantams fought at.... So I was wondering, with the movie Before Dawn about to be released, and ANZAC day fast approaching, could you find it in you to do a video about the Australian involvement at the Hindenburg Line?
Thank you Chris great video. Being of the Shorter stature I have always had a bit of a "Napoleon Complex" but after hearing of these Pint Sized Heroes I won't be quite so bothered about my lack of height!
A fascinating story, well told - nice work sir! I came across the bantams by accident 18 months ago and since then I've devoured anything and everything I can find on them. Theirs is an incredible story. As you say, they were all volunteers. They could have stayed safely at home saying, 'I'd have gone, you know, but I was too short...' but they didn't. They signed up in their thousands. At the time, a report by The Royal Sanitary Institute (I think it was them!) extolled the virtues of the smaller soldier, citing, amongst other advantages, their lower risk from snipers, lesser need for food and clothing and greater fighting spirit! I was so inspired by the bantam story I wrote a play, 'The Last Bantam' and brought it up to the Edinburgh Fringe last year. It went down a storm and I got some lovely reviews. While most people have never heard of the bantams, there is, I feel, a growing interest in the Great War (courtesy perhaps of '1917' and 'All quiet on the Western Front'), and I met several people after my show whose grandfathers were bantams. Keep up the good work!
Lee Enfield rifles could be fitted with 4 different length stocks. The standard or normal stocks were to the best of my knowledge unmarked. A half inch longer one was available marked L. A half inch shorter one was marked S. A one inch shorter one was marked with a B, presumably for Bantam.
At 6ft 3 with a big frame to match I always said it has perhaps kept me out of many fights as many would have seen me as a potential bad move but I also said in the event of war when the bullets were flying I would rather be a 5 ft wiry fellow and less of a target .
A most excellent piece of work on WW’1 history. Might I suggest a mention of the Royal Navy brigade, that little known part of WW1 history about some of the navy’s sailors who fought in the trenches.
Hello , David Gray here, my grandfather was in the Cameronians Scottish rifles who recruited a lot from Glasgow. Their nicknamed “The poisoned Dwarfs” they didn’t like that by the way, but a lot of them were not that tall. I have his battalions book, in that it says that on one occasion a a party of Germans crossed the line to surrender, when they discovered that the trench was held by a Scottish regiment they ran down the line to find and English one. Both my parents were from the west coast, and I married a Scottish Canadian, we live near London, but I called by name Hamish, keep the family history alive. My great grandfather was a pipe major in the Scotts Guards, he lost his life on the Somme in 1916 aged 54! Yours David Gray
I am genetically modelled to be a Durham miner, joined up into the army as a junior soldier at age 16 and 5'3" , later to reach the dizzy heights of 5'5" , on attending the QM's for issue of uniform I was asked what size boots, I was a size 5 (uk) was given size 7 and ordered to grow into them. Now age 62 after 23 years service and still just size 6.
Absolutely DAMN RIGHT you totally are, Chris old chap, that the story of these absolutely brave, daring and exceedingly heroic Devil Dwarves for men amongst our fighting soldiers of the Great War/WWI should never be forgotten. Cos once again, you have given me SUCH a history lesson I never ever knew about until only today, you really are SUCH the man on here to give us incredible British military history lessons no one else in here hasn’t given yet as far as I know. My golly, did one single miner cause quite the movement I bet even he couldnt’ve fathomed 😆😆😆
A very interesting video. I didn't know that Bernard Montgomery had served in a Bantam Brigade. As you said, not a bad idea while there was a supply of tough small men from industry but losses couldn't be sustained, a bit like Churchill's Naval Division which by 1916 had a Brigade of 'normal' infantry. I read about Pinney who gets a mention in someone's memoirs. As this is a family show I won't repeat what the troops thought about the lack of rum. I've always thought it is rather a ppor show that most of the patriotic public figures who raised units didn't serve with them unlike the American Civil War where it was quite common for the leading figures to be officers in tghe units they raised.
Hi Chris, Really great story. Respect to all those men who volunteered. And those that came back from abroad to serve too. I listened using subtitles,.ok read, in the breaks between the easter prosessions. They came out perfectly I didnt see any obvious errors, do you check it? All the best!!
I enjoyed the dad's army characters videos and I found myself watching Blackadder, wondering what the stories behind these characters with general melchet winning the VC and DSO as well as a vast array of other medals. Would love to see a video on this. Keep up the great work 👍
The establishment of the Bantam Battalions led to the introduction of the Bantam SMLE Rifle Buttstock ( originally Short, Medium and Long) to accomodate different Soldier Heights. These days, surviving "B" marked Butt stocks on WWI SMLE Rifles are rare, due to Post WWI refurbishments to S, M, and L sizes.
Those lads had a cart blanche to avoid the worst slaughter of young men in history by that point and still found way to go and die for their masters. It is sort of sad. I'm 6 ft but i would have escaped to Argentina come august 1914😅 My grand grandfather was mobilized in 3 wars, 1912- 1918 serving in first and second balkan wars and then the great war. Bullets seem to miss that man, its a family history how he was never ever injured in six years of war. Then he went abroad sick and tired of all the soldiering.
Fascinating. Question: did Germany have similar groups? Request a video on groups excluded from recruitment such as miners. Great video as always, thanks.
Miners were not excluded from being conscripted, strangely. They were replaced by middle class young men. It's not what you know, it's who you know. 🙄🥺
That was fantastic Chris loved this true old school grit something that the young ones are missing I know I'm going off a bit but we should bring back national service back, we need some old school pride maners and discipline and not entitlement Sorry in advanced
Chris, thank you for making the point that Highland Titles does not grant one a real title since all titles are the gift of the King and are not 'for sale'.
There's one officer that would have fit right in had he not been found useful elsewhere - TE Lawrence. PS In the American Civil War, men who might not be fit for combat were nonetheless recruited for limited service - the Invalid Corps. When they had to hold a fort near Washington, an overconfident Confederate officer warned they commandant his men would surely run. The Union CO replied, "My men are crippled. They CAN'T run". And they didn't. They also held the fort. Brothers in arms. PPS I bought my wife (partly of Scots descent) and one for my sister. Great gift.
It's a fascinating story. Short-heighted aspirants show more enthusiasm as compared to tall candidates. Government made a right decision to lower the requirement.
I find it surprising they had any height requirements when the need for men was so high, especially in a time of terrible pollution and diet which would have stunted the growth of otherwise perfectly healthy men, especially in the heavily industrialised northern towns and cities.
As explained in the video, the minimum height requirement was only introduced as an artificial brake, of sorts, on the numbers of men eligible to sign-up, because the administrative systems could not keep-up with the great volume of otherwise- acceptable applicants.
I used to have a Banty Rooster . Sucker was short but smart. I trained him to scratch out a Tic Tack Toe thing on the ground. He won me a lot of money until he got smashed by an oil barrel
Great story. One of my granddad’s during the Second War was in the Home Guard because he was in a reserved occupation (carpenter and boat builder), was 4’ 7”. He had forearms like oak trees and could lift a twelve stone man with one arm.
My great uncle Billy was the last surviving member of the Kings Liverpool from the first world war and he was a Bantam. He and my Grandad Walter were underage when they joined up. Walter and William Jaeger
Chris my man, you brought it again interesting, funny and informative, thanks for that! Bantam is a nice sort of tobacco too . Only the British would name soldiers after a chicken, love this humor. In my very youth we were used to be to saying Beware of the shorts because they're hard as nails in the time of some bar brawls...The battle of the Somme was a horrible action anyway. Wish you all the best Lord Green 😅 Ludwig. We're not having the tradition of cockfighting...
What an amazing story you told Chris, I really enjoyed it and found it fascinating to learn the history of the Bantam battalions. I was just wondering if there was any effort to make any kind of Memorial to recognize their contributions civil war effort in the UK? I can just see that minerr now, plucking away and then challenging all comers! 😂Muy bien, amigo.
Hi Harry, not sure that there is a specific memorial to the Bantams. I know there is a plaque in Birkenhead to their battalions. I guess, individual regiments memorials will reflect the bantam battalions within them.
‘Other Ranks’ Chris, not Ordinary Ranks (unless WWI was different). PS my grandfather was 5’1”, at the Battle of Cambrai which I’d assumed was a regular battalion of the Beds & Herts.. I’d never considered his height before now 🤔. Fascinating stuff, thanks
I served in the South African Defence Force in 1989/90, in D Squadron at School of Armour. Our rivals were B Squadron, who were the taller recruits. For some reason, B Squadron were assigned to armoured cars like the little Eland 90, or Noddy car, as we called them. D Squadron were sent to the roomier tanks. Seeing the tall B Squadron crew commanders sticking out of their hatches was quite funny, and how they got into the drivers compartment is beyond me.
I have an unrelated question - subject for a future episode James Clavell - Now I know he was born in Australia but I have been intrigued what would motivate a victim of Japanese brutality to write such a series as Shogun. I have been a fan of his writing after reading King Rat about a million years ago and was amazed at the depth of study he must have done to write the Shogun series. I can't imagine that Changi Prison in WWII would cast the Japanese in a favourable light and wonder what set him on his writing path. I don't know if he would be a good subject for an episode or not but it is a subject that interests me. Thanks for your excellent presentations I have never seen you do a bad one and your passion for the subject is clear to any viewer. Cheers Tony
Can you imagine the controversy such an action would start today? Just a thought, personally I think it's a great idea. Kinda! ✌️ Thx. for the interesting ' little ' bit of history...👍
Highland Titles: highlandtitles.com/ use code HISTORY25
My Great uncle, Stanley Fletcher served in a bantam battalion of the Durham light infantry. He was killed at the 2nd battle of Ypres in 1917 and he is commemorated on the menin gate.
My grandfather was (as far as I have been able to ascertain) also in the DLI. He was wounded when he fumbled a grenade, losing two fingers, and so was sent home. Again as far as I have been able to find out, he served at Beaumont Hamel on the Somme, and was invalided home before the disastrous battle. He lived until 1980, and held down a job as a postman until he retired.
As well as that, my great-grandfather on the other side of the family, fought under Lord Roberts in the 2nd Afghan Campaign, and took part in the great march from Kabul to Canadahar.
Thanks for taking the time to share our family story
Despite the height they volunteerd to fight for Britain and deserve to be rememberd, courage and determination more than made up for their short stature. Thank you superb as always.
Despite the height they volunteerd to die for Britain and deserve to be rememberd, as the victims of a pointless war fought simply for the vanity of the various aristocracies. A war that would go on to spawn the worst instincts of humankind, in the bloodiest century of all history. A century that would change the world for the worse, forever. What a cause to die for?
Glad you enjoyed the video
I was once "politely asked to leave" an inter-collegiate history conference while I was discussing Sir Stamford Raffles. It really irritated the moderator (an old batty woman with as much cheer and character as a dried-out scarecrow) when I mentioned, "If the British Empire was the greatest force for good in human history, Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles deserves his own plinth in the pantheon of heroes of the Empire. After all, his name, likeness, and statues still exist in post-colonial southeast Asia. Can't say the same for Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba, can you?"
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My grandfather was in a bantam service regiment from Wales
Interesting, do you know which one?
@TheHistoryChap 18th (service) Battalion (2nd Glamorgan) The Welsh Regiment.
He was a lorry driver and a story he told was that he was driving the last lorry in a convoy and only the first and last lorry survived an attack from the enemy. His name was private Albert John Allen.
Great episode, Chris! My wife's grandfather, Bristol-born Private Thomas Henry Potter (1896-1988), volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) 10th July 1916 at Hamilton, Ontario, while working as a ‘Wireman’ for a local telephone company. Initially assigned to the 216th Overseas Battalion, CEF (“The Bantams”) following basic infantry training, he was sent for further training in February & March of 1917 as a telegraph signaller. His unit sailed from Halifax to England 18 April 1917 aboard the ‘S.S. Scandinavian’; arriving in Liverpool 29th April. His medical record described him as 5’-2” tall, weighing 122lbs-truly a ‘bantam’!
Numerous transfers then ensued in England, between the Canadian Reserve assembly areas of the West Sandling Camp (Shorncliffe, Kent), and the Witley Camp (Aldershot, Surrey), resulting in Thomas becoming a Gunner, as well as a Signaller, with 8th Army Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, CEF. This brigade provided artillery support to the 3rd & 4th Canadian Divisions in France and Flanders for the remainder of the war. After the war, Thomas returned to Canada via Halifax on 5 April 1919 with a severe case of bronchitis (contracted on the voyage), before returning to his old job at the telephone company in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A pity I can't upload some photos of him here.
