Era of the Great War: Video playlist

The Military Service Act of 1916 allowed men to refuse to fight if a military tribunal judged they were genuine conscientious objectors. But few passed this test. Some conscientious objectors agreed to non-combatant jobs like ambulance drivers, stretcher bearers or farm workers. Others were forced into the army. If they refused orders they could be imprisoned, but people saw this as a waste when more men were needed in the workforce. To address this, the government introduced labour camps across the UK, forcing objectors to carry out hard physical work. At Dyce Camp near Aberdeen, 250 men were put to work breaking granite rocks to build roads. They slept on straw beds in leaky tents and were only allowed three blankets each. 20-year-old objector Walter Roberts was already weak from months in prison when he arrived at the camp. He wrote to his mother: “As I anticipated, it has only been a matter of time for the camp conditions to get the better of me. Bartle Wild is now writing to my dictation because I am now too weak to handle a pen myself.” Five days after arriving at Dyce, Roberts died of pneumonia. His case was debated in parliament and the labour camp was closed by the end of October 1916. After the camp closure, some objectors were moved to work camps elsewhere. Others were returned to prison.