'THE GREAT WAR', 'THE WAR TO END WAR', 'WORLD WAR 1'
'What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
- Only the monstrous anger of the guns.'
from 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'
by Wilfred Owen
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION IN WW1
George Thomas Lees
Oldham Tribunal 8 March 1916 The first claimant was George Thomas Lees, of Hereford-street, student in mathematics and an undergraduate at St John's College, Cambridge, who wrote that his primary and essential motivate was a conscientious objection against assisting any nation in the prosecution of the war. He regarded human life as sacred and he was unable to accept non-combatant service. There were secondary reasons for exemption, which he introduced mainly for the sake of his parents to whom he owed an unpayable debt; defective sight; and that his education was of such a nature as ultimately to prove of national utility; change of occupation would have a bad effect on the result of his education. His education had cost his parents great sacrifices. He put in a certificate from Dr Goulden concerning his eyesight. Mr Lees, who was accompanied by his father, said he would not labour any but the conscientious ground of objection. The Mayor: How long have you held this objection? Mr Lees brought out a diary and documents which he wished to read, saying they could not come to a right decision unless they heard his evidence. "You cannot know the exact nature of my objection unless you hear me," he said. The Mayor: If you are not satisfied with the decision when we have done, you have the right of appeal. Mr Lees: My intention was to produce my own diaries for the period of the war so as to state my position clearly. I am attempting to show you that a conscientious objection exists and I desire to show you its nature. Captain Almond read a letter sent to Captain Aked by Mr Lees in reply to a notice sent to him under address "Private Lees". He pointed out that on March 1st Lees became a soldier and, never mind the appeal, the description was correct. He was a member of H.M. forces from March 1st. A letter was read from a Cambridge professor stating that an interruption would prejudice Mr Lees's studies and that there was every hope that he would become a wrangler* in the mathematics tripos. The Tribunal decided that he must go to non-combatant service. *A term used at Cambridge University for a person placed in the first class of the mathematics tripos. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ South East Lancashire Appeal Tribunal at Manchester Town Hall 30 March 1916 The South-east Lancashire Appeal Tribunal sitting at the Town Hall Manchester on Thursday afternoon heard appeals for total exemption from service made by a number of young men of Oldham, conscientious objectors, who had been sent to non-combatant service in most cases by the Oldham Tribunal and in a few cases to combatant service …. …. George Thomas Lees, of Hereford-street, a student, said that he was opposed to giving any help in the prosecution of the war. The appeal was dismissed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oldham Magistrates' Court 27 April 1916 Four absentees under the Military Service Act were brought up in custody at the Oldham Police Court on Thursday. They were Leonard Bayley (23) spindle grinder, 49 Brompton -street, Oldham; Henry Brierley (21) 7 Brompton-street, Oldham; William Cockcroft (23) traveller, 23 Churchill-street, Oldham and George Thomas Lees, undergraduate at St John's College, Cambridge, of 12 Hereford-street, Oldham. Lees was to have reported himself on Tuesday but failed to do so. He pleaded not guilty although admitting that he had received the notice from the military calling him up. He asked about this - whether the receipt of a paper from the military authority indicates that one is subject under the Military Service Act. Am I subject to that Act? Dr Gourlay: That concerns another court. Fined 40s and handed over to military authority. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oldham Magistrates' Court 2 July 1917 George Thomas Lees of Hereford-street, Oldham, student and conscientious objector, was brought up in custody before the borough justices in Monday morning, having been arrested as an absentee under the Military Service Act. Called to the colours for the second time, he had failed to report. Since he was first called up last year, he has been court-martialled and sentenced to imprisonment, then released for work of national importance and now, again, called up. Making a statement to the magistrates, Mr Lees said that it might help them to gauge his position better. He was arrested in April 1916 and came before the Oldham bench. He was fined 40s, to be taken from his army pay, and handed over to the military authority. He was tried by court martial and sentenced to two years with hard labour, commuted subsequently to 112 days' hard labour. Whilst a prisoner, he appeared before the Central Appals Tribunal. He urged there, as he had protested before the court martial, that he ought never to have been in that position, for he was, in the first instance, referred by the Manchester Appeals Tribunal to the Pelham Committee. The Central tribunal held up his protest and transferred his case back to the Appeals Tribunal at Manchester. Therefore his original sentence in that court and the court martial sentence were illegal, although he was not anxious to press that point now. He was sent back to Kinmel Park, to which he had been transferred from prison, so that the Manchester Tribunal could deal with the case afresh. Their decision was that he should undertake work of national importance. This he did until he broke down under the strain of the work and of preparing for an important examination. His doctor told him that he was not able to continue at the work in which he was engaged. The Tribunal attempted to drive a bargain with him, allowing him time for the examination if he would undertake non-combatant work afterwards. The Act distinctly laid it down that a conscientious objector must be given the minimum exemption that would meet his case. The Manchester decision was not that minimum, for his action previously would show that he would not accept non-combatant service as a minimum. He was prepared to go again on work of national importance. Mr Booth: What power have the magistrates in this matter? Mr Horrobin: When did you leave your employment? Mr Horrobin said that the Tribunal's decision was final and final as far as the magistrates were concerned, Lees would be handed over to the military authority. Sergeant Major Bailey was in attendance. A fine was not imposed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The WO 363 records for George Thomas Lees survive (held at The National Archives, available online via Find My Past): He was 5 ft 7¾ ins tall and weighed 10 sts 1 lb His first prison sentence [mentioned in the account above at Oldham Magistrates 2 July 1917] was served at Wormwood Scrubs. He was discharged from the army 31 March 1920. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Born Oldham, 4 November 1895 1911 census : 1939 register ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He attended Hulme Grammar School, Oldham : Lees, George Thomas A brief biography in the Cambridge Daily News of 14 June 1917 says: George Thomas Lees of St John's College who took up his residence at Cambridge in October 1914 was previously at the Hulme Grammar School, Oldham. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He has an entry on the Pearce List. Contributed by Dorothy Bintley |
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