Bristol’s WWI Conscientious Objectors

        

Last spring, based on documents in the Central Library, we published details of 47 men from Bristol who were imprisoned as conscientious objectors during World War 1. For moral, religious or political reasons they refused to take part in the war. Many people contacted us having seen these names and provided us with more information about these men or other conscientious objectors.

Nationally, Cyril Pearce, has been working for many years to compile a database of conscientious objectors. To date he has collated information about over 17000 men. We have been able to access this data and can now publish details of 350 men from Bristol and the surrounding area who saw themselves as conscientious objectors. Many were subjected to harsh conditions in prison. After the war many found it difficult to return to their jobs. Others agreed to serve in non-combatant roles like the Friends’ Ambulance Service. All paid a great price for having the courage to stand up for their principles.

 Whiteford brothers
A combatant, conchie and ambulance driver; the Whiteford brothers go to ‘war’.

2016 is the centenary of the introduction of conscription; the centenary of the imprisonment of the first of these men. We will be holding a number of events to mark this over the coming months. Now we have these 350 names we want to find out as much as possible about these men and their families. Please follow the links and help us if you can

Conscientious Objectors

We have been collecting a list of Bristol’s conscientious objectors. The list of names that we have found so far can be found in “Do You Have A Conchie In The Family?“.

Stuff linked to this project...

Articles

Refusing to Kill front cover

Refusing to Kill

Usage license Introduction Based upon recent research by academic researchers and local historians, this page contains materials made available under a Creative Commons license (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) for primary and secondary schools and colleges. They […] Read More =>

Bedminster War Resisters

A map of resistance to World War 1 in Bedminster, a district of South Bristol. It shows the homes of over 40 Conscientious Objectors and others who took part in resistance to World War 1, as well as places where they worked, met and organised, and […] Read More =>

Steps Against War

This is a film of Steps Against War, a history walk with puppets and song, telling the stories of Bedminster people who resisted the First World War. Bedminster, a district of South Bristol, was home to at least 40 Conscientious Objectors, and others […] Read More =>
Walter Ayles 1945

Walter Ayles

If I believed in the efficacy of slaughter to remedy evils, I would long ago have advocated the killing of those who, year after year, have been responsible for the sweated, the starved, the slummed. I know however, in my heart of hearts, that […] Read More =>
Whiteford brothers

Do You Have A Conchie In The Family?

From 1916-19 many men & women in Bristol organised opposition to conscription. Dozens of Bristolians were imprisoned as conscientious objectors. These included Walter Ayles, who was a city councillor and Bristol's most prominent opponent of World […] Read More =>

The Christmas Truce(s)

A British sergeant is shot dead almost at the outset, as he stands on the parapet. But this makes no difference. It must be an accident. The supreme craving of humanity, the irresistible, spontaneous impulse born of a common faith and a common fear, […] Read More =>
Anti-war Womens’ choir

Dockside Debate 2nd August 1914: The Movie

On Sunday 2nd August 1914, tens of thousands of people demonstrated across the country against Britain's entry into what became the first World War. In Bristol an anti-war demonstration on the Downs was followed by a mass meeting of Dockers on the […] Read More =>
Anti-war politician Kier Hardie addresses a protest in Trafalgar Square (Sunday August 2nd 1914)

Should Britain Go to War With Germany?

Opposition to WW1 in Bristol in August 1914 War enthusiasm? There is a perception in Britain that popular patriotic pressure drove politicians to declare war on Germany on August 4th 1914 and that the population somehow desired war. This so-called […] Read More =>

Publications

Steps Against War

In World War 1 there were at least 40 conscientious objectors in Bedminster, as well as others who resisted the war and conscription. Fred Berriman took an uncompromising stand and faced repeated prison sentences. Annie Chappell co-ordinated a […] Read More =>
Refusing to Kill front cover

Refusing to Kill

Over 580 men from the Bristol area refused to fight in World War 1. They claimed the status of conscientious objector (CO) for moral, religious or political reasons. Some agreed to take non-military roles while others spent much of the war in prison, […] Read More =>

Ring Out the Thousand Wars of Old

During World War One, 28 men from the Forest of Dean sought recognition as conscientious objectors rather than be called up to fight. This is the story of these men, the options available to them, the way they responded and what they did after the […] Read More =>

Slaughter No Remedy

Walter Ayles was a fighter – but a fighter who didn’t believe in killing. He fought against unemployment and ruthless employers but also against the pro-war fever that led to the First World War. A Bristol councillor before the War, he was sent to […] Read More =>

The Bristol Deserter

The years leading up to 1914 saw a wave of strike action across Britain; at the same time there were fears of war with Germany whipped up by the press and in popular culture. Some like Bristol’s Trade Union Leader Ernest Bevin argued that workers’ […] Read More =>

Class Cohesion versus Spurious Patriotism

With a new afterword by Kevin Morgan. A 2015 reprint of a 1915 pamphlet, originally published at the height of reaction during World War One. Proposing class struggle and international solidarity in response to nationalism and war, it’s a unique […] Read More =>
Strikers, Hobblers, Conchies & Reds front cover

Strikers, Hobblers, Conchies & Reds

This book can be bought from breviarystuff.org.uk. In the 1970s and 80s a revival of interest emerged in researching Bristol’s vigorous radical past, reflected in the publications of the Bristol branch of the Historical Association and Bristol […] Read More =>

Bristol Independent Labour Party

During World War One a significant minority of women and men throughout the country took part in a peace movement. They demanded the democratic control of foreign policy, a negotiated peace and a just, non-punitive settlement at the end of the […] Read More =>

Coal On One Hand, Men On The Other

Coal on the one hand, Men on the other examines the impact of World War One on the development of the Forest of Dean Miners’ Association (FDMA), covering the period from 1910 to 1922. In order to understand the response of the leaders of the FDMA to […] Read More =>

Event Series

South Bristol History Festival 2023

In collaboration with performers and historians from south of the river, Bristol Radical History Group (BRHG) are putting on a series of events over the autumn of 2023 uncovering hidden histories of south Bristol. The Bedminster-Southville history […] Read More =>

Commemoration, Conflict & Conscience

Details have been announced of the programme of talks, films, performance, exhibitions taking place as part of the Commemoration, Conflict & Conscience Festival. The main festival weekend is on Saturday & Sunday 27th & 28th April but some […] Read More =>
Resisting War Poster

Resistance to War: German Perspectives 1914-1933

On November 11th, Armistice Day, nearly 100 years after the First World war ended, we traditionally mourn the British and allied dead. In fact, the war was a tragedy for all the peoples who took part and we should mourn all those who died. There were […] Read More =>
WWI Autumn 2016 Poster

Resisting the War: Deserters, Conchies and Mutineers

Download the Resisting the War programme (pdf) Read More =>

Remembering the Real WW1 – Summer 1916

The scale of Britain's involvement in World War 1 changed in 1916. Any initial enthusiasm for the war was wearing off. Early recruits had been trained and sent to the front. There was no sign of imminent victory. Volunteer numbers were drying up. […] Read More =>

Remembering the Real WW1 – Autumn 2014

World War One is often portrayed as an inevitable or necessary conflict, which the majority of Britons enthusiastically accepted. This is far from the truth. Remembering the Real World War One is three weeks of events aimed at uncovering hidden […] Read More =>

Remembering the Real WWI

2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. The British government plans to spend £55 million marking this occasion (and the centenary of other stages of the war). Comments from David Cameron calling for a 'truly national […] Read More =>

Events

transparent fiddle The radical face of Bedminster in the early 20th Century

The radical face of Bedminster in the early 20th Century

Meet: 2.00pm Dark Horse pub (formerly the Rope Walk) – 5 Nelson Parade, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4JA Come with us on a journey through time and space in Bedminster, Victoria Park and Windmill Hill… This two hour history walk uncovers the radical […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle History From Below in Schools

History From Below in Schools

In recent years, Bristol Radical History Group and the Remembering the Real World War 1 group (RRWW1) have been working with teachers in Bristol on resource material about resistance to World War 1 and, lately, workhouses. This session will set out […] Read More =>

The radical face of Bedminster in the early 20th Century

Meet: 2.00pm Ropewalk pub - 5 Nelson Parade, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4JA Come with us on a journey through time and space in Bedminster, Victoria Park and Windmill Hill... This two hour history walk uncovers the radical political groups and […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

