Description
Object description
British civilian absolutist conscientious objector in Nelson, GB, 1939-1942; inmate in Walton Gaol, Liverpool and Strangeways Prison, Manchester, GB, 1942-1943
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period in Nelson, GB, 1912-1939: influence of the Independent Labour Party on early life and political beliefs; attendance at Socialist Sunday School; opinion of conscientious objectors in the First World War; further details of attending Socialist Sunday School; story of refusing to salute cardboard cenotaph at school; attitude to naval guns outside Imperial War Museum; opinion of First World War conscientious objector Dan Carradice; reason for refusing to accept a gas mask; daily life and political activities in Nelson during the 1930s; reason for Nelson having high percentage of conscientious objectors during the First and Second World Wars; attitude to alcohol, smoking, vegetarianism and Esperanto.
REEL 2 Continues: further comments on Esperanto; comparison of treatment of conscientious objectors in First and Second World Wars; attitude to treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses; description of experiences in prison and length of sentences; question of social class and pacifism; political basis of pacifist beliefs.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of anti-war stance of the Independent Labour Party; story of split in Independent Labour Party over Abyssinian Crisis, 1936; method of collecting funds for anti-war movement; role of the War Resisters' Fellowship organisation; financial arrangements within the Independent Labour Party; role in production of anti-war posters and leaflets; description of pre-war meetings; importance of humour in maintaining morale; opinion of the Peace Pledge Union and the Quakers.
REEL 4 Continues: opinion of the British Communist Party of Great Britain; description of the United Front and the Unity Campaign; reason for not participating in Spanish Civil War; attitude to Fascism and rise of Nazis. Recollections of period as consciencious objector in GB, 1939-1942: attitude of British trade unions to war; story of registering as a conscientious objector on outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; nature of work in Liverpool following air raids; reason for signing on at Labour Exchange despite being in a reserved occupation; description of first and second tribunals; statement of beliefs.
REEL 5 Continues: attitude of judge to absolutist stance at second tribunal; opinion of Herbert Morrison' s stance as a conscientious objector during the First World War; role in assisting other conscientious objectors at tribunals; story of being struck off list of conscientious objectors after second tribunal; reason for refusing medical examination; length of sentence. Recollections of period as inmate in Walton Gaol, Liverpool and Strangeways Prison, GB, 1942-1943: journey to prison; reception procedure; relations with other prisoners; work in mail bag shop and in prison officers' homes; relations with prison officers' and their wives; description of living conditions including personal hygiene; discipline; special treatment due to trade as plumber.
REEL 6 Continues: story of appellate tribunal, 3/1943; reaction to conditional exemption and reason for refusing to accept directed labour employment; story of receiving second prison sentence; attitude of police and members of the public to conscientious objectors; work as plumber in women's sections and condemned cells; precautions taken to prevent sexual relations; air raids during imprisonment in Strangeways Prison and Walton Gaol; reason for stopping visits from wife; support from family whilst in prison; religious life in prison.
REEL 7 Continues: further comments on religious life in prison; attitude of clergy to prisoners; memories of Christmas in Walton Gaol, 12/1942; amusing stories about prison experiences; method of keeping mind occupied while in prison; relations with other conscientious objectors in Walton Gaol and Strangeways Prison; story of being reprimanded for letter mentioning Herbert Morrison; method of smuggling out letters written on toilet paper; financial situation; abuse towards conscientious objectors and relatives; problem of finding employment after release from prison and assistance from Fenner Brockway and Bob Edwards; method of coping with hostility towards conscientious objectors; attitude to imprisonment; story of son being imprisoned for anti-war protest; organisation of conscientious objectors during the war; description of mock tribunal; story of refusing to join the Home Guard.
REEL 8 Continues: attitude to undertaking war work including fire-watching; attitude to women registering as conscientious objectors. Aspects of post-war period in GB: question of resuming pre-war life and employment; attitude to post-war treatment of conscientious objectors; opinion of conscientious objectors who left the Peace Movement after the Second World War; activities with current anti-war movement.