An amazing appeal on conscientious grounds , of a Loughton man who left the land to get employment in Wolverton Carriage Works nearly three years ago, was heard at a sitting of the Newport Pagnell Rural District Tribunal.
A Stantonbury single man, 39, a labourer in Wolverton Carriage Works, appealed on domestic grounds and as a conscientious objector. He lived with his father and mother, both of whom were invalids. There were five sisters, two married lived in Bradwell and three were in service.
The case was first taken on domestic grounds and Mr Carlile pointed out that one of the sisters could easily come home and look after the father and mother. The separation allowance and the old age pension for which the mother was eligible, would bring in a sufficiency to keep the home going. The father previously had a small farm at Loughton which was given yp three years ago. At the outbreak of war the applicant left the land and went into Wolverton Works.

After some discussion the appeal on domestic grounds was dismissed.

A long statement was read of applicant’s conscientious grounds, beginning with, “I base my objections to combatant service on the ground that it is wrong and barbarous to resort to force of arms to settle any dispute, because so many innocent people have to suffer by it. On the ground of humanity, tens of thousands of people have been put to death who had no quarrel with anyone and on the Christian standpoint we are told to love our enemies.” Applicant argued that he was ‘doing all he possibly could do” and after working from morning ‘til evening he felt he ‘must rest in the interval as every man needs rest as he gets older’.

It transpired the applicant is a Baptist and one of the sisters was working at a house where two of the sons are officers in the Army. He did not think his sister could come home because it was her duty to look after the officers.

Mr Carlile (Military Rep.) How do you reconcile your views that your sister is doing a national service by cooking and waiting on soldiers and yet you say it is wrong for you to be a soldier? Do you think she’s doing better work than coming home to release you?

That is nothing whatever to do with me.

Still that is your opinion?

Yes.

You have got two minds. One is that your sister in looking after soldiers is doing work of national importance, and the other is that you consider there ought to be no such things as soldiers. You ought to have obeyed your duty.

I have got plenty to do at home. If I was working on the land I should get exemption at once.

But you are not working on the land. You object to becoming a soldier and yet you work for a company, which is doing military work or at any rate is being paid by the War Office for doing such work.

I can’t help my source of wages. I would not mind working on the land if I was not in the Works.

The claim was dismissed.