WWI Resistance in South Bristol

Taking a Holiday - a film about war resistance in South Bristol during World War 1. The amazing story of the secret beneath a Bedminster bike shop. A tale of struggle in wartime – full of intrigue, escapes, comradeship…and bikes. What does it mean to […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Taking a Holiday – a film about war resistance in Bedminster during World War 1

Taking a Holiday – a film about war resistance in Bedminster during World War 1

The amazing story of the secret beneath a Bedminster bike shop. A tale of struggle in wartime – full of intrigue, escapes, comradeship…and bikes. What does it mean to be a refugee and on the run in your own country? Who will give you a bed for the […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle ‘Spies and Troublemakers in Wales – 1914-1918’

‘Spies and Troublemakers in Wales – 1914-1918’

Aled Eirug author of The Opposition to the Great War in Wales 1914-1918 (UWP, 2018) looks at the activity of intelligence agencies in South Wales during World War One, and the blacklisting of activists within the peace and labour movements. Read More =>

Taking a Holiday – film premiere

  Otherstory will be presenting a first screening of our cinematic puppetry performance Taking a Holiday on Sunday 20th February at 7.30 pm. This online event will include a live post show talk by Professor Lois Bibbings (from the University of […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

International Women’s Day – BRHG webinars

Bristol Women´s Voice present a week of celebrations for International Women´s Day (IWD) 2021. BRHG have organised a series of webinars as part of the IWD programme: Friday March 12, 5 – 6 pm: Nautical Women: Women sailors and the women of […] Read More =>
Front cover showing two puppets from the history walk

Christmas Webinar 2: Steps Against War – Resistance to World War 1 in Bedminster

Emma Byron and Trevor Houghton present the story of a network of neighbours, workmates, families and comrades who stood together and refused to take their part in the war machine. Steps Against War is an innovative micro-history of resistance to war […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Conscientious Objection during the First World War

To register for this webinar use this link:   Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Screening of Steps Against War film

Earlier this year, a group of local people worked with Otherstory and Remembering the Real WW1 to discover untold stories of Bedminster people in the First World War. Together we created Steps Against War, a history walk with puppets to tell these […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Film Premiere: Steps Against War

Bedminster Library, 4 Bedminster Parade, Bristol BS3 4AQ Earlier this year, a group of local people worked with Otherstory and Remembering the Real WW1 to discover untold stories of Bedminster people in the First World War. Together we created Steps […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

The Art and Nature of Conscience

'The Art & Nature of Conscience' explores World War 1 conscientious objectors' thinking about conscience alongside their words and artwork. It also show-cases contemporary artists' reflections on these men, including a new piece by Stephen […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

A history walk with puppets: Steps Against War  

Otherstory puppetry will be leading a history walk using the medium of puppetry to tell the untold stories of Bedminster people who resisted the First World War, and who refused to kill. Otherstory have devised and organised the walk with local […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Otherstory puppet theatre: ‘Taking a Holiday’

Taking a Holiday is a tale of conscientious objectors and others who went on the run from conscription during the First World War – and of the networks that supported them. A story of struggle in wartime – full of intrigue, escapes, comradeship…and […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Conscience Panel

A rich and complex history: conscientious objection to the military in the First World War (Lois Bibbings) This talk revisits what we know about objectors – in terms of their thoughts, motivations, decision-making and actions as well as how they were […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Film showing – ‘The Last Clarion House’

A film about the Nelson Independent Labour Party Clarion House and its role in the struggles of suffragettes and conscientious objectors. The Clarion Cycling Club was formed in 1895 after a group of like-minded individuals got together in Birmingham […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Film showing – ‘Watford’s Quiet Heroes’

A 30 minute documentary telling the stories of some of those who defied the call to arms in World War One. The bravery, hardship, sacrifice and sorrow of the combatants in WW1 are rightly remembered during the centenary. The impact on families and […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

‘Emmerdale’s Conscientious Objector’

A showing of one of the Emmerdale 1918 series which looks at the experiences of Yorkshire conscientious objector Alfred Martlew. Cyril Pearce, who is the expert in this documentary, will be there to speak about the programme and answer any questions. Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Conscientious Objector Stories From Around England 2

