On 7th May 2016 the Centre held a workshop which looked at the experiences of Conscientious Objectors before the Military Tribunal and beyond.
A film of the day is now being prepared and will be available soon, but in the meantime you can get a flavour of the day from the tweets sent by Centre member, Owen Davies https://storify.com/FWWLives/conscientious-objectors-workshop
Film from our previous workshop on Military Tribunals in September 2015 can be viewed here: https://everydaylivesinwar.herts.ac.uk/?p=1640
Below you will find some links to resources and websites which were suggested by some of those who attended on the day. They all confirm the significance of resistance to war as a First World War topic and the richness of local research projects.
We are also developing a discussion area for a conscientious objectors’ network on Historypin, as a friendly place where we can share knowledge and ideas, meet new researchers, find resources, and get help solving questions. Anyone can start up a new conversation with us on the forums or post a response in an existing discussion topic. The forum acts like a noticeboard with themes and topics. A link to the forum and Conscientious Objection: let’s make a network of research is here: https://community.historypin.org/c/collection/first-world-war-centenary . You can either post a response to someone else or start a new conversation topic yourself. Caroline Nielsen who moderates the site welcomes any queries and will help you familiarise yourself with the forum caroline.nielsen@northampton.ac.uk . An introduction to Historypin form and how to use it can be found here.
We’d also be delighted to post project updates on the centre website http://everydaylivesinwar.herts.ac.uk/ and follow-up suggestions for future events on this topic. Do please introduce us to anyone else or groups who share an interest in First World War conscientious objection and its legacies.
Suggested Resources and Websites from those attending the workshop
Cyril Pearce’s database of Conscientious Objectors is accessible via the Imperial War Museum website (Tip: when searching for a place, the ‘Keyword’ search box returns the best results).
The Haringey Peace Forum website is here www.hfwwpf.wordpress.com
A blog on the South Warwickshire military service tribunals can be found on the Centre website: https://everydaylivesinwar.herts.ac.uk/?p=896
There are regular updates on the findings of the project looking at the COs held in Richmond Prison on Historypin, which anyone can access to view related documents, photos etc. and also to instigate discussion on this subject and ask questions: http://www.historypin.org/en/collections/search/project:Social%20attitudes%20to%20COs%20in%20the%20First%20World%20War/sort/popular/paging/1
The Staffordshire Great War project has its websites here:
https://staffsappeals1918.wordpress.com/
http://www.staffordshiregreatwar.com/
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies suggests the following sites for material on Hertfordshire:
You can find Simon Colbert’s film, Watford’s Quiet Heroes: Resisting the Great War, on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzjnDrimrgM
Simon is hoping to make a much shorter film about the event he describes in this blog: http://55simon.tumblr.com/post/143060796848/whatever-the-penalties.
If anyone knows of relevant eyewitness accounts, photos or records, Simon would love to hear from you.
