The National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers (NFDDSS) was a British veterans 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 MPs James Hogge and

William Pringle William Pringle may refer to: * William Pringle (cricketer) (1881-1966), South African cricketer * William Pringle (Liberal MP) (1874–1928), British Liberal Party politician, Member of Parliament for Penistone 1922–1924 * William Hende ...

, who fought for improved pensions and representation on relevant government committees.

Frederick Lister Sir Thomas Frederick Lister CBE (23 November 1886 – 13 March 1966) was the first chairman of the British Legion. Along with Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, Lister was a leading advocate for the foundation of the British Legion in the ...

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 branch organised a march on Parliament Square, which was baton charged by police. Other branches worked closely with the trade union movement, and some set up

soup kitchen A soup kitchen, food kitchen, or meal center, is a place where food is offered to the Hunger, hungry usually for free or sometimes at a below-market price (such as via coin donations upon visiting). Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoo ...

s. However the organisation's attitude towards the labour movement was ambivalent: it adopted a "trade union manifesto" committing members to oppose

strikebreaking A strikebreaker (sometimes called a scab, blackleg, or knobstick) is a person who works despite a strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who were not employed by the company before the trade union dispute but hired after or during the str ...

, 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 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 The National Union of Ex-Servicemen (NUX) was a socialist ex-servicemen's organisation founded in London in early 1919 with close links with the Labour Party. Many of its members were formerly supporters of the National Federation of Discharged an ...

, 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 The 1917 Liverpool Abercromby by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 28 June 1917 for the British House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Abercromby. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) ...

, against Edward Stanley of the Conservative Party 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 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 Comrades of the Great War and National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers organisations in what was termed the " Silver Badge Party". 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 to a meeting to discuss a potential merger, and this was achieved in 1921, establishing the Royal British Legion.

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