![]() ![]() They had no calendars, no newspapers, and few visits – those visits they did receive were through a grille. ![]() CO prisoners were allowed a very limited number of censored letters, though one of the COs interviewed by IWM said ‘filling the notepaper was quite an art’ because there was nothing to say after months or years in prison. Vegetarianism was common among COs, as it had an obvious affinity, particularly with humanitarian pacifism. The conditions for COs were exactly the same as those for criminal prisoners, but COs did succeed in getting prisons to offer a vegetarian diet. When Harold Bing was in Winchester Prison, there was one wing for male criminal prisoners, one for women and two for conscientious objectors. Once a CO was refused exemption, he was considered to have enlisted into military service.Īudio - Walter Griffin interview © IWM ( IWM SR 9790) They could then go before an appeals tribunal and if they were refused again they could appeal to the Central Tribunal in London. At the tribunal's discretion exemption could be absolute, from combatant service only, or conditional on undertaking work of national importance but COs were frequently rejected by the local tribunal or offered an unacceptable position. ![]() One of IWM’s interviewees was asked his age and, on hearing that he was eighteen, the tribunal chairman said: ‘Oh in that case you're not old enough to have a conscience. The tribunals’ members were poorly briefed and in many cases merely used the hearings to state their own views. They were therefore available after conscription was introduced to assess a CO’s conviction and sincerity. Made up of local prominent figures, the tribunals had been set up earlier to decide on exemptions under the unsuccessful Derby Scheme. Here, Walter Griffin describes a particular line of questioning used at the tribunals. The usual procedure for a CO was to apply to his local tribunal for exemption from military service. The number of COs may appear small compared with the six million men who served, but the impact of these men on public opinion and on future governments was to be profound.ĭownload the transcript of the interviews. This figure does not include men who may have had anti-war sentiments but were either unfit, in reserved occupations, or had joined the forces anyway. There were approximately 16,000 British men on record as conscientious objectors (COs) to armed service during the First World War. Further military service laws included married men, tightened occupational exemptions and raised the age limit to 50. This later clause was a significant British response that defused opposition to conscription. From March 1916, military service was compulsory for all single men in England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 to 41, except those who were in jobs essential to the war effort, the sole support of dependents, medically unfit, or ‘those who could show a conscientious objection’. The first Military Service Bill was passed into law in January 1916 following the failure of recruitment schemes to gain sufficient volunteers in 19. ![]() Before the First World War there had never been compulsory military service in Britain. ![]()
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