Description
Object description
British civilian conscientious objector served with Friends' Ambulance Unit in GB, Ethiopia and Italy, 1940-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1920-1940: family background and childhood in Lytham, Lancashire; father's religious and political beliefs, including role as Trades Union representative at tribunals during First World War; religious basis of pacifist stance; story of joining Peace Pledge Union in Blackpool; level of support for pacifism in local area; story of registering as conscientious objector on outbreak of war, 1939; story about hostile remarks from soldiers while working at hospital in Bedfordshire; reason for registering as conscientious objector and support from Peace Pledge Union in Blackpool; reaction to outcome of Tribunal in Birmingham and intervention of Friends' Ambulance Unit, 4/1940; opinion of Tribunal.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period with Friends' Ambulance Unit in GB, 4/1940-7/1942: description of No. 4 Camp in Birmingham; amusing story about Tom Barnsley; various stories about men leaving and joining Friends' Ambulance Unit; description of hospital work in London and work at rest centres; reason for being turned down for China Convoy; description of preparations for medical work in Ethiopia; story of journey to Ethiopia, 7/1942. Aspects of period with Friends' Ambulance Unit in Ethiopia, 7/1942-1943: story about seeing coachload of women and children being evacuated back to Italy; description of Italian influence and infrastructure in Ethiopia; relations between Italians and Ethiopian authorities; description of work at various locations; problem of inadequate sanitation, disease and illiteracy.
REEL 3 Continues: description of Friends' Ambulance Unit's medical work; problem of underdeveloped medical facilities and lack of public health awareness; opinion of conditions in prisons; attitude of Friends' Ambulance Unit members to working in Ethiopia; types of cases treated; relations with British Army and Ethiopians; contacts with Haile Selassie and royal family; story of being given strip of gold by Crown Prince; influence of Ethiopian royal family over country.
REEL 4 Continues: further comments on Ethiopian royal family; attitude to leaving Ethiopia for Italy; assessment of Friends' Ambulance Unit's work in Ethiopia, 1942-1943; problem of lack of medical facilities, government bureaucracy and corruption; comparison of working conditions in Ethiopia and China; story about Tom Barnsley's leper colony; story about Ted Dunn single-handedly performing operation to remove eye; problem of boredom; communications with home; effect of working in Ethiopia on health including malaria and ulcer; attitude to current situation in Ethiopia (1990).
REEL 5 Continues: description of journey from Ethiopia to Italy, 1943; story about British officer in Sudan. Aspects of period with Friends' Ambulance Unit in Italy, 1943-7/1945: description of work with blood transfusion unit at Bari; method of categorising blood types; donation of blood by reserve troops; story of most donors preferring cup of tea to bottle of beer; transferred to 15th Field Transfusion Unit in Forli; description of casualties; relations with Royal Army Medical Corps; attitude of some doctors to conscientious objectors; relations with soldiers; attitude to not being allowed to treat civilian casualties; story about Shock Research Unit; opinion of surgical teams; working hours during battles.
REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Italian campaign; reflections on experiences with Friends' Ambulance Unit during war; story of return to GB, 7/1945. Aspects of period in GB, 1945-1990: story about volunteering for China Convoy; problem of adjusting to civilian life; employment; reason for not mentioning pacifist stance during war; story about laying wreath on Armistice Day; activities with Peace Movement; opinion of treatment as conscientious objector during Second World War; comparison of conscientious objectors in First and Second World Wars.