Conscientious Objection mainly relates to the refusal, on grounds of conscience, to fulfil a legally imposed obligation to join and work in one of the armed forces. In World War I there were 16,000 Conscientious Objectors in Britain.
John McTaggart’s grounds for refusing to fight were political. He was a long term member of the Independent Labour Party as well as other political groups. He and other delegates at the Socialist International Congress in Basle in 1912 swore to make every effort to prevent war breaking out in Europe.
Meanwhile John’s brother Charlie underwent his basic training after volunteering for military service. From May 1915, as Charlie recovered from injuries sustained at Aubers Ridge, the anti-war movement was growing in confidence and reputation and in November 1915 the Dundee branch of the No-Conscription Fellowship (NCF) was formed. After the Military Service Act introduced conscription in January 1916, the Dundee Joint Committee Against Conscription was formed.
John and Charlie had not spoken to each other since war broke out. In September 1915 Charlie fought and survived the Battle of Loos relatively unscathed and came through an attack on German trenches at La Basee in June 1916. He was sent back to Britain after the battle of Beaumont-Hammel in September 1916 just as John was making his first appearance before the local Military Tribunal.
Charlie returned from France in September 1918 and remained in Dundee after contracting and recovering from Spanish Flu. His war was over. But John’s war resistance continued. He was now incarcerated in Wormwood Scrubs, where he served out the remainder of a two-year sentence. He was finally released from prison in April 1919, after serving two years and seven months behind bars.
Artist’s Response
I chose to do my print the way I have because the story is about two brothers so I looked up the Scottish brothers symbol and added that as part of the background to break up the space. I decided on using the white feather as people were forced to recieve a white cockerel feather if they did not join the army.
Interestingly, the reason white feathers were handed out is that a cockerel with white tail feathers was understood to not be a prize winning pure bred and hence not a real fighter.
Kalinn O Hare
Dundee and Angus College
Kalinn O Hare is 19 years old, and always had a passion for art. When Kalinn was younger her Uncle was in Roxburgh House and the patients had just finished doing Art Therapy and even though it was a sad place everyone looked so happy showing off the things they made. That is when Kalinn started looking into art therapy and decided she would love to give people the opportunity to forget their problems and give them happiness instead.
