Fred Batterham was 35 and married when conscription was introduced in 1916. Due to this, he would have been in one of the later sets of men to be called up under the group scheme established by the Military Service Act 1916. As an experienced brickmaker, it is possible that he received exemption from any form of military service from his local tribunal as this work was considered to be of national importance 1916-1918. In early 1918, however, it seems that he was caught up in the process of “combing out”, where Tribunals reassessed the cases of men they had previously exempted, often reversing their decisions and sending them on to war.

This may be likely as some of the first records of Fred’s time as a CO relate to March 1918 when, after a hearing from the Central Tribunal, he was transferred to the Home Office Scheme.

Frederick was sent to one of the many smaller Home Office Scheme Work Camps around the country, at Derry Ormond, Wales. While COs at other, larger camps undertook a variety of tasks in often very difficult conditions, exchanging punishing work for slightly better conditions in prison, little is known about this particular camp.

In late 1918, during the Influenza epidemic, Conscientious Objectors on the Home Office Scheme, underfed, overworked and exhausted were frequent sufferers. In cramped and confined conditions, disease quickly overwhelmed COs on the scheme.

Fred was discharged from the camp to return home on sick leave on the 8th of December, but would not return to the camp.

The Tribunal, the newspaper of CO organisation the No-Conscription Fellowship, printed a letter from his wife as an obituary on Tuesday February 6th, 1919:

Dear Brother in Christ - As such I see you are from your letters to my Dearest Husband. You will I am sure share our grief, all though in a smaller degree, when I tel you that my husband Fred Batterham was sent home on 10 days sick leave on the 8th of December and died on December 17th. On leaving Derry Ormond he was sent to Red Roses Camp where there was 35 out of 45 down with Influenza. he helped to nurse two that died. I am thankful he got home although myself and the children took it from him so that we were too ill to attend the funeral on Dec 20. I would have sent you word before only I could not find address. My loss is a great one as I feel the responsibility of bringing up the three children a heavy one, and Daddy was one of the best husbands and fathers that ever lived - always so thoughtful. He came home by mail train Sunday morning and seemed fairly well except for cough; he was taken ill during Sunday night, and he had a terrible week of suffering and his death was so hard too, I would give anything to blot from memory the last 12 hours. I need your prayers in this time of cloud.
Your Sister in Chris,
Frances Batterham

Far too many COs around the country would die of influenza in the waves of disease that swept the country towards the end of the war. Imprisoned or working on the Home Office Scheme, punishing labour and terrible conditions made it all to easy for them to fall ill. Consistent lack of medical attention and often outright negligence made them casualties of a pointless and terrible war.