the men who said no
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SAMUEL LANG 1881 -  

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Samuel Lang was living in Catford, where he worked as a bank cashier when conscription was introduced in 1916. As a member of the Plymouth Brethren, he believed that taking part in the war in a combatant role was morally unacceptable, and that to kill in war was a great crime. As Samuel was unmarried and in his 30’s in 1916, he was in one of the first groups of men to be called up under the Military Service Act. As such, his appearance before Catford Tribunal was in early March 1916. His statement to the Tribunal was covered in the Lewisham Borough News on the 17th of March, where he was reported as saying: “from my youth I have been a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came not to destroy life but to save it... I am entirely unsuitable for a soldier’s life”.
The Catford Tribunal understood that Samuel was a genuine Conscientious Objector with a real dedication to his religious beliefs and acknowledged this. However, they did not grant him an absolute exemption from all forms of military service, but instead only granted him exemption from a combatant role in the army. This would send Samuel to the military regardless of his opinions on war, but would guarantee that he would not have to use any form of weapon during his enlistment. Some COs found this kind of work unacceptable and believed that supporting the war effort in this way was equivalent to taking up a rifle themselves.
For men such as Samuel and thousands of other Conscientious Objectors, this was an acceptable compromise. As they did not have to actively fight and participate in the slaughter of the First World War, “Alternativist” COs as they were called, were content to join the army. In order to make this possible the Military had established the “Non-Combatant Corps” in early March 1916 for conscripts who held certificates of exemption from combatant service. The NCC acted as a labour and logistical support group for the army and were instructed in field engineering and transport - working to improve roads, moving food and supplies and other general tasks. In all, 34 companies of the NCC would be founded during the war.
Samuel was posted to the 1st Eastern Company of the NCC and spent his first month training in Britain. From April 1916 however, he was posted to France where he and the other 100 men of his company would work until the end of the war. Samuel seems to have been fairly content with his role in the NCC and worked without any disciplinary or other offence for three years. He returned to Britain on the 4th of April 1919, after three years abroad, but was not officially demobilised until July 1919.
Samuel’s decision to willingly join the NCC was not one made by, or agreed to, by every CO. Nevertheless, he remained committed to his principles and should be remembered as a man who had the courage to stand up against conscription and make clear a very simple and powerful message - “I will not kill”.

 

 

 

 

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About the men who said NO

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CO DATA

Born: 1881
Died:
Address:27 Culverley Road, Catford
Tribunal: Lewisham
Prison:
HO Scheme:
CO Work: NCC 1st Eastern Company, France 1916-1919
Occupation: Bank Cashier
NCF:

Non-combatants

 


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