Richmond Castle in WW1

[MikeyH]

Last night's 'Digging for Britain' on BBC2, saw the ever enthusiastic Professor Alice Roberts visiting Richmond Castle.  Volunteer diggers on site had to dig through the parade ground created during the Great War, to access earlier remains.  During it's use as a military base and prison, conscientious objectors were housed in very spartan cells.  Much grafitti remains, mostly of an anti-war and socialist leaning, one resident however felt compelled to record that 'Beer is Best'.  Sixteen hard core objectors were sent out to the Western Front on the 29th May 1916 from the castle, having refused to take part in any form of military service.

Mike.

[ilkley remembers]

I haven't seen this episode yet but have it on 'catch up' so hopefully will get to it this week. Wonder what vivid shade Alice's hair will be this week?

The 'Richmond Sixteen' were amongst a group of 50 COs who were taken to France and court martialled by the military authorities, 35 of whom were sentenced to death, although, political intervention stopped any capital sentence being carried out. There treatment both prior to the court martial and subsequentlywas pretty appalling and continued after the end of the war.