Pacifism in war
Daisy Doncaster writes about the experience of conscientious objectors in the second world war
Conscientious objection to military service during the second world war is a significant chapter of Quaker history. The Religious Society of Friends has a long history of pacifism and is respected for its noncombatant work, most notably with the Friends’ Ambulance Unit (FAU), which was established in 1914. So, gaining conscientious objector (CO) status through tribunal courts was relatively straightforward for Friends, as they were generally thought to be ‘genuine’ in their objections. While there has recently been some attention on the COs of 1914-18, the objectors to the following war have been neglected. This is most likely due to the lasting perception of opposition to the ‘good war’ against fascism being highly controversial. This article investigates the experiences of objectors during this war to protect democracy.
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