A British recruitment poster from the First World War, featuring imagery of
Saint George and the Dragon.
Britain in the First World War fielded more than five million troops.
Enrollment was initially voluntary, and in 1914 and 1915 the British military released numerous recruitment posters to attract troops. As the war progressed there were
fewer volunteers to fill the ranks, and in 1916 the
Military Service Act, which provided for the
conscription of single men aged 18–41, was introduced. By the end of the war the law's scope had been extended to include older and married men.
Poster: Parliamentary Recruiting Committee; restoration: Adam Cuerden