Refusing to Kill. Bristol’s WW1 conscientious objectors

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By Jeremy Clarke, Lois Bibbings, Colin Thomas, Mary Dobbing. BRHG 2019

Over 580 men from the Bristol area refused to fight in World War 1. They claimed the status of conscientious objector (CO) for moral, religious or political reasons. Some agreed to take non-military roles while others spent much of the war in prison, often under harsh conditions.

This booklet and the exhibition on which it is based tell the story of these COs and the men and women who supported them. It also briefly considers COs in World War 2 as well as the position for present day members of the armed forces who develop conscientious objections.