Poem ~ Contrasting Tribunal Cases - Sunday, 22 October - Tuesday, 24 October 1916

Source: File: 1916 tribunal sitting in Preston. See an original image at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/co_Narrative1.html> [Accessed 22 October 2016]

From date of 27 January 1916,

Conscription into the military

Had for the first time in Britain

Come into effect, after the period

Of transition of the Derby Scheme;

Whereby men were encouraged

To join up on a voluntary basis.

This confirmed total war status,

Affecting everyman between ages

18 to 41 - if single, automatically

Seen to have enlisted by 25 May

1916; married men were 'deemed'

To be in the same situation -

Categories defined their status.

An army's preferred classification

Being A - able to shoot, hear

And undertake active service -

Men categorised below A took

In account of physical abilities;

From B1 men with glasses, able

To shoot and march five miles.

B2 men should walk five miles

And hear enough, for purposes

Of labour service abroad - while

B3 men to be limited to sedentary

Work overseas - any C men only

Able to do home service; being

Free of disease for garrison duty.

Subdivisions added numbers;

So A1 men could carry full packs

On long marches, while C3 men

Could only do sedentary work

At home - medical categories were

Not fixed, to take account for 

Wounds or sickness until A1 again.

As part of conscription process,

The formation of tribunals set

Out to consider cases centered

On domestic or business situations -

To be seen as harsh on objections

To fight, because of conscience;

Over 2000 tribunal bodies existed.

With the business of war seeking

To ensure army was being supplied,

The call up of men were yet to see

Class C2 and Class C3 - appeals

Of those men in such classes

Could be withdrawn, yet if called

Up they were allowed to re-appeal.

Tribunals continued in hearing

Of appeals, to include a mechanic

Before the Lambeth panel - a single

Man of 23 employed by a firm said

How his employer had requested

A badge, to display he was on war

Work in munitions transportation.

The request had gone to ministry

Of munitions - war service badges

Had, before 1 March 1916, been

Issued to any individual in munitions

Work; to act as exemption certificate.

This firms appeal was refused - such

Badges were no longer being issued.

Should this 23-year-old employee

Be called up, he would gain similar

Transport work in the army; this

Fact was reiterated by the mayor,

Alderman Gibbs advised that munitions

Ministry was aware of processes - yet

Most appeals were on domestic basis.

A House of Commons appeals

Tribunal, being led by Chairman

Mr. Maclean MP, dismissed

Any immediate review of one

40-year-old father of six children -

Saying no need to go into matter;

Ages were 5 months to 9 years.

'I don't think we need send a man

With six children,' said Mr Maclean.

While a man of 29, at the same

Tribunal, having recently married

Then asked for further exemption;

Previously been classified in C1

Class, sought to arrange his affairs.

Unlike the married man of 40

With 6 children, he did not have

A large family to maintain - though

He was the only support to his

Widowed mother; 'I am afraid you

Will have to go,' Deputy Chairman

Of Commons tribunal informed him.

A case of an appeal on medical

Grounds, concerned a man who

Had been as B1 - then at another

Medical, stated B3 - to say fit only

For sedentary work. When called

Up the B3 card was dismissed;

This case was to be finally decided.

Captain Anstey, in representation 

Of military, provided the suggestion

To a further examination of the man,

By Appeals Medical Board - next

A military representative appeared

At the Dover Borough Tribunal, asking

To request a number of exemptions.

Certificates of 8 men to be assigned

To disbanded Dover Anti Aircraft Corps.

They had been bound by 'Ultra Vires,'

When first applied 'beyond the powers;'

The Military rep said how a tribunal

Could overwrite these cards - such

Men with training would be of use.

Valid certificates were deemed 'Intra

Vires' - in this case they lacked legal

Authority, to have 'Ultra Vires' status -

Some Anti Aircraft Corps permits were

Withdrawn, others legally represented

Were given short terms - due to expiry
Dates the applications were withdrawn.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. War Tribunals. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 October 1916. P.5. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213454/Daily-Telegraph-October-20-1916.html> [Accessed: 22 October 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 22 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213454/Daily-Telegraph-October-20-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Poster Protest of War - Monday, 02 October - Tuesday, 03 October 1916

Source: File: No Conscription Fellowship National Committee meeting May 1916. (Front row left to right: C.H. Norman, Dr Alfred Salter, Aylmer Rose, Fenner Brockway, Clifford Allen, Edward Grubb, Will Chamberlain, Catherine Marshall. Standing left to right: Rev. Leyton Richards, Morgan Jones, John P. Fletcher, A Barratt Brown, and Bertrand Russell.) See an original image at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/cos08.html> [Accessed 2 October 2016]

When nations had emerged in their actions

Of war, opposition formed soon after, as in

The organisation of the No Conscription

Fellowship - initiated from autumn 1914

Fenner Brockway, editor of an anti-war

Paper, appealed to any man against conflict.

With the No Conscription Fellowship quickly

Gaining 300 members, the organisation's

Statement of Faith followed - these men

Refused to bear arms in beliefs of human

Life as sacred; they could not inflict death.

Till then army recruits had been voluntary.

Soon though, facts emerged that in order

To maintain high numbers for the army,

Conscription would be introduced -

The No Conscription Fellowship had

Grown stronger with members ironically

Prepared to fight for their passive beliefs.

A type of male suffrage movement in rights

To refuse to fight, with countrywide branches

Formed to campaign against compulsory

Military Service Bill - conscientious objectors

Set out to equally make refusal to take part

In any war work, or involvement of military.

In their stand members appeared at tribunals

And court martial's - all of which were carefully

Recorded - No Conscription Fellowship press

Department set to publicise frequently often

Brutal treatment of their members, their arrests  

And forceful detainment in prison and camps.

No let up was given by members' missions -

As on last day of September - Saturday

30 1916 when an appearance was made by

Journalist Edward Fuller, called to Stratford

Police court - the offence charged against

Him made under Defence of the Realm Act.

Actions taken by Edward Fuller were stated

As likely to prejudice the forces recruitment

Administration and military discipline -

Acting on Fuller's defence was Mr Hawkin,

With Mr Bodkin for Director of Public

Prosecutions, centring on use of posters.

28 August 1916 had seen arrival of a letter

To Mr Abrahams, proprietor of Borough

Theatre Bill Posting Company - a request

Asked costs in posting Double Crown Bills,

To be posted in busy districts of Stratford,

Woodford, Forest Gate and Wanstead.

With the letter was a copy of the poster,

Which set to publicize a quote from a trial,

That made prosecutions of eight members

Of the No Conscription Fellowship - words

Spoken by A. H. Bodkin K.C.  having acted 

In role of public prosecutor, 17 May 1916.

'War will become impossible, if all men

Were to have the view that war is wrong.'

Was stated by Mr Bodkin, an eminent lawyer

Of the Kings Council - repeating his stand

At bringing Edward Fuller to trial, whose 

Intent was to post these misquoted words.

The suggestion of this statement by Bodkin

Was to take them out of context, to publicise

This as a public prosecutors view of the war -

Mr Abrahams replied to Mr Fuller with costs,

To also ask if they had war office sanctioned

The posters to show them in public situations.

For the defence, Mr Hawkins interactions

With Mr Abrahams was for a straightforward

Business transaction - a 'molehill had then

Been turned into a mountain,' - yet an input

From Brigadier General Childs, voiced how

Conscientious objectors wasted army time.

1,700 COs had so far been court-martialled -

Mr Hawkins gave the court a reminder how

Movement's intent was to cause the war

Office problems - that showing those words

Could do no real harm; Mr Fuller had not set

Out to disrupt recruitment, it was technical.

'War will become impossible, if all men

Were to have the view that war is wrong,'

Suggested that if everyone held that belief

Of war being unlawful, no war could take

Place; the Bench concluded Fuller was just

A dupe and not to be automatically detained.

Given choice of 121 fine and costs, Edward 

Fuller had the alternative of 90 days in goal.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Prejudicing Recruiting - Objector Fine £100. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 2 October 1916. P.5. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213365/Daily-Telegraph-October-2-1916.html> [Accessed: 2 October 2016].

Source: File: Conscientious Objection: No-Conscription Fellowship. Available at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/cos04a.html> [Accessed 2 October 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 2 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213365/Daily-Telegraph-October-2-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Attitude to Objectors - Thursday, 10 August 1916

Source: File: conscientious objectors at Dyce Camp in Scotland where some conscientious objectors were sent to work for about ten hours a day breaking up rocks. The camp was closed in September 1916 after a man died as a result of the harsh work conditions.. See an original image at: <http://walesatwar.org/en/theatresofwar/conscientious_objectors> [Accessed 10 August 2016]

Some months had passed 

Into the scheme of conscription,

Which from the early days

Of volunteers raised controversy -

Classes of men, married and single

Had been categorized into groups.

One strong opinion emerged

To be reported August 1916,

From a clergyman, who had

Served with forces in Gallipoli.

Rector of Walcot, Reverend C. W.

Wilson held nothing back in his views

On conscientious objectors - to state

How such men should lay on bare

Ground, under shells, and blazing sun -

To be shot at, eat chew bully beef

And chew hard biscuits, to be covered

In dirt until unrecognizable - Reverend

Wilson believed that those who refused

To fight were not worthy to be men.

If they did as he described, they would

Be filled by absolution - to see what

Should be a man - as conscientious

Objectors they were devoid of true

Manhood; such is contradiction of faith

And reality of what is true humanity.

By Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Chaplain's View Of Objectors. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 August 1916. P.9. Col.5. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212488/Daily-Telegraph-August-7-1916.html> [Accessed: 10 August 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 10 August 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212488/Daily-Telegraph-August-7-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ The Non Combatant Corps - Saturday, 20 May 1916 - Monday, 22 May 1916

Impression sketch of N.C.C.'s Coat of Arms. Published in the Daily Mirror 20/04/1916. [online] See original image at: <https://greatwarlondon.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/the-non-combatant-corps-a-tale-of-three-objectors/>  [Accessed: 20 May 2016]

The Coat of Arms Explained:

A suggested coat-of-arms for the Non-Combatant Corps by a Sergeant-Major then serving in France at the time, it is blazoned (not by Heralds College); shield quartered, three maggots recumbent proper, baby's bottle  rampant, bar sinister and a down pillow. Supports two tame rabbits rampant. Crest, three bottles of Lemonade.

i

As a rule, war changes everything -

Foremost of all families change

As separation from civilian

To military men; pass from peace

Into organised enforced discipline.

While career soldiers might take

And accept their lot, in time

Of alteration to open war,

A new breed of men volunteered

By start of war for Kitchener’s army.

With two years of battle lines drawn,

Majority of the old British army

Had been lost - those left

Interspersed with the new boys -

Pals battalions ready for new fight.

Then there was an issue with men

Who refused to take up arms -

With army conscription

For the first time, Britain now

Faced the conscientious objector.

ii

While many formed the Royal Army

Medical Corps, a new battalion

Became the Non-Combatant

Corps, formed March 1916 - duty

Being to support with physical labour.

The NCC No-Courage Corps; as coined

By the press - wore uniform, to follow

Discipline rules, to undertake

All tasks, except to take up arms

Or deal with any type of munitions work.

3,400 became NCCs, to baffle leaders

Of army who had relied on principle,

'The discipline of fear’ - men taken

From civil occupations formed new

Challenges - the NCCs faced difficulties.

Such conscientious objectors would

Not be the fighting man's best pal -

How would officers in charge

Of a non fighting force react, with

Men refusing to take arms and fight.

iii

17 May 1916 found Non-Combatant

Corps in France, whose character

Came under investigation

By reporter Philip Gibbs; aside

Expectation of preconceived ideas.

Landed in France under Conscience

Clause, the NCC Camp pitched

In La Vallee Heureuse, miles

From the frontline - this Happy

Valley was situated near sea coast.

The two companies lived in tents,

Atop a hill, close by a French

Village - along with huts

And field canteen - to set out

A normal image of military camp.

Maybe, unavoidably cast with image

Of seeing expected weak, sickly

Appearance; 'with the pale

Cast of thought,' the men were

Seen as bronzed with good physique.

iV

In khaki uniform they held no kind

Of difference, yet devoid of any

Arms - while one officer

Described them as 'soft' they

Had come with only two days training.

The tasks of the NCCs were physical

Hard labour, with officer’s promise

Of a few weeks to change

All that - after railway work, likely

To move onto 'stiffer' undertakings.

Without objections they answered all

Questions, in acceptance of their

Lot - by admittance one man

Told how the work was hard

To shock muscles after sedentary life.

Stating satisfaction to their treatment,

To tell how good the food was,

To eat as much as they can -

They spoke of no sense of shame

And had no qualms to given questions.

V

Providing a uniqueness in the army,

Many men admitted to being

Members of Brethren

From Plymouth - how, in their

Faith, it was wrong to take human life.

To become fighters would be denial

Of faith - another young man

Said he was of Church

Of England - that he did not

Believe in war, or want to kill anyone.

Although seen to be perfect for

A soldier, one youth stood

Straight and declared,

If they were sent to front

To work they would do their bit.

One of two Cambridge men among

The company, briefly advised

That they were not there

Because of cowardice; that

All there were a good set of fellows.

Vi

Whilst all were approached with

Some expectations, as with

The latter man seen;

To be studious of little hand-

Books, a user of vegetarian cafes.

Stereotype broke on meeting one

Hefty, athletic man to possess

A powerful face, who declared

His religion as Roman Catholic,

And that he was a German stock.

In fact, he was son of a German,

Whose four butcher shops

In London suburbs, were

Attacked after the sinking

Of the Lusitania, to totally ruin him.

In brief show of anger, his rhetoric

Was 'what had he to fight for?'

To add he set out to join 

Army Service Corps, surprise

Found him in Non-Combatant Corps.

Vii

Maintaining expected principle to see

Queer company - mostly clerical

Types - he gave no defence

How the 'normal' English man saw

Conscientious objectors as detestable.

How 'normal' English men did not

Wrestle with conscience, to kill

An enemy, in defence of his

Country - therefore no wonder

Soldiers saw cowardice in refusal.

With final say given to one officer

Of NCC, to give no judgment;

Leaving their conscience

To selves - he saw behaved

Men take orders, without complaint.

By their removed safety from effect

Of war, evidenced proved them

Not as martyrs, but to admit

How the NCC had undertaken

Hard work - no soft job for shirkers.

by Jamie Mann.

Gibbs, P., 1916. Conscientious Objectors - Life On Active Service. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 19 May 1916. P.10. Col.1. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12210153/Daily-Telegraph-May-19-1916.html>  [Accessed: 20 May 2016].

Source: File: Conscientious Objection in Britain during the First World War. Online. Available at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/cos/st_co_wwone1.html> Accessed 20 May 2016

Source: File: The Non-Combatant Corps: a tale of three objectors . Online. Available at: <https://greatwarlondon.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/the-non-combatant-corps-a-tale-of-three-objectors/l> Accessed 17 May 2016

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal

communication, 20 May 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12210153/Daily-Telegraph-May-19-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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