THE latest talk in Buriton about the First World War will focus on those who refused to fight as a matter of conscience, and became known as conscientious objectors.
The talk in St Mary’s Church by Alison Wilcox, from Winchester University, will reflect on the time, 100 years ago, when conscription into the armed forces had been introduced to boost the number of soldiers.
But the government had not really considered how they would deal with people who objected to military service for reasons of conscience.
Siegfried Sassoon, not only renowned as one of the country’s finest young poets but also as a war hero, had witnessed at first hand the deaths of many friends and boosted the cause of conscientious objectors by writing his protest letter, ‘A Soldier’s Declaration’.
There were many justifications for refusing to fight. The most common was that war and the act of killing were inconsistent with most religious teaching. Others made a political argument against the war.
Local tribunals were established to decide between ‘conscience or cowardice’.
It was down to the individual objector to demonstrate ‘proof’ of their beliefs, which was a far from straightforward task given the intangible nature of a person’s conscience.
Entry to the talk at 7.30pm on Tuesday, June 6, is free, and all are welcome.