‘Degrees of Conscience’ (Catharina Clement) The story of three tribunals, Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham in North Kent, and how they treated their conscientious objectors. Rochester, despite its Conservative and ex-military mayor, was very […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Mormon and Jehovah’s Witness Conscientious Objectors

‘So British Mormons were also Conscientious Objectors in WWI?’ There were four British Latter Day Saint conscientious objectors (COs) in World War I, three Mormon (LDS), and one Reorganised LDS (RLDS) - now known as Community of Christ. They were […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Bristol Radical History Group Book Launch

Bristol Radical History Group Book Launch

This book launch will include talks by some of the authors and time for questions and answers. Both booklets will be available to buy at the festival. Refusing to Kill: Bristol's World War I Conscientious Objectors by Remembering the Real World War 1 […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Women Campaigning for Peace in World War 1

Alison Ronan presents two films she has worked on and will be at the screenings to speak about them and answer questions. These Dangerous Women Documentary about the women who tried to stop World War 1. In 1915 1300 women from warring and neutral […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Opposition to Conscription in Wales and Ireland

'England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity' Joe Mooney of East Wall History Group, Dublin explains how Irish Nationalists responded to the Great War. His talk will outline the difficulties of the 'Irish question', the movement towards Home Rule […] Read More =>

Steps Against War

Otherstory puppetry will be leading a history walk with a difference on April 7th in Bedminster. The walk will use the medium of puppetry to tell the untold stories of Bedminster people who resisted the First World War, and who refused to kill. […] Read More =>

This Evil Thing

Anyone who saw Michael Mears’ one-man show ‘This Evil Thing’ in Bristol Cathedral in October 2017 will know what a powerful piece of theatre it is. We are now pleased to present two new performances, linked to the Commemoration, Conflict & […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Slaughter No Remedy, Harry Patch, Walter Ayles and the First World War

For Harry Patch and Walter Ayles, the outbreak of the First World War was a testing time. From sharply different backgrounds, they initially responded very differently, Harry becoming a member of a machine gun team on the Western Front, Walter going […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

History walk – ‘Canting Humbugs’: Resistance and reaction in Bristol during World War One

This 1.5 hour history walk led by members of the Remembering the Real World War One history group explores resistance to the conflict in Bristol. From mass meetings of trade unionists opposing intervention in the war, to the struggles against […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Otherstory puppet show: ‘Taking a holiday’ and research workshop

This will be the last chance to see the Refusing to Kill exhibition at the Bristol Archives and an opportunity to see the excellent Otherstory puppet show 'Taking a Holiday' and take part in a research workshop. From 1.00 pm – the opportunity for a […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Refusing To Kill: Walter Ayles and Harry Patch

The 'Refusing To Kill – Bristol’s World War 1 Conscientious Objectors' exhibition has been at Bristol Archives since June 5th. Just as when it was shown elsewhere in the city, it has attracted lots of interest. It runs until July 14th. While […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Exhibition: Refusing to Kill

The exhibition ‘Refusing To Kill – Bristol’s World War 1 Conscientious Objectors‘ which was in Bristol Cathedral and the Central Library from September 2017 until February 2018 is in Bristol Archives from June 5th until July 14th. The exhibition […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Outcasts, Cowards and Quakers – Re-examining the Conscientious Objectors of the First World War

This talk given by Professor Lois Bibbings will consider conventional ideas about objectors alongside an exploration of who these men (and women) were, what they did and why, what happened to them and how they were viewed. A complex picture emerges […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Refusing to Kill – Bristol’s WW1 Conscientious Objectors

Over 350 men from the Bristol area refused to fight in World War 1. They claimed the status of conscientious objector for moral, religious or political reasons. Some agreed to take non-military roles. Others spent much of the war in prison, often […] Read More =>

Studio 1: Starting the flame: Agitators, Conchies and Miners in the Forest of Dean

In August 1917 a meeting of Forest of Dean Miners passed motions against the conscription of miners and in favour of an immediate negotiated peace to end the war. This talk will discuss the role agitators and conscientious objectors played in this […] Read More =>

Who Refused To Kill?

