Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

- 72 -
hours military training a week, and if war was declared, full-time inclusion within the army.
It also meant obeying anny orders, following anny regulations and being disciplined
according to anny rules. 74 A possible contributing factor - especially after stories reached
the Netherlands of Belgian civilians executed asfranc-tireurs by the Gennans - was fear
that invaders would not accept their unifonns (an orange band with the emblem of the
Netherlands imprinted on it, worn on the right arm) as a sign of their military allegiance. 75
Few preparations had been made for the organisation, administration and
deployment of the volunteer landstorm within the anny. They lacked weapons, experienced
leaders and instructors. 76 Although training was compulsory for volunteers, disciplinary
measures did not exist to ensure that troops turned up each week. According to one source,
70 per cent of the voluntary landstormers were missing at some training sessions. 77 Part of
the problem was the lack of encouragement shown by military officials. Officially,
volunteer landstorm sections were responsible to the provincial Territorial Commander. 78
However, more often than not, communication was lacking between them. 79 Once an
Inspector of the Landstorm was appointed in February 1915, many of these communication,
administration and discipline problems were rectified. 80 The landstonn sections were now
also able to form into fully functioning COrpS.8l
The numbers involved in the voluntary landstorm more than doubled during the
war, although it was still only attracting a small fraction of possible recruits. By November
1918, 194 officers, 1,375 non-commissioned officers and 5,207 other ranks served as
volunteer landstormers. 82 During 1917, the organisation counted nine landstorm corps
74 Ibid. p. 504.
75 Ibid. p. 496; H. C. van Cappelle, "Vrijwillige Landstonnafdeelingen" [Volunteer landstorm sections] Militaire
Spectator. 84,1915, pp. 24 - 25.
76 Cappelle, "Vrij willige Landstormafdeelingen" p. 23.
77 Munnekrede, "De mobilisatie van de landmacht" p. 31.
78 Linden, "De Vrijwillige Landstorm" p. 494.
79 Ibid. pp. 500 - 501.
80 Commander-in-Chiefto all military commanders, 15 August 1914, in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale Staf'
entry no. 2.l3.70, inventory no. 137.
81 H. Ch. A. Neeteson, "Onstaan, oprichting en formatie" [Origins, establishment and formation] in Graafland (ed.),
Gedenkboekpp. 56 - 57.
82 Inspector of the Landstorm, "Overzicht van de uitkomsten, die met den vl'ywilligen Landstorm zyn verkregen,
alsmede de tel' zake opgedane ervaringen, gevraagd by schl'yven van den Opperbevelhebber van Land- en Zeemacht
dd. 24 May 1918, O.V.! 122980 (G.S. NO. 4960) 4e Gedeelte: Hetjaar 1918" [Overview of the results, of the
voluntary landstorm, as well as experiences requested by the Commander-in-Chief dated 24 May 1918 ... Fourth
part: The year 1918] 27 January 1919, p. 7, in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale Star' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory
no. 696.