Albert Payne was a Quaker Conscientious Objector who was well known as a scenery painter working for a number of theatres in London at the outbreak of war. Like many Quakers, Albert was committed to peace which he felt was the cornerstone of his religion. He believed his faith could not allow him to aid the war effort in any way, so when conscription was introduced Albert was determined to object to all military service as an Absolutist CO.

Albert went before the Southwark Tribunal in April 1916 and was given Non-Combatant Service. As an Absolutist, he could not accept this judgement as it would mean joining the army and helping to carry out the war. Unfortunately for Albert, his August hearing at the Kent Appeal Tribunal was even less successful and the unsympathetic members withdrew his exemption from Combatant service.

At this point Albert was left with a difficult decision - would he report to the Army willingly, or refuse to go? Albert felt that he had no choice but to disobey every military order as he would not acknowledge that the orders given to him to enlist were legitimate. This led to his arrest in Bromley on the 25th of October of 1916 and he was sent before a Magistrates Court hearing which would decide his fate. He was tried as an absentee, fined (the usual fine was 40 shillings) and handed over to the military.

Albert found himself at Hazeley Down Camp, Hampshire, having been conscripted into a battalion of the London Regiment. He faced Court Martial for refusing to obey orders in November 1916 and was sentenced to two years hard labour in Wormwood Scrubs.

After four months in Wormwood Scrubs in abysmal conditions, Albert decided to take the Home Office Scheme after a Central Tribunal hearing judged his objection to be genuine. The Home Office scheme was designed to allow the release of COs from prison into monitored work camps. Conditions in the camps were frequently terrible, and COs would be employed doing hard physical tasks with inadequate equipment, clothing and supplies. Albert was moved from camp to camp, first in Wakefield for much of 1917 before being moved to Cambridge and then Hassocks in Sussex.

Alfred remained with the Home Office Scheme until his release, in December 1918. His story is typical of many Conscientious Objectors who felt that they could not be involved in the prosecution of the war in any capacity. For COs such as Albert, the choice to resist conscription was clear and its implications went far beyond simply refusing to become a soldier. Albert’s story shows that COs could simply refuse to kill, but that it is possible to challenge the whole system of militarism.