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| GERALD GRAY 1893 - 1917 |
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| Gerald Gray was the third of four children of Peter Nairne Gray, an ornamental confectioner, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1916 he was 22 years old, working as a clerk and living at 100 Amyand Park Road, Twickenham. His employer was Herbert & Co, Beafort Street, Strand, a military accoutrements manufacturer. The picture that emerges from the tribunal process is one of a troubled young man who was described by the military representative as ‘of unsound mind’. Gerald Gray’s application for exemption was solely on conscientious grounds. It stated, ‘I object to taking part in warfare of any description and also to taking oath of allegiance to any King or to fight for one of this earth…in any time of personal trouble I have never received support from my country or have I had sympathy or help from the King. And now during this time of trouble, expectations are great as to relief in cramped conditions. I think and believe that I can be spared from the Army as I refuse to murder and butcher people that know as little as we do for what end they are fighting.’ The tribunal record noted - ‘claimant’s employers are military accoutrement makers and he did not object to that description of work although for warfare purposes. Belonged to United Methodist which sect did not object to warfare. Claimant contended that he had never received support from his country or help or sympathy from the King and could therefore be spared from the Army as he did not know for what end was “the war about”. No personal hardship was proved or dependents would suffer. He did not produce any evidence that he had consistently always been a conscientious objector to warfare.’ The Tribunal disallowed the claim. In his notice of appeal to the Middlesex Tribunal Gerald Gray gave as grounds, ‘that I was not fairly heard and object to the constitution and bias of the tribunal. I claimed exemption on conscientious grounds but the military representative described me as “of unsound mind” and then claimed me’. The appeal was dismissed. The record is annotated ‘leave to appeal [i.e. to the Central Tribunal] refused’. Despite this, Gerald wrote a long discursive letter to the Central Tribunal to make his case for exemption. In return he received a formal letter stating that he could not appeal. Gerald, like many COs whose applications for exemption had been rejected, refused to report to barracks and was arrested in March 1916 to be tried for being an “absentee” from the army at Brentford Police Court. The CO newspaper, “The Tribunal” reported that ‘he pleaded not guilty, and his request for an adjournment in order to prepare his case was peremptorily refused. He was ordered to pay £5 or go to prison for 7 days. In the afternoon a police officer visited his mother and informed her that her son had been taken to Hounslow Barracks.’ Shortly after being taken to Hounslow barracks he is recorded as having “accepted service” with the Royal Fusiliers. He was posted to ‘B’ Company, 7th Battalion, and travelled with them to Dover Barracks and on to the Western Front. Gerald would die of wounds received on the 6th of July 1917, another tragic casualty of the grinding slaughter of the First World War. We don’t know why Gerald gave up his objection. It could be that it was not deeply rooted, and that he simply changed his mind. However, many Objectors who spent time in the hands of the military either in guard rooms, barracks or courts martial, were put under intense and sometimes violent pressure to give up their objection and consent to becoming fighting soldiers. It’s possible that Gerald came under pressure such as this - something that no CO would have blamed him for.
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