Interview Feature Emily Jenkins discovers the high price paid by the ‘Conchie’ educators who refused to fight in the First World War. ANYONE keeping an eye on the news during lockdown could hardly fail to notice the war rhetoric – particularly from leaders and the right-wing media – surrounding the pandemic. While the Prime Minister called on the nation to come together (metaphorically, not physically) to fight this “deadly enemy”, sections of the media invoked the “Blitz spirit” and encouraged “our teachers to be heroes”. As these linguistic call-backs to the World Wars of the 20th century continue into a new academic year, we look back at some of the heroic educators who stood up for their beliefs during the First World War (WWI) and refused to let conscription and violent rhetoric sway their consciences. Refusal to enlist During WWI, 20,000 conscientious objectors (COs) stood up and refused to kill their fellow human beings. Francis Munns, a teacher from Plumstead, in 1916 summarised: “We conscientious objectors refuse to join the army, refuse to surrender our individual freedom to the dictates of the militarist because we believe that ours is the only way that freedom can be secured to the people.” Although the reasons for conscientious objection depended on the individual, many were driven by their religious, socialist or pacifist beliefs, and a fundamental certainty that war and killing was wrong. Many brave educators at the time felt it important to uphold these principles and refused to enlist. This decision often cost them their jobs and their freedom. Some even paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. Exemption from military service Although the conscription laws stated that men were legally allowed to apply for exemption from military service on the grounds of conscientious objection, the reality was that few of the 20,000 who applied were actually granted total exemption. Instead, after painful and insulting 22
The few educators who were given exemption received constant abuse, death threats and often lost their jobs. tribunals, COs were often ordered to join the non-combatant corps (NCC), a military unit in which they were forced to work in roles that, although did not involve fighting or the use of arms, still supported the war effort. For many COs, contributing to a war in any way was not acceptable. These COs were termed absolutists. “I am prepared to do work of national importance which does not include military service, so long as I do not thereby release some other man to do what I am not prepared to do myself,” wrote Ernest F Cecil Everett (profile opposite), a teacher who was imprisoned for his refusal to enlist or join the Home Office Scheme – a scheme similar to the NCC. A dangerous decision But those who refused to contribute to the war effort could expect serious punishment. Many COs were handed over to the army where they were court-martialled and sent to prison. Abused and censured by the public and the authorities alike, COs were often forced to do hard labour, imprisoned in freezing cells and put on a diet of bread and water. COs were also denied their right to vote and some were sentenced to death (see the Richmond Sixteen, page 25). For those imprisoned, there began a catand-mouse journey of prison time; jailed for
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The te who s months or years, they were released, expected to enlist and, when they once again refused, were sent back to prison. Many men were tortured in an attempt to “convince” them to fight. Jack Gray was one such CO who, after being released from Wormwood Scrubs and returned to his assigned regiment, was “frogmarched, put in a sack and thrown into a pond eight times, and pulled out by a rope around his body… under this torture he [gave] in”. “None but the brave” Half of all male teachers went into the forces although the conscription laws stated that teachers could be exempt due to the fact their work was of “national importance”.
