British military service tribunals, 1916-1918 : 'a very much abused body of men'

Military Service Tribunals were formed following the introduction of conscription in January 1916, to consider applications for exemption from military service. Swiftly, they gained two opposing yet equally unflattering reputations. In the eyes of the military, they were soft, obstructionist "old duffers". To most of the men who came before them, they were the unfeeling civilian arm of a remorseless grinding machine. This work, utilizing a rare surviving set of Tribunal records, challenges both perspectives. Wielding unprecedented power yet acutely sensitive to the contradictions inherent in their task, the Tribunals were obliged, often at a conveyer belt’s pace, to make decisions that often determined the fate of men. That some of these decisions were capricious or even wrong is indisputable; the sparse historiography of the Tribunals has too often focused upon the idiosyncratic example while ignoring the wider, impact of imprecise legislation, government hand-washing and short-term military exigencies. Military Service Tribunals were formed following the introduction of conscription in January 1916, to consider applications for exemption from men deemed by the new legislation to have enlisted. Swiftly, they gained two opposing yet equally unflattering reputations. In the eyes of the military, they were soft, obstructionist ‘old duffers’. To most of the men who came before them, the Tribunals were the unfeeling civilian arm of a remorseless grinding machine. This book, utilizing a rare surviving set of Tribunal records, challenges both perspectives. The Tribunals were charged with balancing the needs of the army with those of the localities from which their members were drawn; they received instructions, recommendations and polite guidance from their masters at Whitehall, yet each was in effect a sovereign body whose decisions could not be overturned other than by appeal to similar bodies. Wielding unprecedented power yet acutely sensitive to the contradictions inherent in their task, they were obliged, often at a conveyer belt's pace, to make decisions that often determined the fate of men, their families, and ultimately, their communities. That some of these decisions were capricious or even wrong is indisputable; the sparse historiography of the Tribunals has too often focused upon the idiosyncratic example while ignoring the wider, adverse impact of imprecise legislation, government hand-washing and short-term military exigencies. Evaluating in depth that impact, and illuminating the social dynamics which often marked proceedings in the Tribunal chamber, this study attempts to redress the balance of an enduringly damning historical judgment Military Service Tribunals were formed following the introduction of conscription in January 1916, to consider applications for exemption from men deemed by the new legislation to have enlisted. Swiftly, they gained two opposing yet equally unflattering reputations. In the eyes of the military, they were soft, obstructionist ‘old duffers’. To most of the men who came before them, they were the unfeeling civilian arm of a remorseless grinding machine. This work, utilizing a rare surviving set of Tribunal records, challenges both perspectives. The Tribunals were charged with balancing the needs of the army with those of the localities from which their members were drawn; they received instructions, recommendations and polite guidance from their masters at Whitehall, yet each was in effect a sovereign body whose decisions could not be overturned other than by appeal to similar bodies. Wielding unprecedented power yet acutely sensitive to the contradictions inherent in their task, they were obliged, often at a conveyer belt’s pace, to make decisions that often determined the fate of men, their families, and ultimately, their communities. That some of these decisions were capricious or even wrong is indisputable; the sparse historiography of the Tribunals has too often focused upon the idiosyncratic example while ignoring the wider, adverse impact of imprecise legislation, government hand-washing and short-term military exigencies. Evaluating in depth that impact, and illuminating the social dynamics that often marked proceedings in the Tribunal chamber, this study attempts to redress the balance of an enduringly damning historical judgment This is the first substantial analysis of the work of British Military Service Tribunals, established in 1916 to adjudicate applications for exemption from military service (partial conscription was introduced in January 1916 and its scope expanded by successive Military Service Acts). Staffed entirely by civilian volunteers, these bodies tried to balance the needs of the Army with those of industry and their local community. Typically, they failed to please anyone. Regarded as obstructionist old duffers by the Army and as unfeeling servants of the state by everyone else, they were hampered in their work by imprecise legislation and contradictory advice from Government. Their reputation has been further darkened by historians of pacifism, who have regarded them - simplistically - as being entirely on the side of the Military and instinctively hostile to the (relatively few) cases of conscience they examined. This study seeks to place a more balanced perspective on their work, utilizing individual case histories, newspaper reports of their proceedings and parliamentary debates upon the issues their work raised. Military Service Tribunals were formed following the introduction of conscription in January 1916, to consider applications for exemption from military service. Swiftly, they gained two opposing yet equally unflattering reputations. In the eyes of the military, they were soft, obstructionist ‘old duffers'. To most of the men who came before them, they were the unfeeling civilian arm of a remorseless grinding machine. This work, utilising a rare surviving set of Tribunal records, challenges both perspectives. Wielding unprecedented power yet acutely sensitive to the contradictions inherent in their task, the Tribunals were obliged, often at a conveyer belt's pace, to make decisions that often determined the fate of men. That some of these decisions were capricious or even wrong is indisputable; the sparse historiography of the Tribunals has too often focused upon the idiosyncratic example while ignoring the wider, impact of imprecise legislation, government hand-washing and short-term military exigencies. Military Service Tribunals Were Formed In 1916, To Consider Applications For Exemption From Men Deemed By New Legislation To Have Enlisted. To The Military, They Were Obstructionist Old Duffers . To Most Who Came Before Them, They Were The Unfeeling Civilian Arm Of A Remorseless Machine. This Work Challenges Both Perspectives. Introduction -- The Tribunal System: Provenance, Characteristics And Issues -- The Matter Of Conscience -- Boot And Shoe -- Agriculture -- Directing Heads, Sole Traders And The Professions -- Rank, Deference And Empathy -- Fitness To Serve -- The Tribunals And The Volunteer Training Corps -- Conclusion. James Mcdermott. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [239]-245) And Index. An analysis of the Military Service Tribunals which considered applications for exemption from men during the First World War, this book illuminates a previously under-researched area of British military and social history. -- .