Big Books of 2026
Andrea asked this question about Testament of Youth:
Does anyone know what a "C3 child" might be?
Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) British recruits were graded from A1 to C3. The latter was the lowest grade, for men who were totally unsuitable for combat training, fit only for cle…moreBritish recruits were graded from A1 to C3. The latter was the lowest grade, for men who were totally unsuitable for combat training, fit only for clerical and other sedentary jobs. It was discovered that a large proportion of men — about 40% — fell into this category. The C3 classification became a figurative term for somebody of extremely inferior status or quality. The system was simplified later, but C3 caught on as a dismissive epithet and took a long time to vanish again. In the US they would have used the term 4F.(less)
flag
More questions about Testament of Youth…
Image for Testament of Youth
Testament of Youth
by Vera Brittain
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more