A man wishing to join the army could do so providing he passed certain physical tests and was willing to enlist for a number of years. The recruit had to be taller than 5 feet 3 inches and aged between 18 and 38 (although he could not be sent overseas until he was aged 19). (Google)

A hugely influential image and slogan, it has also inspired imitations in other countries, from the United States to the Soviet Union. (wiki)

Nearly half a million joined up between 4 August and 12 September, including 33,204 on 3 September alone. A key factor in stimulating enlistment was locally-raised ‘pals’ battalions’, which promised men enlisting from the same community or workplace that they would fight together. Many other men, however, enlisted for adventure, or to escape from an arduous, dangerous or humdrum job.

This image, designed by Alfred Leete (1882–1933), and famous for Kitchener’s pointing finger and the words ‘Your Country Needs You’, has become an icon of the enlistment frenzy. However, it did not appear in poster form until the end of September 1914, after signing-up peaked. Its supposedly vital influence on recruitment is largely a myth.

Though 2.5m men joined the British army voluntarily between August 1914 and December 1915, even this was not enough to supply the front line, and conscription had to be introduced in January 1916.
n the first weekend of the war in 1914, 100 men an hour (3,000 a day) signed up to join the armed forces.
54 million posters were issued, 8 million personal letters were sent, 12,000 meetings were held, and 20,000 speeches were delivered by military spokesmen.
By the end of 1914 1,186,337 men had enlisted.