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to share your family story
It shows how poor a diet the lower class men were used to - nearly all malnourished and stunted working men, many miners, foundry workers and factory hands who all died young and worked hard for very little money but still wanted to fight for their country.
Thanks for watching & for your feedback
Historical records show the tallest people on the planet were once the Scot’s, before the industrial revolution, they say I diet including oats fish and game was why
Another cracking story thank you. A family story is Jock T a miner joined the 18HLI after calling in sick at the local pit, he was wounded at Gilmerton? and twice more before then end, I was told his brother joined the BtL from the Glasgow Yeo but I don't know about that connection. We have lot of stories in the family lol I served 10 years myself. Please keep them coming
thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to share your family story.
What a fine story of raw courage and patriotism.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I always treated a small man with respect and I found i had a friend for life.Good job.
Thanks for your comment & for watching my video
Excellent video
A serious dilemma for Great Britain 🇬🇧
These men were not short. When the Boers took British prisoners, they found that the officers were tall and the privates’ much shorter. It was due to malnourishment in British working class society.
But in the WW2, shorter men were in great demand for armoured fighting vehicles and cramped spaces in warplanes.
thanks for watching my video & also for your comment
Many thanks for this Sir. My Granddad enlisted into the 17th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment (1st Glamorgan's). A signaler, his Battalion was all decimated at Bourlon Wood and were dissolved. He then joined the 18th (Service) Battalion, (2nd Glamorgan's) and was wounded in the 1918 Spring Offencive (Michael). Again his Battalion suffered huge loses. Granddad received his Honourable Discharge in December 1918. A really lovely Man. Many thanks again for helping to tell his war-time story. 9:09
I am very grateful for your kind comment. I'm glad you enjoyed this video. Thanks.
Have a look at 'No Bad Soldiers' (pub Helion 2022) for the history of 119 Brigade - including the 17th and 18th Welsh.
It’s not the size of a man in a fight,it’s the size of the fight in a man that matters.
Kinda' like: It's not how long your fuse is, but how much TNT is on the end of it!.... 8-)
Especially in modern warfare.
Thanks for watching my video & for our comment
After applying to join the army in 1997, after passing all tests,I became the smallest man to join the Scots Guards when the height restrictions were removed,,i felt like a garden gnome,years later when i left,i was almost a foot taller than some i stood proudly at 5'6"
DYNAMITE COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES!!😢
My late father a 6' 9" Grenadier would have loved to have you as a Garden novelty.
I am 5'4" I served 40 years in the United States Army. As a Infantrymen and a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, and the 3 rd Battalion 325th Airborne combat team, and the 101st Airborne air assault division. I have deployed to combat in every conflict beginning w the Panama and last in Iraq/Afghanistan. Taller and stronger had to keep up with me.
thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to share your experiences.
My late father, stout and short, served in the Royal Navy. A great father, but feisty. He’d taught us, never start a fight but finish it, and should you lose, ensure they hurt more.
A great piece of information. Choked-up at the many tragically lost in action as ‘cannon fodder’. Great men all.
Lest we forget.
🇦🇺🦘👍
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching
My great Grandfather served in a Bantam battalion. He kept his head down and survived the war. I guess being short has it's advantages.
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These men though tiny where mighty in deed!
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@@TheHistoryChap not wishing to sound prosaic but may I have more please!
I was in the Canadian Army (Infantry) during the 1970s. One of the toughest guys in my Company was a guy just a wee bit over 5 feet. He looked like he would fly off in a stiff breeze, but he carried the same pack and kit we did. I could just imagine what a whole Battalion of guys like him would be like. With his small stature, he was quite excellent at camouflage and concealment; he was invisible.
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to share your story
Good morning, Chris, I was initially gob smacked about how many men volunteered. But I have been reading up about the Home Guard and how many volunteered in the first few days of the announcement on the formation of Local Defence Volunteers or LDV. I had a laugh at how hard the bantams fought. It reminded me of the chap who was in my intake when I joined the army 40years ago. He was the shortest chap in the platoon, also left-handed and Tasmanian. But was a boxing champion in the bantam class. Our Bombardier found out the hard way how tough he was. Thanks again for another brilliant telling. I will have to play catch up as I missed a couple of episodes. Cheers
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to share your experiences
Absolutely brilliant, thanks. It's stories like this that make me wish I was a film director.
