Fred Mallalieu

Oldham Tribunal 6 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 11 March 1916

Several claims for exemption from service under the Military Service Act on conscientious grounds were heard on Monday before the Oldham Tribunal. The Mayor was presiding …

[The report for Fred Mallalieu is brief, the man before him was put into the non-combatant section for service]

… Fred Mallalieu, a clerk, of 1 Balfour-street, was similarly dealt with, after his claim for exemption on conscientious grounds had been heard.

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Manchester Appeal Tribunal 29 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 1 April 1916

The South-east Lancashire Appeal Tribunal, meeting in the Town Hall, Manchester on Thursday afternoon, heard appeals for total exemption from military service made by a number of young men from Oldham, conscientious objectors, who had been sent to non-combatant service by the Oldham Tribunal and in a few cases to combatant service.

…. Fred Mallalieu, a clerk of 1 Balfour-street, was no more successful in his appeal and his further request for leave to appeal against the decision of the Appeal Tribunal was refused.

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Oldham Magistrates Court 3 May 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 6 May 1916

Fred Mallalieu (23yrs) was brought up in custody before the Oldham justices on Wednesday morning as an absentee from the Army under the Military Service Act since April 17th.

The Chief Constable said that the young man was warned to report himself at the Swan Hotel on April 17th and failed to do so. Authority for his arrest was then issued by the police. Sergeant Major Bailey was at the court to take charge of him if the bench so decided.

Mr Hesketh Booth (to Mallalieu): What explanation can you give?
- As a conscientious objector my faith will not allow me to report myself. It would be inconsistent.
Mr Booth: I suppose you appealed?
- Yes, I appealed to the Oldham Tribunal.
Mr Booth: And where else?
- To the Manchester Appeal Tribunal.
Mr. Booth: What did they say?
- They dismissed it.
Mr Booth: The magistrates have no alternative, I am afraid. They will be obliged to fine you and hand you over to the military, or hand you over without a fine.

The magistrates fined Mallalieu 40s, which is the minimum fine and ordered that he be handed over to the custody of Sergeant major Bailey.

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The WO 363 records for Fred Mallalieu survive (held at The National Archives, available online via Find My Past):

After the appearance at Oldham Magistrates' Court he was taken to Ashton under Lyne barracks but was rejected [he wore glasses, was that the reason?]

In April 1917 he was called up again, enlisted in the No 6 Western Company of the Non-Combatant Corps as Private 3880 and posted to Kinmel Park.
On April 10th 1917 he was charged with disobeying the lawful order of a senior officer (he refused to fall in for parade) he was court martialled and sentenced to 1 year with hard labour. He was taken to Wormwood Scrubs.
On 14 July 1917 he accepted work under the Home Office scheme and sent to Dartmoor Work Centre.

He was 5 ft 4 ins tall and weighed 9 sts.

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He has an entry on the Pearce List.

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Oldham Local Studies and Archives PUO/1/59 (Guardians' Minutes) 18 July 1917:

Report to the Home Office on the case of Mrs Elizabeth Davies of 46 Kelverlow Street, Oldham, whose son Fred Mallalieu is a convicted conscientious objector. [Appealing for poor relief]

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Born Oldham, 6 August 1892
Died Oldham, 3 February 1966

1911 census
68 Wallshaw Street, Oldham
Single, with widowed mother
Occ: Shipping clerk - textile machine maker

1939 register
95 Eric Street, Oldham
Widower with possibly 1 child redacted
Occ: Works clerk, Electric ac [?] makers

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley