Conscientious Objectors in Birmingham in WW1

In Birmingham, England, from 1914 to 1918, conscientious objectors were opposed to the First World War. At first their objections were voiced through peace protests and rallies.^[1] When conscription was introduced in 1916 they refused to fight and caused a political issue. There were various reasons for objection including; religion (especially Quakers), pacifism/moral objection and political objection.^[2]

There were two types of objectors; absolutists, who refused to have anything to do with the war, and alternativists, who refused military service but were prepared to do civilian work under civilian control. Objectors applying for recognition were required to appear at local Military Service Tribunals, under the terms of the Military Service Act 1916,^[3] Tribunals had the power to allow absolute exemption from military service; exemption conditional upon performing civilian work of national importance; or exemption only from combatant service, meaning enlistment in the specially created Non-Combatant Corps (NCC, dealing with non-lethal stores, road and rail works, general labouring and the like),^[4] failing any of which the applicant was forcibly enlisted in combatant military service. Nationally 34,760 out of 90,721 cases were unsuccessful.^[1]

Absolutists forcibly enlisted in combatant or non-combatant service refused to obey military orders, leading to court-martial and imprisonment; 6000 out of 16,500 objectors were sent to prison including Oliver Banwell, from Birmingham.^[1]

Oliver Banwell

Oliver William Banwell was a junior teacher at Stirchley School in Birmingham, before the war and became a conscientious objector (as a pacifist) when he was conscripted in 1916; he was sent to a tribunal at Wormwood Scrubs Prison where he spoke about his belief that no man had the right to force him to kill another who was in a similar position as himself. After his successful tribunal he was sent to become a member of the Non-Combatant Corps at Chiseldon Camp in Wiltshire. In May 1918 he was sentenced to two years hard labour for disobeying an order of refusing to maintain a rifle range, he remained in Winchester Prison along with many other conscientious objectors, such as Scott Duckers, until June 1919.^[1][5]

Wilfred Ernest Littleboy

Although not originally from Birmingham; Wilfred worked and trained as a Chartered Accountant in the city from 1902. He was from a Quaker family and grew up in a small country town, attending a Quaker boarding school in York for three years.^[6] He was deeply involved in the activity of the local Quaker community, spending nine months representing young friends in Australia 1909. Whilst in Australia World War I and therefore conscription were becoming more and more likely, he remembers saying, "Well, I suppose I shall be going to prison, then", as he had no doubt that he would become a conscientious objector.^[7]

Conscripted at the age of 30, Wilfred attended his local tribunal^[1] with Neville Chamberlain chairing. Chamberlain was unable to comprehend his absolutist views and asked, "You’re an accountant; couldn’t you go to a munitions factory into the office as an accountant? You’d be paid as an accountant?”.^[8] Wilfred was given exemption from fighting, but was given a month to rethink his absolutist views, which remained unchanged. Ignoring his plea at his second tribunal^[9] he was referred to the non-combatant corps, later he was arrested and taken to military barrack in Warwick, where he refused to put on the military uniform he was given, causing him to appear before a court martial, after which he was sentenced to 112 days service at Wormwood Scrubs Prison.^[10] Following this spell in prison Wilfred was court martialled a further two times, causing him to spend a total of two and a half years in Dorchester prison,(where the majority of prisoners were conscientious objectors).^[1] Wilfred considered himself to be lucky, as he managed to keep a positive attitude throughout the war, and witnessed other conscientious objectors suffer in prison.^[11] His father (a bank manager) reportedly had a harsher time during the war years, as it was known that all four of his sons were conscientious objectors. After the war his luck continued, when he was able to restart his accountancy business.^[12]

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