Albert Edward was 33 in 1916 and lived at 186 Brownhill Road, Catford together with his brother Arthur Robert who was also a conscientious objector. He was single and helped support his 68 year old widowed mother Jessie whom the 1911 census shows as living at 159 Brownhill Road Catford, together with her two daughters Adeline and Ethel and his brother Arthur.

Albert was a Seventh-day Adventist who worked as a missionary tract distributor and was in training for the ministry, he was also a cabinet maker.

Both the brothers submitted written applications from Glasgow to the Lewisham Tribunal in June 1916 and both the Lewisham Borough News and the Kentish Mercury reported their claim. Both Albert and Arthur claimed conscientious objection on the grounds that they were Seventh-day Adventists, Albert stating that as a Christian he could not take the life of a fellow creature and quoted Eph. v.12 and 2 Cor. x.3 and 4 in support. Both also stated that they believed that they were as equally entitled to exemption as were ministers of religion or officers of the Salvation Army.

They also stated that they were strict observers of the Sabbath from Friday to Saturday and knew of co-religious who had been punished for refusing to obey orders in the Army. The Chairman said that on the evidence in their application the Tribunal would grant them non-combatant certificates. When their representative said he did not think that this would satisfy them and they could always appeal, the tribunal members commenced quoting from the New Testament to uphold their belief in the case for war and Mr Harry, the Military Representative, backed by the Chairman and tribunal members threatened to press for their application to be disallowed if they refused non-combatant certificates.

Albert accepted enlistment into the Non-Combatant Corps on the same day as his brother, 19 June 1916 at the Camberwell recruiting office and served with the 4 Eastern and later the 2 Western Companies.

Source 007