THE MEN WHO SAID NO | ROAD TO CONSCRIPTION | CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION | PRISONS | SENTENCED TO DEATH | TRIBUNALS | WIDER CONTEXT | INDEX
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THE MEN WHO SAID NO | ROAD TO CONSCRIPTION | CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION | PRISONS | SENTENCED TO DEATH | TRIBUNALS | WIDER CONTEXT | INDEX |
| JOHN HART 1894 |
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| John Hart was a socialist conscientious objector working as a mechanical engineer in Leytonstone when he was conscripted in mid 1916. After a brief time in the hands of the army, he was court martialled and sent to prison. COs sent to prison from the army often received long sentences of more than one year. John, like many others, soon found this sentence commuted to a shorter one. The army believed that after a short prison sentence, even the most dedicated CO would prefer to go into the army than be sent back, but they were soon proved wrong. John left his first prison sentence in March 1917 and less than a month later was sent for a second sentence in Exeter prison - having been sent back to the army in the meantime! This pointless cycle would see John serve three prison sentences. John was finally released in 1919 under the "Two Year Rule". Not wanting to let Conscientious Objectors off the hook, but bowing to pressure to release political prisoners, the Government decided to release some COs who had served their sentences on a very gradual basis. John was let out due to this scheme in April 1919 - well after the "need" to conscript civilians had passed.
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