COs

Question 0

What did the Military Service Act introduce?

Answer 0

Conscription or compulsory military service which applied to all single men between the ages 18-41

Question 1

When was the Military Service Act introduced?

Answer 1

1916

Question 2

What three reasons are there why people could be excused from military service?

Answer 2

• Physically unfit
• Had an occupation essential for war effort eg. Coal mining
• Genuine reasons of conscience for not wanting to fight

Question 3

What were the special courts set up called?

Answer 3

Tribunals

Question 4

What did tribunals consist of?

Answer 4

Army officers and respectable local people such as doctors and clergymen

Question 5

What happened if their reasons of exclusion from the military service was reasonable?

Answer 5

They were given a Certificate of Exemption

Question 6

Why did COs object to war?

Answer 6

Religious, moral and political beliefs.

Question 7

What happened to COs?

Answer 7

• 14,000 Worked as stretcher bearers and ambulance drivers

* 15,000 put in prisons and had their right to vote taken until give years after the war ended

Question 8

How were COs seen?

Answer 8

Cowards, traitors and criminals

Question 9

What were COs given in recognition of their cowardice?

Answer 9

A white feather by members of the public

Question 10

How did it effect their career?

Answer 10

They found it difficult to get jobs as employers would not take them on

Question 11

Who supported the Conscientious objectors?

Answer 11

Pacifist magazines and organisations like the No Conscription Fellowship supported the COs but were not viewed in a good light

Question 12

WW2: when was conscription introduced?

Answer 12

1939

Question 13

WW2: how many people registered as COs?

Answer 13

59,162

Question 14

Ww1: how many people were exempted?

Answer 14

400

Question 15

Ww2: How many was exempted ?

Answer 15

12,204

Question 16

Ww2: How was tribunals different to WW1?

Answer 16

Include ex-soldiers and had to be people from all classes

Question 17

Ww2: How were the treated by authorities?

Answer 17

The authorities were more understanding to them

Question 18

Ww2: how were they treated by the public?

Answer 18

same as WW1, cowards, traitors, attacked on streets

Question 19

Ww2: what did COs work as in the war?

Answer 19

• 29,000 worked on farms as authorities were reluctant to send then to work
• some worked for armed forces as medical orderlies and ambulance drivers