Arthur Gardiner (CO) my new personal hero - 22nd September 2016

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This morning I managed to grab breakfast at Salford Museum and Art Gallery and find time to finish the book I have been reading on Conscientious Objectors (CO’s) in Huddersfield by Cyril Pearce. It is a truly illuminating book focusing on one communities support and the reasons behind the large proportion of CO’s in that area.

What it made me realise is that at the turn of the century the “workers” were extremely well connected and supported through different organisations, political and religious parties, social clubs, unions and trade guilds, something that I feel that we have lost over the last forty years. The overriding feeling was of the bravery in face of the weight of a nation, peers and propaganda to stand up and say that you would not fight! My new Hero is Arthur Gardiner who point blank refused conscription on the grounds that he did not want to murder a fellow worker in Germany:

“ I am 26 years of age and I work as a wool and cotton dyer. I cannot conscientiously undertake combatant or non combatant military service. For a number of years I have devoted my time and energy, both publicly and privately to the economic and moral uplift of humanity. I am opposed to all forms of militarism. I believe it to be a detriment to the welfare of all nations “

Arthur Gardiner at his tribunal.

The problem being that conscription was brought in with The Military Service Act of 1916 to compel single men between the ages of 18 and 40 to some form of military service. This became law on the 27^th January my birthday! next year I turn 40 and will be celebrating the fact that I will no longer be deemed fit for military service due to my age!...maybe I have to wait till 41? 




more informaton Cyril Pearce and the Pearce register of Conscientious Objectors here :
http://www.1914.org/news/cos/


more information on Arthur Gardiner here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01s6fbd