Glad you enjoyed it.
My maternal grandfather, a miner and just 5'-4" served until gassed and invalided out in 1917.
A proud man that I wish I had got to know better.
A truly amazing documentary with so much color and detail
Thanks for taking the time to share your family story
Thank you so much. I had never heard of these amazing, brave men!
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Great story. The movie screenplay almost writes itself. Why on earth has no-one made a film about this?
Good comment, thanks for watching my video
I remember reading about this group of men. Thank you for sharing.😊
My pleasure.
I've never heard of these units.
More good work from Chris.
Glad you en joyed the video
Height is a funny thing. My grandfather was 5'8" tall and, as he was over 5'7" was assigned to the artillery during War 1. He may have survived the war because he was artillery rather than infantry... or maybe not. In any event, he did return to Canada in 1919 and went on to sire my father.
Now my father was only 5"2" tall.. but served with distinction during War 2 and in Korea as an infantry soldier . The other lads called him "Ti Rouge" which means "Little Red" (he served in a French Canadian unit, obviously).... apparently it was just partially about his reddish hair and more about his fierceness (so I was told by a man he served with).
I'm his son... I served too... but I'm 5'10" (the product of a 5'2" father and 5'1" mother)... and I've a brother who is 6'1" and, more recently, a daughter who is over 5'11"... my sons hover about my height.... though my wife is 5"4".
Our height is a crap shoot.... it means very little in terms of who we are as individuals.
Go Bantams!
Thanks for taking the time to share your family story
Thanks for another great video and for mentioning Durham... Durham Light Infantry my home town
Glad you enjoyed it.
Just imagine the Bantams facing the Prussian Guards. How would you feel fighting someone who is the same height as you nether region. That's one place you would not want to be attacked.
I am chuckling at the thought of the "Devil Dwarves" running at the Prussian Guards nether regions. I think the Guards would flee!
They did face them and often beat them.
Great story that needed to be told. Thank you. Lest we forget.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great and gritty stuff, my friend. Well done, yet again. Twain's quote was well proven.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Fascinating, thanks for showing it.
Thanks for watching , glad you enjoyed it
I left the Australian Army in 1997. At 5'6", i was the shortest in my company. Big blokes make good targets.
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Charley's war! - anyone else first hear of them there?
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Another great vid!! I remember in Battle comic in late seventies early eighties there was a strip called Charley’s War. Set in WW1 I remember a character from The Bantams making an appearance. Great stories in that publication. 👍
I picked up the complete hardback collection at forbidden planet a couple years back for a tenner! Best money I've spent - amazing story.
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Do you know what, I am a former serving British soldier who, in my youth was fascinated by military trivia along with the usual stories behind famous battles and not so famous raids etc but even though I had heard of Bantam units in the great war but I was unaware of how many let's call them. ' vertically challenged ' young men volunteered to fight, men had a different set of values back then, these days if there was a call to arms the majority of today's lads would be looking for a way OUT of being recruited into the forces nevermind going out of there way and having to fight red tape to get IN to the armed forces. How times change.
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Thanks for that Chris. I'd never heard of the Bantam Battalions before. 30,000 brave little men who wanted to ' Do their bit' British pluck at its best.
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Many thanks for getting back to me and me know. - really appreciated
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Another great video Chris.
Thanks and please keep them coming.
I remember my Great Uncle talking about Bantums when I was a child. I knew he kept chickens but ,as a 7 or 8 year old, didn't realise he ment soldiers. I did know, via Victor and Battle Action comics, that there were mining copmanys.
Do you read Charlie's war?
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What a great theme indeed, did not knew about this Batam Battalions chaps, thanks for sharing.
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Great video and presentation Chris, up to your usual high standard.
You mentioned the Hindenburg Line that the Bantams fought at....
So I was wondering, with the movie Before Dawn about to be released, and ANZAC day fast approaching, could you find it in you to do a video about the Australian involvement at the Hindenburg Line?
Great idea Darren. Let me see what I can do.
Thank you Chris great video. Being of the Shorter stature I have always had a bit of a "Napoleon Complex" but after hearing of these Pint Sized Heroes I won't be quite so bothered about my lack of height!
