Brothers Isaac, Joseph and Solomon Shepherd were Jewish conscientious objectors born in South Wales. Their parents were Polish immigrants who had moved to Wales in the 1890s, and the three brothers inherited a complex mix of anti-war motivations. Socialist, Jewish and descended from Polish migrants, they had many reasons for refusing to fight in the war, politically, religiously and nationally - they could not participate in a war that went against their politics, their religion and would be fought on behalf of the Russian regime, in support of their anti-Semitic policies.

Isaac was the oldest brother, and was 24 when Conscription came into power in 1916. He was an Absolutist CO, who refused to make any compromise with military authority, and was arrested in May 1916 for refusing to report to barracks. After a short magistrates hearing, he was sent under guard to the army, joining (under duress) the Non-Combatant Corps at Kinmel Park. There, he continued his resistance, and was sentenced by court martial to two years hard labour for refusing all orders. He spent several months in Walton Prison, Liverpool, before being transferred onto the Home Office Scheme, where he would stay until demobilisation and release at the end of the war.