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HENRY GALE  

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In the highly political atmosphere of South Wales, the No-Conscription Fellowship found many supporters. Regional branches of the NCF were set up in virtually every valley, and Conscientious Objectors were often prominent figures in local unions and politics. Henry Gale was no exception. Living in Abertillery, he was one of the early members of the NCF, and was Branch Secretary at the time of his conscription and arrest in 1916. Henry’s objection to war was absolute, and he refused to make any compromise with military authority, or help the war effort in any way. Arrested for refusing to report to barracks in June 1916, he was sent to Cardiff barracks under guard, but refused to obey any orders, faced a court martial and was sentenced to prison. By mid-1916, so many Conscientious Objectors were imprisoned that the system couldn’t cope with either the sheer amount of men or their principled, stubborn nature. Increasing political fallout from the incarceration of political prisoners combined with this pressure on the gaols of Britain to force the Government into compromise with Absolutist COs. This compromise was known as the Home Office Scheme, a system whereby COs could exchange assurances of “good behaviour” and an agreement to work at assigned tasks in exchange for marginally better conditions. Entrance to the Home Office Scheme was decided through the Central Tribunal. Though later in the war a branch of the Central Tribunal would be set up in Cardiff, Henry Gale was transferred to Wormwood Scrubs to have his case heard. Judged to be a “Genuine CO”, the Central Tribunal deemed him acceptable for the Home Office Scheme. He took up the offer and by October 1916, was working at a Home Office Centre in Weston super Mare. It is likely that he worked on the HoS for the rest of the war, very possibly moved around different camps until he was eventually released from prison and returned to his interrupted life.

 

 

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CO DATA

Born:
Died:
Address: 10 Castle Street Abertillery, Wales
Tribunal: Abertillery
Prison: Wormwood Scrubs
HO Scheme:Weston Super Mare [1]
CO Work:
Occupation:
NCF:Abertillery Branch Secretary
Motivation:
[2]
ABSOLUTIST

 


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

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