Description
Object description
British civilian conscientious objector in GB, 1939; volunteer served with Friends' Ambulance Unit in GB, Egypt, Palestine and Greece, 1939-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1915-1939: family background in Islington, London; father and uncle's military service; religious influences; attitude to war; education at London County Council schools and Christ's Hospital School, Horsham; problem of homesickness; reads poem 'Christ's Hospital'; attitude to humble family background; participation with Officer Training Corps; story of Quaker pupil refusing to join Officer Training Corps: attitude of pupils to Officer Training Corps; reason for changing attitude to war; story of attending peace camp in Geneva, Switzerland, 1930.
REEL 2 Continues: story of religious conversion experienced aged thirteen; reasons for leaving the Scripture Union; higher education at Balliol College, University of Oxford; activities with the Oxford Group; political beliefs; reasons for leaving the Oxford Group; reasons for seeking faith outside mainstream Christianity; development of anti-war stance; attitude to conscription, personal violence and nature of war; awareness of anti-war groups; opinion of Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'.
REEL 3 Continues: first contact with Quakers of Society of Friends; opinion of Quaker beliefs and dress; employment as private tutor and as teacher at Frensham Heights School, Rowledge; story of trip to Germany, 1938; story of using photograph of Hitler as shaving mirror; attitude of Germans friends towards Adolf Hitler; reasons for extending stay in Germany and travelling across Germany with Jewish refugees; memories of Jewish refugees at Frensham Heights School, Rowledge; problem of reconciling pacifist stance with knowledge of concentration camps; story of writing essay 'Pacifism in a Planned Society'; attitude to concept of vocation; influence of Mahatma Gandhi; opinion of British Union of Fascists; attitude to use of boycotts against countries; nature of German society, 1938.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as conscientious objector in GB, 1939: reaction to the Spanish Civil War; effect of declaration of Second World War on pacifist stance, 3/9/1939; story of engagement whilst at Frensham Heights School, Rowledge; registering as a conscientious objector and joining the Friends' Ambulance Unit; story of being arrested as a suspected German spy; description of Tribunal attended at Reading, 1939; reads poem 'My Dancing Doubt'; attitude of colleagues to pacifist beliefs; story of smacking girl for calling him a coward; father's attitude towards pacifism. Recollections of period as volunteer with Friends' Ambulance Unit in GB, 1939-1944: organisation and ethos of Friends' Ambulance Unit; financial inequality of members; shared beliefs and hierarchy; training at Manor Farm Training Camp, Northwood, Birmingham; hospitality of Quakers; German Air Force bombing of Birmingham; amusing story of lecture about venereal disease.
REEL 5 Continues: effect of being a conscientious objector on masculinity; attitude to sex; reads poem 'Samaritan Be Good to Me'; work in air raid shelter in Whitechapel, London during German Air Force bombing campaign, 1940; attitude to fear; work at Guy's Hospital in Orpington; nature of casualties; story of surgeon treating a badly injured German Air Force airman; attitude of nursing staff to conscientious objector status; rest centre and air shelter work in Newcastle upon Tyne; winning Rowntree Trust competition with essay 'Pacifism in a Planned Society'; obtaining grant to write 'The Rock of Doubt', 1978; question of doubts over vocation as pacifist; story of being criticised by farmer for conscientious objector status; importance of support from Quakers of Society of Friends and Friends' Ambulance Unit; preparations for overseas service in Palestine; training at Mount Waltham, Hampstead; language tuition; voyage from Liverpool to Port Said, Egypt via Gibraltar.
REEL 6 Continues: story of meeting with British Army soldier aboard ship; attitude to rank in Friends' Ambulance Unit and not being suitable as officer; description of khaki uniform. Aspects of period as volunteer with Friends' Ambulance Unit in Egypt and Palestine, 1944-1945: nature of work at Greek refugee camp in Nuseirat, Palestine; emotional effects of working in camp; considering joining British Army; further comments on doubting vocation as conscientious objector; further details of work at Nuseirat refugee camp; opinion of female Friends' Ambulance Unit personnel. Aspects of period as volunteer with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) in Greece, 1945-1946: reception on arrival at Piraeus; attitude of Greeks towards pacifism; story of meeting old friends in Athens; nature of work with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA); return to GB to visit dying father.
REEL 7 Continues: reads poem 'In the Black Enamel'. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1946-1986: joining the British Council and reasons for leaving; description of freelance work as a musician with the British Broadcasting Corporation and in folk clubs; importance of folk music in life and work; religious beliefs; story of writing novel about pacifism; comments on own compositions; opinion of treatment of conscientious objectors by British Government during the Second World War; opinion of Edward Blishen's views on conscientious objectors; attitude towards United Nations; nature of current activities with the peace movement; importance of vocation for conscientious objectors.
REEL 8 Continues: performs songs 'The Devil Wore a Crucifix', 'Crow on the Cradle', 'Dr. Spock', 'Friday Morning', 'I Want to Have a Little Bomb Like YOU', 'If You Think With a Bomb', 'I Come Like a Beggar', and reads poem 'Imperial War Museum'.
