Consent and Dissent: First World War Military Appeal Tribunals (in person)

IN-PERSON EVENT

When conscription was introduced in 1916, hundreds of thousands of men appealed their call-up to the army. Contrary to popular belief, only around 2 per cent of these applicants were conscientious objectors. Most were ordinary men seeking exemptions so they could continue to support their families, run businesses, or carry out work considered vital to the war effort.

These Military Service Tribunals played a crucial role in British society during the First World War, yet their story has largely been forgotten. In 1921, the government ordered the destruction of most tribunal records, leaving historians with only scattered survivors.

In this talk, Dr Angus Wallace explores the history of the tribunals, the men who appeared before them, and what the surviving records reveal about conscription, family life, employment, and local communities during the First World War. Drawing on his work with the Grounds of Appeal project, he also considers how historians are beginning to recover the stories hidden within these remarkable records.

Refreshments will be available 10 minutes before the talk starts. Feel free to grab yourself a cuppa and settle down for an interesting 45 minutes.

This is a hybrid event, you can book a place for the online version of this event here

Find our November 2026 -February 2027 programme of events here