Conscription and Conscience ISSUE 2 – The effect of the war on life in Scotland Conscription and Conscience

Anti-war attitudes Even as late as 1918 the vast majority of Scots supported the war, however there were prominent anti-war groups: The Independent Labour party (ILP) was a socialist party separate from Labour who had a strongly pacifist attitude, its pacifist newspaper “Forward” was closed down. The Union of Democratic Control (UDC) was an anti-war organisation that opposed conscription, censorship and other DORA restrictions.

A left wing organisation, famous UDC members included the future Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. UDC members were often threatened with arrest or violence from members of the public or accused of being traitors. At its highpoint in 1915 the UDC had 300,000 members though this dropped to 10,000 by 1918.

Conscription & Conscience Conscription was seen as yet another increase in the power of the state at the cost of individual freedom. Due to a shortage of volunteers military conscription was introduced in January 1916 for unmarried men from 18-41. Later this was extended in May 1918 to married men (can you think why?). By 1918 men up to age 50 with military experience were conscripted.

Exemptions to Conscription Not all men were forced to join the army there were exemptions: Physical or mental impairment Work of national importance e.g. coal miners, skilled farm workers Conscience, conscientious objectors (conchies) who objected on moral/political ( e.g. a socialist/pacifist) or religious grounds( e.g. a pacifist religion such as Quakers)

Treatment of Conchies Those wishing to avoid military service had to appear before a military tribunal to prove their case. Tribunals needed as many men as possible for the war so found most cases unproven. 16,000 men in the UK objected to fighting, around 7,000 conchies agreed to join the army in non-combat duties e.g. stretcher bearers, ambulance drivers. Alternativists did non-military work of national importance e.g. farming or coal mining, a hard, dirty and dangerous job. 1,500 Absolutists refused all military service and were sentenced to military prison and hard labour, at least 73 died in prison.

Treatment of Conchies- continued The families of ‘conchies’ suffered too, many were ostracised, refused service in shops etc. Some conchies were not released till August 1919 showing the depth of ill feeling towards them still. Even when released after the war many conchies found it hard to get work.

Dyce Camp, Aberdeenshire Opened in late 1916, Dyce Camp near Aberdeen was made up of 250 conscientious objectors. As an alternative to prison, their punishment was to break rocks in a granite quarry and suffer the indignity of being branded as “degenerates” by the local press. The objectors were drawn from all walks of life: teachers, academics, shopkeepers and labourers. But they were in the main well educated and articulate - and even set up their own camp newspaper, The Granite Echo. Living conditions at the camp were basic and many of the men were unused to hard labour. But when one of the objectors, Walter Roberts from near Stockport, died of pneumonia, Dyce Camp came to wider attention. The other men stepped up a letter writing campaign complaining about the conditions. There were visits to the camp by a Home Office committee and by future Labour prime minister Ramsay McDonald. On the 19th of October, following a debate in Parliament, it was announced that Dyce camp would close. Barely two months after their arrival, the conscientious objectors were dispersed to prisons across Britain to complete their sentences.