Military Service Tribunals and Boards in the Great War

While many studies have discussed why men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received little scrutiny. Even when the implementation of the respective Military Service Acts has been investigated, scholars have usually focused on only the distinct minority of those eligible who expressed conscientious objections. It is rare to see equal significance placed on the substantial numbers of men who appealed, or were appealed for, on the grounds that their domestic, business, or occupational circumstances meant they should not be expected to serve. David Littlewood analyses the processes undergone by these men.