On 1 June 1916, the War Office made a statement, “In order to free younger men for service in the field, 1000 physically fit married men over 35 years of age are required for important war work at home. Only men who are attested and in Groups 42 to 46 will be accepted. So long as the men are physically fit, no special skill is required for the work to be done. They will not be taken for service in the field so long as they are employed on this special work, but will be transferred from Class B of the Army Reserve to Class W Army Reserve, and they will not be under military control. The pay will be between 8.5d and 9.5d per hour.” The implication is that the men being discussed had voluntarily attested under the Group System of recruitment, but had not yet been called up and mobilised.
The statement actually preceded by a week the issue of Army Order 203/16 which defined Class W and its Territorial Force equivalent W(T). The two were for “all soldiers whose services are deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil than in military employment.” The Army Order was under powers conferred by Section 12 of the Military Service Act, 1916.
Men transferred to Class W or W(T) would receive a week of army pay when they commenced employment (two weeks if “transferred on substitution” for another man). After that, they would receive no pay or emoluments from army funds and would not be called upon to wear uniform or be under any military discipline. They remained liable to be recalled for military service at any time.
The numbers eventually transferred greatly exceeded the 1000 originally mentioned.
A statement made in the House of Commons on 26 June 1916 said that youths of over 17 and below 18 years of age who were serving in the army at home would, if willing, be transferred to Class W or W(T).
It was also later stated that time spent as a member of W or W(T) Army Reserve would not qualify for payment of the standard war gratuity.