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DAVID JONES  

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David Jones was a farmer and boot maker working in Tumble, Carmarthenshire when Britain declared war on the 4th of August 1914. By 1916, when the Military Service Act conscripted him into the Army, he was 33 and, as a devout Baptist, refused to be forced to fight and kill as a soldier. His age would have delayed his call-up until some time after the introduction of conscription, but mostly likely in early Summer 1916, David was called up as a soldier and decided to apply for exemption as a conscientious objector to his local Tribunal. The Llanelly Tribunal dismissed his application, giving him no exemption. David lodged an appeal against this decision at the Carmarthenshire Tribunal, which granted him “Exemption from Combatant Service Only”, the most common - and least accepted - form of exemption from conscription given to COs.

For thousands of men around the country Exemption from Combatant Service was an acceptable verdict, one which would have seen David sent to a Non-Combatant Corps Battalion, given a “non-combatant promise”, and put to work as a soldier, albeit one who could not be ordered to take up arms. Instead, David took up an Absolutist stance, refusing to have anything to do with the war effort whatsoever.

This decision may have been difficult for David to make. He arrived at the Cardiff barracks of the Non-Combatant Corps on the 24th October 1916, but did not go in front of a Court Martial until the 27th of February. Court Martial hearings give us a good indicator of when a Conscientious Objector began to actively resist the military while nominally in the NCC. Immediate court martial tends to show a resolve to resist the exemption from combatant service made before arrival - in David Jones’ case, it could be that he initially, however grudgingly, accepted the NCC, only to later decide to reject it altogether. David’s rejection of the NCC would have been made through refusing to follow orders. A swift court martial would result - and on the 27th of February 1917, he was sentenced to one year in prison, to be served in Wormwood Scrubs.

As in the case of many Conscientious Objectors, this first sentence was commuted from it’s original one year length. After four months in prison, David was released, but, as a free man, he was now again eligible for conscription and sent back to the Army. Again he refused orders, this time in the Oswestry barracks, and on the 21st of June 1917 faced another court martial - this one sentencing him to 2 years hard labour.

This second sentence was to be David’s last. Sent to Shrewsbury prison, he spent a total of 22 months in gaol, released only in April 1919 when, suffering from severe illness, he was discharged from both prison and the army and finally allowed to return home.

 

 

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CO DATA

Born:
Died:
Address: Gorefach Farm, Carmarthen, Wales
Tribunal: Llanelly
Prison: Wormwood Scrubs, Shrewsbury
HO Scheme:
CO Work:
Occupation: Farmer and Boot Dealer

Motivation: Baptist
[2]
ABSOLUTIST

 


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WIDER CONTEXT | more
ROAD TO CONSCRIPTION
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CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION
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TRIBUNALS | more
SENTENCED TO DEATH | more
PRISONS | more
HOME OFFICE CENTRES | more

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