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A fascinating story, well told - nice work sir! I came across the bantams by accident 18 months ago and since then I've devoured anything and everything I can find on them. Theirs is an incredible story. As you say, they were all volunteers. They could have stayed safely at home saying, 'I'd have gone, you know, but I was too short...' but they didn't. They signed up in their thousands. At the time, a report by The Royal Sanitary Institute (I think it was them!) extolled the virtues of the smaller soldier, citing, amongst other advantages, their lower risk from snipers, lesser need for food and clothing and greater fighting spirit! I was so inspired by the bantam story I wrote a play, 'The Last Bantam' and brought it up to the Edinburgh Fringe last year. It went down a storm and I got some lovely reviews. While most people have never heard of the bantams, there is, I feel, a growing interest in the Great War (courtesy perhaps of '1917' and 'All quiet on the Western Front'), and I met several people after my show whose grandfathers were bantams. Keep up the good work!
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Lee Enfield rifles could be fitted with 4 different length stocks. The standard or normal stocks were to the best of my knowledge unmarked. A half inch longer one was available marked L. A half inch shorter one was marked S. A one inch shorter one was marked with a B, presumably for Bantam.
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At 6ft 3 with a big frame to match I always said it has perhaps kept me out of many fights as many would have seen me as a potential bad move but I also said in the event of war when the bullets were flying I would rather be a 5 ft wiry fellow and less of a target .
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Being a bit altitude challenged by todays standards I loved this one. Nice job!
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Great story! Thanks
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A most excellent piece of work on WW’1 history. Might I suggest a mention of the Royal Navy brigade, that little known part of WW1 history about some of the navy’s sailors who fought in the trenches.
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@TheHistoryChap Now Chris, as a former US Naval Reservist, and shorter man I might add, that would be a very interesting topic. God bless, Rob
My Glasgow family said the Germans called the Scot’s bantams the poison dwarfs , perhaps a twisting of your story, who knows
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Hello , David Gray here, my grandfather was in the Cameronians Scottish rifles who recruited a lot from Glasgow. Their nicknamed “The poisoned Dwarfs” they didn’t like that by the way, but a lot of them were not that tall. I have his battalions book, in that it says that on one occasion a a party of Germans crossed the line to surrender, when they discovered that the trench was held by a Scottish regiment they ran down the line to find and English one. Both my parents were from the west coast, and I married a Scottish Canadian, we live near London, but I called by name Hamish, keep the family history alive. My great grandfather was a pipe major in the Scotts Guards, he lost his life on the Somme in 1916 aged 54!
Yours David Gray
Typo I means I called my son Hamish.
Hi Chris. I’d love to hear you do a video on Operation Chariot; the Royal Navy and Commandos raid on the port of St Nazaire during WW2.
Which happened on this very day in 1942. I will add it to my list.
Thanks for the arrow at 18:57, really cleared it up who you were talking about 😄
It could have been a random bantam couldn’t it?
The Lofty comparison is a very accurate one.
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Thanks for this Chris
glad you enjoyed the video
I am genetically modelled to be a Durham miner, joined up into the army as a junior soldier at age 16 and 5'3" , later to reach the dizzy heights of 5'5" , on attending the QM's for issue of uniform I was asked what size boots, I was a size 5 (uk) was given size 7 and ordered to grow into them. Now age 62 after 23 years service and still just size 6.
Nice story. Thanks for your service.
Absolutely DAMN RIGHT you totally are, Chris old chap, that the story of these absolutely brave, daring and exceedingly heroic Devil Dwarves for men amongst our fighting soldiers of the Great War/WWI should never be forgotten. Cos once again, you have given me SUCH a history lesson I never ever knew about until only today, you really are SUCH the man on here to give us incredible British military history lessons no one else in here hasn’t given yet as far as I know. My golly, did one single miner cause quite the movement I bet even he couldnt’ve fathomed 😆😆😆
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A very interesting video. I didn't know that Bernard Montgomery had served in a Bantam Brigade. As you said, not a bad idea while there was a supply of tough small men from industry but losses couldn't be sustained, a bit like Churchill's Naval Division which by 1916 had a Brigade of 'normal' infantry. I read about Pinney who gets a mention in someone's memoirs. As this is a family show I won't repeat what the troops thought about the lack of rum. I've always thought it is rather a ppor show that most of the patriotic public figures who raised units didn't serve with them unlike the American Civil War where it was quite common for the leading figures to be officers in tghe units they raised.