An opportunity to do your own research into Conscientious Objectors and resistance to war during World War 1 Bristol Central Library staff and members of Remembering the Real World War 1 will show you how to access archive sources and online […] Read More =>

Otherstory puppet show: On the Run

Otherstory presents - A puppet drama documentary about men on the run from conscription during World War 1. Using table top puppetry, photographs and posters from the period, the experience of men on the run is chronicled - including the […] Read More =>

A Conscientious Concert

Two performances at 13.15 & 15.30 Venue: Bristol Cathedral, College Green, BS1 5TJ Pianist: Steven Kings Soprano: Heather Ashford No booking required and no admission charge but there will be a collection at each performance. Visitors to the […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

‘Refusing To Kill’

From Saturday September 9th, the Remembering The Real World War 1 group are presenting an exhibition ‘Refusing To Kill – Bristol’s World War 1 Conscientious Objectors‘ in Bristol Cathedral on College Green. The exhibition will run until early […] Read More =>

Life Gallery, Level 1: ‘Taking a Holiday’ puppet show

A story of struggle during the First World War - full of intrigue, escapes, comradeship...and bikes. Recommended for adults and older children. Three showings at: 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm in the Life Gallery, Level 1. Otherstory is a collective of […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Studio 1: Refusing to fight

Studio 1: Refusing to fight

Conscientious Decision-Making [Lois Bibbings] This talk gives a brief insight into what First World War conscientious objectors to military service meant when they talked about 'conscience' or the reasoning behind their decision and how their beliefs […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Studio 1: Women against World War One

Studio 1: Women against World War One

Bristol women campaigning for peace in World War One [June Hannam] June Hannam will focus on women in Bristol who opposed militarism and sought a negotiated peace. The most high profile activists were Mabel Tothill, Annie Townley and Mrs Higgins, all […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Women and Conscientious Objection to Military Service

Quaker Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6JE A free event on women and conscientious objection to military service. Note: Registration is required for this event, details here. Speakers will include:- Professor Lois Bibbings, […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Not A BRHG Event

Slaughter No Remedy

Upper Engagement Room, The Students' Union at UWE, Union 1, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY ‘Canting humbugs’ was the way some in Bristol characterised opponents of the ‘Great War’. But it is now clear that men like local […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Victims of the Somme

Victims of the Somme

Dings Park, Oxford St, Bristol BS2 0QU. A commemoration and wreath-laying to remember Arthur and Alfred Jefferies, both of whom were born in St Philips and lived in the Dings. Both fell as victims of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Arthur was killed […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Slaughter No Remedy

Slaughter No Remedy

The premier of Slaughter No Remedy a short film that studies the life of Walter Ayles a leading member of the Independent Labour Party in Bristol who was jailed in 1916 for his refusal to fight in World War One. This is followed by Watford’s Quiet […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Sylvia Pankhurst, The Dreadnought and the ‘Great War’

Sylvia Pankhurst, The Dreadnought and the ‘Great War’

During the First World War Sylvia Pankhurst's newspaper, The Dreadnought was the most consistently anti-war publication. It not only opposed the global conflict but condemned the crushing of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, supported the 1917 […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Bristol – Opposition to the First World War

Bristol – Opposition to the First World War

'Canting humbugs' was the way some in Bristol characterised opponents of the 'Great War'. But it is now clear that men like local councillor Walter Ayles, prepared to go to prison for their beliefs, had considerable local support. A talk with video […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Deserters, Conchies and Mutineers

Deserters, Conchies and Mutineers

Ringleaders and Reds in Khaki - British Army mutinies during the First World War British Military historians and assorted flag-wavers celebrate the enthusiastic rush to the colours; the ensuing blood sacrifice of British Tommies, White Dominion […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Battle Of The Somme

Battle Of The Somme

At the Watershed, 1 Canons Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5TX. 1 July 1916 was the first day of the battle of the Somme. That day saw the highest British casualties of any day in World War 1. The battle continued for four months. Over a million men […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Slaughter No Remedy

Slaughter No Remedy

A re-enactment of Walter Ayles' Militry Tribunal Bristol Register Office, Corn Street, BS1 1JG. Walter Ayles was Bristol’s most prominent opponent of World War 1. He was a member of the Independent Labour Party and city councillor for Easton from […] Read More =>
conscientious objectors

