Tolkien Joined Battalion at Rubempré

Tolkien joined the Lancashire Fusiliers and underwent training with the 13th (Reserve) Battalion at Cannock Chase, Rugeley Camp for a period of 11 months. During this time, he expressed his frustrations in correspondence, noting the lack of gentlemanly conduct among his superiors. After completing his training, he was deployed to Rubempré, a location near Amiens, where he took on the role of commanding a battalion. The soldiers under his command primarily came from working-class backgrounds, specifically from mining, milling, and weaving towns in Lancashire. This experience would have exposed Tolkien to the realities of military life and the diverse backgrounds of the men he led, which may have influenced his later writings. The transition from training to active duty marked a significant shift in Tolkien's life, as he moved from a structured training environment to the complexities of leadership in a battalion during a tumultuous period of history. The challenges he faced in Rubempré, including the responsibility for the welfare and morale of his men, would have been considerable, especially given the context of World War I and the harsh conditions of trench warfare.