Brothers Isaac, Joseph and Solomon Shepherd were Jewish conscientious objectors born in South Wales. Their parents were Polish immigrants who had moved to Wales in the 1890s, and the three brothers inherited a complex mix of anti-war motivations. Socialist, Jewish and descended from Polish migrants, they had many reasons for refusing to fight in the war, politically, religiously and nationally - they could not participate in a war that went against their politics, their religion and would be fought on behalf of the Russian regime, in support of their anti-Semitic policies.

Solomon Shepherd worked in the family wallpaper business and, single, twenty years old and not engaged in nationally important work, was in the first group of men called up as conscripts under the Military Service Act. He appeared before the Pontardawe Tribunal on the 28th of April 1916 to argue his case as a CO, but was dismissed. An appeal to the Glamorgan Country Tribunal in May received the same verdict and, without any form of legal exemption, he was expected to report to barracks in early June as a willing soldier. Instead, he resolved to refuse all compromise with the military and was arrested as an absentee on the 21st, tried and fined in the Swansea Police court and sent under guard to the Army. By mid-July he was in the hands of the Military at Cardiff barracks but continued to resist before being faced with a court martial and sentenced to 112 days hard labour. A relatively short sentence such as this one could be served in Military prison, and he was held in Cardiff for three months. During this time he was deemed suitable for the Home Office Scheme, and sent first to Warwick and then Llanddeusant Work Camp. By the end of 1916 he had fallen severely ill, and was temporarily discharged to home for medical care.

Instead of this marking the end of his time as a CO, Solomon recovered enough to be considered fit for the Army and was recalled to his unit in January 1917. This was another attempt by the Army to make Solomon into a soldier, but he again refused. His second court martial in April 1917 would see him sentenced to two years hard labour, and transferred to a civilian prison, where he would stay until the end of the war.