How did conscientious objection work in WWII?

What was the process for Conscientious Objectors in the Second World War? How did they register? Why could they end up in prison?

Imagine you are alive in World War II

Men aged 18-41 and women aged 20-30 are being called up, and they will have to report to the Employment Exchange (like a job centre).

Posters and public notices in the press and on the BBC were issued instructing men, with specified dates of birth, to attend for registration at their local office of the Ministry of Labour and National Service (Employment Exchange) on a specified date. For example, men with dates of birth between 2nd October 1917 and 1st October 1919 had to register at the Employment Exchange on 21st October 1939.

Some might be exempt because:

• They are medically unable to fight

• They have dependants to looks after alone, e.g. as a single parent

• They have a job thought essential to the war effort

If you're not exempt, you are expected to fight, but you can register as a Conscientious Objector (CO), which would lead to a tribunal where you would need to prove your conviction. You might just refuse to engage in the process, but this could lead to prosecution.

The options for a CO in World War II

What would you do?

Men who are conscripted are likely to end up in the armed forces and expected to fight. Women are not expected to fight directly, but they might be given a job assisting the fighting, for example by helping to direct bombers.

If they are not exempt, they would be signed up to one of the armed forces unless they want to join the register of conscientious objectors. This is ‘provisional’: they have to show they are a ‘true’ conscientious objector in the eyes of a tribunal. Those provisionally registered as COs have to make an application to their local tribunal for a case hearing within 14 days. Failure to do so results in their name being removed from the register.

After a time, they will be summoned to the tribunal which will judge whether they are a conscientious objector. They will have to provide a written statement and other evidence such as a statement from a religious leader. They will be asked questions by the tribunal.

The tribunal may:

• reject their claim, and send them to fight anyway

• decide that they can still join the military in a non-combatant role such as medical support or bomb disposal

• Decide that they can still do alternative work for the war effort such as farming

• Accept that they are a full conscientious objector and exempt from all activities.

It is worth noting that the tribunals varied enormously, and some rejected 41% of conscientious objectors.

Conscientious objectors who were rejected by tribunals or refused alternative service could be sent to prison for refusing to join the armed forces. Some felt that COs in World War I were too harshly treated, and that punishments should be less struct. Tribunals were meant to offer alternative roles, but rejection and non-compliance with military orders or tribunal decisions could lead to fines or imprisonment, where objectors could face harsh conditions, hard labour, and long sentences. Estimates of the number of COs believed to have been imprisoned vary from around 1800 to 6,000.

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