Pollitt, Norman Travers (Oral history)

British civilian conscientious objector served as medical orderly with Friends Ambulance Unit in GB and Ethiopia, 1940-1945

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1918-1940: family; reason for development of pacifist views after First World War; opinion of Quakers; story of signing Peace Pledge with Peace Pledge Union, 1938; influence of Mahatma Gandhi; reaction of family to pacifist views; appearance before tribunal in Fulham, London, 1940; granting of conditional exemption from military service. Aspects of period with Friends Ambulance Unit in GB, 1940-1942: reason for joining Friends' Ambulance Unit; training at Friends Ambulance Training Camp at Manor Farm, Northfield, Birmingham, 4/1940; social background of other conscientious objectors; later decision to change from insurance to medicine and post-war career; medical training at Friends Ambulance Training Camp at Manor Farm, Northfield, Birmingham; duties in hospitals in London, 1940-1941. REEL 2 Continues: return to Friends Ambulance Training Camp at Manor Farm, Northfield, Birmingham; duties as cook/instructor; organisation of Friends' Ambulance Unit outside Europe; reason for being selected to go to Ethiopia; training; problem of language. Recollections of period as medical orderly with Friends' Ambulance Unit in Ethiopia, 1942 -1945: journey from Bristol, GB to Addis Ababa, 4/1942; temporary accommodation in Imperial Hotel; role of Friends' Ambulance Unit; medical resources provided by Italians; description of terrain and climate; living conditions; communications between Addis Ababa and outlying clinics; co-operation with Italian civilians; role of qualified doctors in setting up clinics and training medical staff; story of Dr Husband; opinion of Ethiopian Department of Health; presence of British Army troops in Ethiopia; importance of unit presence in Ethiopia during Second World War; types of diseases treated; teaching work undertaken by unit; opinion of adequacy of training. REEL 3 Continues: role of Dr Michael Vaizey; hospital duties in Addis Ababa; state of health of unit personnel; ccontracting infectious hepatitis and problem of weight loss; duties at clinic in Ambo, 1942-1944; living conditions; employment of domestic servants; effects of lack of social contacts; visit to clinic by Emperor Haile Selassie; political situation in Ethiopia; conditions in hospital; Italian medical resources; attitude to working with unit in Ethiopia; comments on post-war work with Displaced Persons in North West Europe; reason for Friends Ambulance Unit leaving Ethiopia; journey from Ethiopia to GB, 1945 REEL 4 Continues: Reflections on period with Friends Ambulance Unit during Second World War: effects of wartime service with Friends Ambulance Unit on life; problem of finding employment as doctor; question of status as conscientious objector adversely affecting career; attitude to war and pacifism; involvement with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmanment; opinion of current peace movement; attitude towards Falklands War; comparison of treatment of conscientious objectors in First and Second World Wars; comments on current situation in Ethiopia; story of Friends Ambulance Unit members maintaining post-war contacts with Ethiopia.