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Hi Chris, Really great story. Respect to all those men who volunteered. And those that came back from abroad to serve too.
I listened using subtitles,.ok read, in the breaks between the easter prosessions. They came out perfectly I didnt see any obvious errors, do you check it?
All the best!!
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Just Subscribed 🙂😀
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I enjoyed the dad's army characters videos and I found myself watching Blackadder, wondering what the stories behind these characters with general melchet winning the VC and DSO as well as a vast array of other medals. Would love to see a video on this. Keep up the great work 👍
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Great story, great history!
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Great Episode
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The establishment of the Bantam Battalions led to the introduction of the Bantam SMLE Rifle Buttstock ( originally Short, Medium and Long) to accomodate different Soldier Heights.
These days, surviving "B" marked Butt stocks on WWI SMLE Rifles are rare, due to Post WWI refurbishments to S, M, and L sizes.
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Lovely story! I can see the height of the firing step would be a problem in a mixed regiment.
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Those lads had a cart blanche to avoid the worst slaughter of young men in history by that point and still found way to go and die for their masters. It is sort of sad. I'm 6 ft but i would have escaped to Argentina come august 1914😅 My grand grandfather was mobilized in 3 wars, 1912- 1918 serving in first and second balkan wars and then the great war. Bullets seem to miss that man, its a family history how he was never ever injured in six years of war. Then he went abroad sick and tired of all the soldiering.
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Fascinating. Question: did Germany have similar groups? Request a video on groups excluded from recruitment such as miners. Great video as always, thanks.
Miners were not excluded from being conscripted, strangely. They were replaced by middle class young men. It's not what you know, it's who you know. 🙄🥺
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That was fantastic Chris loved this true old school grit something that the young ones are missing
I know I'm going off a bit but we should bring back national service back, we need some old school pride maners and discipline and not entitlement
Sorry in advanced
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Chris, thank you for making the point that Highland Titles does not grant one a real title since all titles are the gift of the King and are not 'for sale'.
It’s a fun way of crowdfunding their conservation work.
@@TheHistoryChap, yes, but up until recently they pretended that they were selling the actual titles of Lord, Lady, and Laird.
So very true, none needed an excuse to avoid the horror, but they just couldn't...how inspiring
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There's one officer that would have fit right in had he not been found useful elsewhere - TE Lawrence.
PS In the American Civil War, men who might not be fit for combat were nonetheless recruited for limited service - the Invalid Corps. When they had to hold a fort near Washington, an overconfident Confederate officer warned they commandant his men would surely run. The Union CO replied, "My men are crippled. They CAN'T run". And they didn't. They also held the fort. Brothers in arms.
PPS I bought my wife (partly of Scots descent) and one for my sister. Great gift.
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Great episode 👏
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Perhaps something on the "Shot at Dawn" such a waste many of whom were suffering from PTSD probably.
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brilliant as always chris.
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It's a fascinating story. Short-heighted aspirants show more enthusiasm as compared to tall candidates. Government made a right decision to lower the requirement.
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Very well done!.
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I find it surprising they had any height requirements when the need for men was so high, especially in a time of terrible pollution and diet which would have stunted the growth of otherwise perfectly healthy men, especially in the heavily industrialised northern towns and cities.
As explained in the video, the minimum height requirement was only introduced as an artificial brake, of sorts, on the numbers of men eligible to sign-up, because the administrative systems could not keep-up with the great volume of otherwise- acceptable applicants.
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I used to have a Banty Rooster . Sucker was short but smart. I trained him to scratch out a Tic Tack Toe thing on the ground. He won me a lot of money until he got smashed by an oil barrel
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Great story. One of my granddad’s during the Second War was in the Home Guard because he was in a reserved occupation (carpenter and boat builder), was 4’ 7”. He had forearms like oak trees and could lift a twelve stone man with one arm.
Gary, thanks for sharing that story of your granddad. We tend to forget just how hard some of those men worked from a very young age.
Sir, do you have a video about the exploits of Field Marshall Lord Roberts of Kandahar? If not, I would love to see it.
