Military Service Tribunals and Boards in the Great War: Determining the Fate of Britains and New Zealands Conscripts [Paperback]

While a plethora of studies have discussed why so many men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received relatively little scrutiny. Even when the implementation of the respective Military Service Acts has been investigated, scholars have usually focused on only the distinct minority of those eligible who expressed conscientious objections. It is rare to see equal significance placed on the fact that substantial numbers of men appealed, or were appealed for, on the grounds that their domestic, business, or occupational circumstances meant they should not be expected to serve. David Littlewood analyses the processes undergone by these men, and the workings of the bodies charged with assessing their cases, through a sustained transnational comparison of the British and New Zealand contexts.

Introduction  1. Setting the Boundaries  2. Judges and Juries  3. Willing and Able to Go?  4. Autonomy or Compliance?  5. Army First?  6. Those Troublesome Few  7. Work or Fight?  Conclusions

While many studies have discussed why men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received little scrutiny.

David Littlewood is Lecturer in the School of Humanities at Massey University, New Zealand.