Description
Object description
British schoolchild with Bootham School in York and Ampleforth, GB, 1939-1945; conscientious objector served with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service in GB and France, 1950-1952 and with Quaker Peace and Service in Middle East, 1979-1990
Content description
REEL 1 Background in York, GB, GB, 1931-1939: Quaker family background; father Donald Gray's post as headmaster of Bootham School, York; story of father leaving Friends' Ambulance Unit to join Naval Intelligence during First World War. Aspects of period as schoolchild with Bootham School in York and Ampleforth, GB, 1939-1945: reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; evacuation of Bootham School to Ampleforth College, 1939; German Air Force raid on York, 4/1942; attitude to wartime propaganda; contact with Jewish refugees; incident of
being reprimanded by parents for singing anti-Hitler songs; reaction of father to internment of sixth-formers at Bootham School for refusing military service; father's teaching post at secondary school in Arnside during evacuation of Bootham School.
REEL 2 Continues: story of pupils at Bootham School joining the Friends' Ambulance Unit; reaction of father to death of Peter Hume aboard SS Ceramic in North Atlantic, 6/12/1942; wartime service of staff members at Bootham School. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1945-1950: reasons for registering as conscientious objector on call-up for National Service, 1949; description of registration and Tribunal in London, 1950; basis for pacifist beliefs and Tribunal statement; opinion of Tribunal system; problem of trying to assess matters of conscience; variations in Tribunals and other cases. Recollections of period as conscientious objector with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service in GB, 1950-1951: varying religious backgrounds of unit's personnel; question of being a conscientious objector in peacetime; role and organisation of Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service; attitude to inclusion of Germans volunteers; agricultural training at Petersfield and work at Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service in London, 1950; opinion of training.
REEL 3 Continues: further details of agricultural training at Petersfield; uniform; pay; living conditions; relations with local community; description of work on farm, orchard and in flour mill; memories of Germans working at Petersfield including Helmut Arbel; attitude to overseas service. Recollections of period as conscientious objector with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service in France, 1951: nature of work in Rouen and Paris; story of preparing house for American Friends' Service Unit; nature of work in Saint-Nazaire; attitude of local community to Operation Chariot, the commando raid on Saint-Nazaire, 28/3/1942; work with youth club; story of Helmut Arbel revealing German identity at party; reaction to news of concentration camps; assessment of post-war conditions in France.
REEL 4 Continues: opinion of work with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service in France; work rebuilding prison for young offenders in Beuzevillette; attitude to Quaker and pacifist beliefs whilst serving with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service; opinion of French; problems faced by French Quakers and divisions over behaviour during German occupation; comparison of work with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service and duties on National Service; reason for Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service personnel having to serve two years National Service. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1952-1955: employment including accountancy work and duties as ward orderly at Bradford Royal Infirmary; work in mental institution while studying at University of Oxford; work as training officer with Friends' Ambulance Unit Post-War Service.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as volunteer with Quaker Peace and Service (QPS) in Middle East, 1979-1990: role of Quaker Peace and Service (QPS) and nature of work with Middle East section; discussion groups with trainee Foreign Office diplomats at William Penn House; secret nature of work; question of Quaker Peace and Service (QPS) working illegally in Middle East; reason for Quaker Peace and Service (QPS) being listed as hostile to state of Israel; nature of undercover work; role in liaising with Palestine Liberation Organisation; story about Gideon Spiro; effect of Gulf Crisis on peace work in Middle East, 1990.
REEL 6 Continues: question of political nature of Quaker peace work; activities in Eastern Europe; relations between Quakers and Friends' Ambulance Unit; nature of work with United Nations and it's agencies; changes in Quaker movement; assessment of own temperament; story about Rolfe family killed by terrorist bomb in Khartoum, Sudan and attitude to sentencing of accused.