Discovering British 1914-1918 War Resisters

Cyril Pearce is Britain's foremost researcher into World War 1 conscientious objectors (COs) and war resisters. His book 'Comrades in Conscience' looked at the anti-war movement in Huddersfield. Since then, Cyril has extended his work to look for […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Unveiling of a Blue Plaque to Walter Ayles

Unveiling of a Blue Plaque to Walter Ayles

Venue: 12 Station Road, Ashley Down, Bristol, BS7 9LA A blue plaque for Walter Ayles will be unveiled on Sunday April 17th – the centenary of the date that Ayles was first arrested. Please put this date in your diary. The unveiling will take place […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Strikers, Hobblers, Conchies and Reds + The Berkeley Poachers’

Strikers, Hobblers, Conchies and Reds + The Berkeley Poachers’

Members of our very own Bristol Radical History Group will share some choice snippets from their research as an appetiser to promote two new publications, including the group’s first book-length collaboration. Strikers, Hobblers and Conchies is […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Echoes of the ‘Great War’

Echoes of the ‘Great War’

World War One is often characterised in the popular memory through the narrative of trench warfare on the Western Front. However, it was a global war fought by imperialist powers, ranging from Africa and the Middle East to the South Pacific. These […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Opening the Archives

Opening the Archives

In a long tradition of Opening the Archives events the excellent Central Reference Library staff have done us proud in presenting a collection of primary sources relating to resistance and reaction during World War One. So come on down and sample the […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Women Resisting the Great War

Women Resisting the Great War

The Friends of Alice Wheeldon In 1917 a Derby socialist and feminist in the anti-war movement, Alice Wheeldon was sent to prison on the evidence of an agent provocateur for plotting to kill Lloyd George. The evidence was flimsy, her accuser so […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle Hidden Histories of World War One

Hidden Histories of World War One

Bristol Radical History Group are hosting the international History From Below network conference which brings together historian-activists from all over Europe. This is a great opportunity to hear international perspectives, as participants in the […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle 1914-1918: The War within the War

1914-1918: The War within the War

As we mark the centenary of the First World War, this epochal event is usually remembered as a bloody conflict between rival alliances of nations. But there was another struggle as well: between people who regarded the war as a noble and necessary […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle WWI Resistance

WWI Resistance

Shirkers, Skulkers, Deserters and the 'Live and Let Live' Principle: Everyday Resistance to Combat on the Western Front in World War 1 With Roger Ball Fraternisation between opposing armed forces on the Western front on Christmas Day 1914 is part of […] Read More =>
transparent fiddle No Glory: The Real History Of World War 1

No Glory: The Real History Of World War 1

Presented by 'Remembering The Real World War 1' - Bristol's campaign to commemorate the real World War 1 – all welcome This meeting represents an opportunity to hear different views about the war and discuss how we can ensure that the real World War […] Read More =>

Book Reviews

The Nightmare Trail

Scenes from the Life of Poet and War Casualty: FW Harvey The poet FW Harvey (1886-1957) spent the last thirty years of his life in Yorkley in the Forest of Dean. I was brought up in the Forest of Dean and was always taught that Harvey was our very […] Read More =>

Blog

Mabel Tothill Front Cover

Feminist, Socialist, Pacifist – Mabel Tothill Place

Hurray! Bristol has a new road named Mabel Tothill Place in the Barton Hill area. This is great news as it is well deserved and highlights a local activist who did so much for the area. There are remarkably few roads named after women anywhere in the […] Read More =>

Bristol – Hot spot of resistance to World War One

An excellent new book Communities of Resistance has just been published which takes a systematic look at the networks of war resisters connected to conscientious objectors in World War One. Based upon a nationwide survey of COs it appears Bristol was […] Read More =>
The wreath laid in memory of the Jeffries Brothers who died at The Somme in 1916

Victims of the Somme – Event Report

Today at noon a commemoration was held for the soldiers from The Dings who died at the Somme in World War 1. (See the event listing.) In particular we remembered the Jeffries brothers: Arthur who was killed in action at Geuedecourt on September 16th […] Read More =>
Alfred Jefferies' stake in the Shot at Dawn Memorial within the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

National Memorial Arboretum, 29 Oct 2016

Three more of the British and Commonwealth soldiers executed during the First World War were remembered on Saturday at the Shot at Dawn Memorial within the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire with a re-dedication service. The Memorial, which […] Read More =>

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