Why wasn't my dad at D-Day?

[FlorayG]

Musing on this driving to work this morning and listening to the radio about the memoriam
Among my late mother's effects I found my dad's calling up papers which were dated November 1946 so he was lucky and missed the actual war altogether.
My dad was 20 in November 1946 and I've often wondered why he was not called up when he was 18 and the war in full force - if he had been, he might have been landing on that beach and my family history might have been very different
Does anyone know - were men not always called up as soon as they were old enough? My dad was fit and healthy and not in a reserved occupation. Seems odd that they left him until after the war for callup

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Mmm. What did Dad do from when he was aged 18 until he was called up aged 20.

Certain occupations were exempt so he may have been in one of them. For example Police or medical etc.

[FlorayG]

He worked in a factory. I don't know what they made but he can't have been very senior at that age

[Jaybeez]

One of my grandfathers was never called up as he was a toolmaker in a factory and so ended up making weapons & military equipment during the war. He did apply to join, but was refused due to work. Unfortunately a lot of people in the factories died as well as they were in London and frequently bombed.

[FlorayG]

Originally Posted by Jaybeez

One of my grandfathers was never called up as he was a toolmaker in a factory and so ended up making weapons & military equipment during the war. He did apply to join, but was refused due to work. Unfortunately a lot of people in the factories died as well as they were in London and frequently bombed.

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OO maybe that's it - maybe my dad made weapons parts and after the war they no longer needed them. I know it was an engineering firm he worked for.
Sadly I will never know for sure

[llamala]

My father in law worked making Lancaster bombers, so was not called up till after the war, he was then sent to India.

[archibald]

One was a farmer, the other an industrial chemist, so both of mine stayed home to do useful stuff.

ETA that's grandfathers, not fathers, misread the post.

[duchy]

so many occupations were vital to the war effort and although women picked up some of the slack , they still needed the men too.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

OP. Nail on the head ref Dads occupation. Exempt from call up.

My Dad was an armature winder in BERL when War broke out so was never called up. He did like being in the Home Guard 3 nights a week on the anti aircraft guns.

[bonnies mum]

My father was a coal miner so was in reserved occupation.
My FIL was in the Royal Navy but because of his age he didnt serve till the war was ending so sailed to many places in the immediate aftermath.