The National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers (NFDDSS) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

s organisation. The organisation was founded in January 1917 by various London-based veterans groups opposed to the Military Service (Review of Exceptions) Act 1917, which made it possible for people invalided out of the armed forces to be re-conscripted. It adopted the slogans "Every man once before any man twice" and "Justice before charity". Although the Federation initially invited senior military figures to its meetings, they refused. The leadership was assumed by the left-wing

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

MPs

James Hogge James Myles Hogge (19 April 1873 – 27 October 1928) was a British social researcher and Liberal politician. Hogge was educated at the Edinburgh Normal School, Moray House School of Education, and the University of Edinburgh, where he was pr ...

and William Pringle, who fought for improved pensions and representation on relevant government committees. Frederick Lister later took over the presidency. The organisation's statutes called for the nationalisation of industry and land. The Federation's politics were thus broadly liberal, although there was a wide diversity of opinion. In 1919, the

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...

branch organised a march on

Parliament Square Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and it contai ...

, which was baton charged by police. Other branches worked closely with the

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

movement, and some set up soup kitchens. However the organisation's attitude towards the labour movement was ambivalent: it adopted a "trade union manifesto" committing members to oppose strikebreaking, but it opposed strikes during the War, and some members of its leadership were involved in undercover efforts to disrupt the wave of strikes after the War. The Federation voted to reject affiliation to the Labour Party in 1918, and the following year it came out against the railway strike in the autumn of 1919, calling on Prime Minister

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...

to "hold firm against Labour tyranny". The organisation's support for the government against the railwaymen caused tension within its ranks, and many left-wing members left to join its Labour-aligned rival, the National Union of Ex-Service Men, which supported the railway strike. F.B. Hughes, a member of the NFDDSS, stood on behalf of the group at the 1917 Liverpool Abercromby by-election, against Edward Stanley of the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

but was unsuccessful, taking only a quarter of the votes cast. This intervention persuaded the Earl of Derby to found

Comrades of the Great War The Comrades of The Great War were formed in 1917 as an association to represent the rights of ex-service men and women who had served or had been discharged from service during World War I. Comrades of The Great War was one of the original four e ...

as a right-wing alternative veterans group.

1918 general election

The NFDDSS sponsored a considerable number of candidates at the 1918 general election. Only five of the candidates were officially approved by the National Executive Committee: Brookes, Dooley, Gebbett, Lister and Shakesby. The remainder were put forward by local branches; these included three candidates in Leeds who were jointly sponsored by the rival

and

National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers The National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers (NADSS) was a British veterans' organisation. The group was founded in early 1917 at a conference in Blackburn, drawing together various local groups representing working men who had ser ...

organisations in what was termed the "

Silver Badge Party {{short description, Defunct veterans' political movement in the United Kingdom The Silver Badge Party was an unofficial political movement which existed in the United Kingdom during and immediately after the First World War. The Party consisted of ...

". During the campaign, both Dawson and Thompson were repudiated by the organisation.

Merger

In 1920, the Federation invited NADSS, Comrades of the Great War and the

Officers' Association The Officers' Association (OA) is a British charity supporting military ex-officers and their families, founded in 1920. It received a Royal Charter on 10 June the following year and is closely associated with The Royal British Legion. Histor ...

to a meeting to discuss a potential merger, and this was achieved in 1921, establishing the

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ...

References

{{Reflist British veterans' organisations United Kingdom in World War I 1917 establishments in the United Kingdom 1921 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1917 Organizations disestablished in 1921