William Saunders was a conscientious objector from Radcliffe, Lancashire. He was 28 and working as a clerk when called before the Radcliffe Tribunal in early 1916. His argument for absolute exemption as a conscientious objector was unsuccessful, and he was arrested as an absentee in May. After his arrest, William was sent before a Magistrates court in Bury and was fined 40/-, the standard fine levied on many Conscientious Objectors.

Charged as an absentee he was sent to Kinmel Camp in North Wales as a nominal member of the army. At Kinmel he would continue to resist any attempts to force him into military service, including refusing to wear military uniform. In an action of defiance to the military authorities shared by many other COs, refusing to wear the assigned uniform indicated to both the rank and file and officers at Kinmel that William was not just a CO, but also one determined to give no concession whatsoever to militarism and war. Aided by a Quaker CO James Carter who provided support and assistance to many COs at Kinmel, William was able to make a strong and principled stand.

This would begin a series of six month to two year prison sentences in prisons around the country after a Court Martial at Kinmel Park sentenced William to two years Hard Labour. This sentence would be carried out in a civil prison in Liverpool, the hard labour amounting to sewing mailbags, picking rope and other punitive tasks. Conditions were hard in prison, especially for Conscientious Objectors who could be routinely faced with ridicule and ill-treatment.

After two months in prison, William stood before the Central Tribunal in Wormwood Scrubs in order to gauge his suitability for the Home Office Scheme. He was judged to be a “genuine” CO and was offered a choice - agree to the strict rules of the Home Office Scheme (HoS) and be moved from prison to a work camp, or remain in prison. This proposal was designed to identify which men held in prison after military offences had been sentenced due to a conscientious objection to military service, and to remove these men from the control of the Army courts.

The HoS was intended to provide COs with work of National Importance under the direct control of civil authorities. Despite agreeing to move to the HoS, William remained in the army, albeit in Reserve class W and was eligible for call-up until the end of the war. His HoS camp was in Wakefield, Yorkshire. Conditions in Wakefield were made worse by riots and attacks on COs stirred by some local and national newspapers which encouraged people to think of COs in Wakefield as comfortable and pampered. This hostility would lead to the Wakefield camp being shut down.

The end of William’s wartime experiences are not well known. It seems likely that he became unsatisfied with the HoS and willingly transferred back to prison - refusing to lend his labour to supporting the war effort in any way. This choice clearly shows the strength of William’s convictions, and the courage needed to support them as he chose to return to the harsh confines of prison rather than betray his pacifist ideals.