<P> In October 1950, in response to the British involvement in the Korean War, the service period was extended to two years; in compensation, the reserve period was reduced by six months . National Servicemen who showed promise could be commissioned as officers . National Service personnel were used in combat operations, including the Malayan Emergency, the Cyprus Emergency, in Kenya against the Mau Mau Uprising, and the Korean War, where conscripts to the Gloucestershire Regiment took part in the last stand during the Battle of the Imjin River . In addition, National Servicemen served in the Suez Crisis in 1956 . </P> <P> During the 1950s there was a prohibition on serving members of the armed forces standing for election to parliament . A few National Servicemen stood for election in the 1951 and 1955 general elections in order to be dismissed from service . </P> <P> National Service ended gradually from 1957 . It was decided that those born on or after 1 October 1939 would not be required, but conscription continued for those born earlier whose call - up had been delayed for any reason . In November 1960 the last men entered service, as call - ups formally ended on 31 December 1960, and the last National Servicemen left the armed forces in May 1963 . </P> <P> Currently, the British overseas territory of Bermuda practises conscription . Recruitment into the part - time military reserves in Bermuda (from 1895; service in the old Bermuda Militia, as in that in England and Wales, had been compulsory for all able - bodied, military - aged males) had originally followed the practices in England for the militia, in which soldiers voluntarily enlisted for six years, and in the later Volunteer Force, in which part - time soldiers served voluntarily and could quit their service with 14 days' notice, except while embodied for training, war, or national emergency . The Militia, Volunteer force, and Yeomanry were merged into the Territorial Force (later renamed the Territorial Army) in Britain in 1907, with the introduction of terms of service (specific lengths of service for which volunteers enlisted), but this did not occur in Bermuda until the 1920s . Conscription into the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps was discussed during the First World War, but had not been put into place before the cessation of hostilities . It was introduced during the Second World War, with conscripts serving full - time for the duration in the BMA, BVRC, the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers, or the Bermuda Militia Infantry . Those unable to serve full - time were directed into the Bermuda Home Guard . Although conscription ended with the war, a shortfall of volunteers led to its reintroduction to the BVRC in 1957 and the BMA in 1960 . Since the two units were amalgamated in 1965, conscription has been retained, making the Bermuda Regiment the only conscripted force still serving under the British Crown . Conscription is for three years of part - time service, with the terms of service otherwise identical to those which originally applied to Territorial soldiers in Britain (with a basic service requirement of one drill night per week, one weekend camp per month, and one two - week annual camp per year, not including embodiment for active service . Service is for home defence purposes, and soldiers cannot be compelled to serve in overseas campaigns). </P>

When did compulsory national service end in uk