Military Service Tribunal Appeals (examples)

[Skipman]

Topic Title Edited to Military Service Tribunal (examples) 19:40 26/3/2013

There are some interesting examples of Military Tribunal Appeals that can be downloaded, from The National Archives of Scotland

Archibald Brown Naysmith, a 20 year old postman from Musselburgh. Appeal against his military service dismissed. The military representative on the Tribunal stated that 'This man would make a splendid soldier. He has a fine physique and just wants the nonsense knocked out of him.'

Mike

[Seany]

There are some interesting examples of Military Tribunal Appeals that can be downloaded, from The National Archives of Scotland

Archibald Brown Naysmith, a 20 year old postman from Musselburgh. Appeal against his military service dismissed. The military representative on the Tribunal stated that 'This man would make a splendid soldier. He has a fine physique and just wants the nonsense knocked out of him.'

Mike

Fascinating read Mike, I wish more of these had survived, or been saved, there are a number of men including one o m grandfathers brothers for whom I would love to see the original submissions - thanks for posting the link

[Guest]

Fascinating read

Indeed.

Background

The case papers extend over 6 pages from 29 January to the 21 March 1918 and include the Notice of Appeal, Application as to Exemption as well an extensive statement highlighting the grounds for exemption. This seems to be the third application made by his employer, who stated that previously, ‘I had no trouble in getting him off’.

HH30/25/2/5

Rinhold Charles Krause

Application for Exemption (Local Tribunal)

Name of Local Tribunal: City of Edinburgh.

Age: 25.

Address: 10a Mentone Avenue, Portobello.

Occupation: Van man for Bread delivery for James M. Henderson’s The Scone and Oatcake Bakery.

Grounds for Application for Exemption: national interest, serious hardship and ill health.

Nature of Application: conditional exemption.

Reasons for application: A) Vanmen are scarce, & because of my eyesight I could not possibly take his place, in any case he wants the fingers of his left hand, the result of an accident when with the Niddrie Coal Co. and his is therefore [? ] class (E).

D) His Mother is a respectable, hardworking widow of German descent & very serious hardship would follow his call to the Army, because he is the only one left to keep the house going. His oldest brother got married lately, the next one was killed in France ( Richard Krause ), and the youngest one is now in the trenches, he alone is left & surely since he cannot Fight he is better employed as at present.

Date of Application: 29 January 1918.

Decision of Local Tribunal: refusal.

Date of Local Tribunal: 5 March 1918.

Notice of Appeal (Appeal Tribunal)

Date of Appeal: 8 March 1918.

Grounds for Appeal: 1. Krause is the only man in Applicant’s employment and the only person capable of driving the Auto-carrier, and there is no one else to take his place.

2. Krause is ‘C’ 2 and is deprived of the left hand of four and a half fingers and half his hand. The driving of the Auto-carrier and the delivering of Applicant’s goods, is the only light work for which he is competent. He is often temporary laid aside from his work through the effects of cold and damp on the injured hand. Owing to the construction of the Auto-Carrier which is steered by a bar and with foot brakes, Krause is able to drive same with one hand.

3. The Applicant’s is a plain bakery baking scones with Standard flour and oatcakes. His business is Wholesale and depends entirely on delivery. The delivery extends from Musselburgh to the outskirts of Edinburgh. He supplies Dairies, Bakers, Restaurants and Canteens.

4. Applicant’s goods comply more with the Food Controller’s desires than even bread, as he uses more chemicals instead of yeast and dispenses with oils and fats, and the Applicant’s business is of direct national importance, and depends upon delivery which is eminently suitable to a disabled man like Krause. He would be quite unfit for any work in the Army.

5. Krause is the main support of his mother. He has three brothers. One has been killed, the other is in the trenches and the other in an Engineer.

Decision of Appeal Tribunal: Appeal dismissed.

Date of Appeal Tribunal: 21 March 1918.

Mike

[MichaelBully]

Fascinating, thanks for posting. From what I have read in Sussex papers concerning reports of Military Service Tribunals and Appeal Tribunals there were cases of men highlighting the fact that other siblings were currently serving or had been killed in action as part of their objection to serving themselves. Whether they are infering that their family have given enough as it were, or highlighting the economic problems created if they could no longer remain employed at home, perhaps both, needs consideration.

Also there were men citing the uniqueness of their ability to do their job and maintaining that they were difficult to replace.

Interesting that Krause is citing .several distinct grounds in his appeal.

There seems to be a lot more work that could be done in researching objection to military service on other grounds besides that of conscience. With so few official records remaining, it's always a help to learn about any that have survived.

Regards,

Michael Bully

[seaforths]

There are some interesting examples of Military Tribunal Appeals that can be downloaded, from The National Archives of Scotland

Thank you for posting this interesting link.

It seems that the cases might have also appeared locally in the press. An example here from the Banffshire Advertiser:

Someone has kindly transcribed some old snippets from this newspaper over many years and it is on the Buckie Heritage site and so it includes the WW1 years for which there are other examples of exemptions being applied for:

http://www.buckieher...oldsnippets.php

[Magnumbellum]

There are some interesting examples of Military Tribunal Appeals that can be downloaded, from The National Archives of Scotland

Archibald Brown Naysmith, a 20 year old postman from Musselburgh. Appeal against his military service dismissed. The military representative on the Tribunal stated that 'This man would make a splendid soldier. He has a fine physique and just wants the nonsense knocked out of him.'

Mike

As I have remarked elsewhere on GWF, the Tribunals were "Military Service Tribunals", not "Military Tribunals". The misnomer is misleading, in implying that the Tribunals were run by and for the military, whereas the Tribunal members were civilians appointed by civilians.

[MichaelBully]

MB- I agree with the point that you are making but was reading 'Sussex Daily News ' today for Spring 1918 and the newspaper reports refer to 'Military Tribunals' . Regards, Michael Bully

As I have remarked elsewhere on GWF, the Tribunals were "Military Service Tribunals", not "Military Tribunals". The misnomer is misleading, in implying that the Tribunals were run by and for the military, whereas the Tribunal members were civilians appointed by civilians.

[Guest]

I'm happy to edit the Topic title to " Military Service Tribunals " if everyone thinks it more accurate

Mike

[Magnumbellum]

MB- I agree with the point that you are making but was reading 'Sussex Daily News ' today for Spring 1918 and the newspaper reports refer to 'Military Tribunals' . Regards, Michael Bully

We all know that there are some journalists constitutionally incapable of writing accurately.

That does not mean that we should imitate them, and I welcome Mike Skipman's offer to edit the title of the thread.

[Guest]

I welcome Mike Skipman's offer to edit the title of the thread.

Done.

Cheers Mike

[Magnumbellum]

Thanks.