My great uncle Billy was the last surviving member of the Kings Liverpool from the first world war and he was a Bantam. He and my Grandad Walter were underage when they joined up. Walter and William Jaeger
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These men were not short; they were vertically-efficient.
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Chris my man, you brought it again interesting, funny and informative, thanks for that! Bantam is a nice sort of tobacco too . Only the British would name soldiers after a chicken, love this humor. In my very youth we were used to be to saying Beware of the shorts because they're hard as nails in the time of some bar brawls...The battle of the Somme was a horrible action anyway. Wish you all the best Lord Green 😅 Ludwig. We're not having the tradition of cockfighting...
Ludwig, thanks for taking the time to comment and I am glad you enjoy the irony of British humour!
Have a great Easter.
@@TheHistoryChap German and English are the only languages which take Luthers translation, all of the others use still passa...thanks for the replica
answer I mean
What an amazing story you told Chris, I really enjoyed it and found it fascinating to learn the history of the Bantam battalions. I was just wondering if there was any effort to make any kind of Memorial to recognize their contributions civil war effort in the UK? I can just see that minerr now, plucking away and then challenging all comers! 😂Muy bien, amigo.
Hi Harry, not sure that there is a specific memorial to the Bantams. I know there is a plaque in Birkenhead to their battalions.
I guess, individual regiments memorials will reflect the bantam battalions within them.
‘Other Ranks’ Chris, not Ordinary Ranks (unless WWI was different).
PS my grandfather was 5’1”, at the Battle of Cambrai which I’d assumed was a regular battalion of the Beds & Herts.. I’d never considered his height before now 🤔. Fascinating stuff, thanks
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Chris well done! Thank you sir!
My pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I served in the South African Defence Force in 1989/90, in D Squadron at School of Armour.
Our rivals were B Squadron, who were the taller recruits.
For some reason, B Squadron were assigned to armoured cars like the little Eland 90, or Noddy car, as we called them.
D Squadron were sent to the roomier tanks.
Seeing the tall B Squadron crew commanders sticking out of their hatches was quite funny, and how they got into the drivers compartment is beyond me.
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My Grandfather was not allowed into the AIF due to his height and he carried that bitter shame his whole life. He was incredibly fit as well....
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Nice one Chris 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent..Cpl.Thridgould came to live in my home state, I wonder which city?...
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As a former British infantryman of 5 foot 2, I can honestly say that some of the toughest buggers around are not all 6 foot plus bods.
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@TheHistoryChap had I been around and old enough at that time, I would have been put into the Cheshire Bantams battalion.
Golden opportunity to avoid the horrors of the front ,but not how they thought in those days
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could you educate us on the WW1 Tunnellers and the Bevan boys of WW2 please
A new meaning to “short kings”
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l never hard this story thanks
My pleasure
My Grandad was in the Bantoms. He was captured on the somme.
Thanks for sharing a little piece of your family history.
The sitcom “It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum” featured Gunner “Lofty” Sugden, who was shorter than his comrades.
Wait for it...wait for it....
@@TheHistoryChap
Although, Lofty said he was wearing the pith helmet on medical grounds.
Any relation to Mollie?
I have an unrelated question - subject for a future episode
James Clavell - Now I know he was born in Australia but I have been intrigued what would motivate a victim of Japanese brutality to write such a series as Shogun.
I have been a fan of his writing after reading King Rat about a million years ago and was amazed at the depth of study he must have done to write the Shogun series.
I can't imagine that Changi Prison in WWII would cast the Japanese in a favourable light and wonder what set him on his writing path.
I don't know if he would be a good subject for an episode or not but it is a subject that interests me.
Thanks for your excellent presentations I have never seen you do a bad one and your passion for the subject is clear to any viewer.
Cheers
Tony
Thanks for watching my video & your really interesting feedback & suggestion which I will add to my ever growing list.
Nice detail that the inclusion of small men was championed by an MP called Bigland.
I hadn’t made that connection with his name 😄
16:36 “lovely boy, lovely boy!”
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intersting video . Any from Wales?
Yes, there were 4 battalions. They did get a mention in the video.
Can you imagine the controversy such an action would start today? Just a thought, personally I think it's a great idea. Kinda! ✌️ Thx. for the interesting ' little ' bit of history...👍
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