Belmont Road Posted 21 July , 2012 Share Posted 21 July , 2012 A quick question please: Could men with criminal records be conscripted into the armed forces in 1916? Many thanks, Jack Link to post Share on other sites
Chris_Baker Posted 21 July , 2012 Share Posted 21 July , 2012 Yes, unless they were exempt for another reason: see http://www.1914-1918.net/msa1916.html Link to post Share on other sites
Belmont Road Posted 23 July , 2012 Author Share Posted 23 July , 2012 Thank you Chris, so no restrictions at all then? Would the nature of the offence be a consideration in any way? Jack Link to post Share on other sites
centurion Posted 23 July , 2012 Share Posted 23 July , 2012 I think I remember this being discussed briefly quite some time ago. It seems possible that the view taken at the time was that exempting someone who had a criminal record might have been seen as a 'reward' for that behaviour so that honest men faced all the discomforts and dangers of war but criminals or those with a criminal past escaped them. Link to post Share on other sites
Hedley Malloch Posted 23 July , 2012 Share Posted 23 July , 2012 Convicts were released for military service. One is said to have won the VC, his name and decoration are said to be on the war memorial at Parkhurst Prison. I say 'said' because nobody is allowed to photograph it. Link to post Share on other sites
Admin ss002d6252 Posted 23 July , 2012 Admin Share Posted 23 July , 2012 This is apparently the Parkhurst memorial http://www.isle-of-w...stprisoners.htm Link to post Share on other sites
IPT Posted 23 July , 2012 Share Posted 23 July , 2012 That's a great tale in the link from the above article; Untold Tale of the Convict VC http://www.telegraph...ame-a-hero.html Link to post Share on other sites
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