The New Zealand government and other authorities overseas inflicted punishment upon the conscientious objectors as a means to humiliate them and as an attempt to change the perspectives of the objectors so that they would agree to service.
The Fourteen sent to the Front
Archibald Baxter and Mark Briggs were not conscientious objectors from New Zealand. These two men along with many other objectors were brutally punished for their objection. Archibald Baxter was a pacifist and a Christian socialist that was arrested and punished as a result of his objection to the war. Prior to being arrested Baxter applied for exemption; however he wasn’t granted the exemption, as he wasn’t a member of a church that declared that military service was against their beliefs. Mark Briggs refused to serve being that he was a socialist. When being called to serve he also applied for an exemption; however it was denied. Both Briggs and Baxter were then sent to Trentham Military Camp. Minister of Defence James Allen was sure that men such as Baxter should be sent to war. Many in the community agreed with his perspectives. Colonel Herbert Potter the commanding officer of Trentham Military Camp decided one morning in 1917 to divest the camp and in doing so decided to frog march fourteen of the men to the Waitemata ship. Among these fourteen men sent on the ship were Archibald Baxter and his brothers Alexander and John. Mark Briggs refused to walk up the gangplank of the ship and then had to be dragged.When aboard the Waitemata the objectors were stripped of their clothing and placed in uniforms. The men were also then locked in a small cabin that didn’t have any open portholes. Officers and volunteer soldiers regularly abused the objectors. Some of the abuses inflicted on to the objectors were that they were hosed with water and when refusing to put on the uniform the soldiers took away their clothing and made them just wear their underwear.Once the men arrived at Sling Camp in England, they refused to complete gardening work and were then placed in solitary confinement. Brigadier-General G.S. Richardson, who commanded the New Zealand forces in Britain, wanted them confined, given field punishment and then sent into the trenches even if they had to be taken down by force.In October 1917, 10 of the objectors were sent to Etaples in France and warned that if they continued to refuse they would be shot. As a result of this warning several of the objectors gave in and agreed to become stretcher bearers, while three were sentenced to hard labour. Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell was determined to break the persistance of Archibald Baxter, Lawrence Kirwin, Henry Patton and Mark Briggs.
Both men experienced Field Punishment No.1 multiple times and for long hours. Baxter, Kirwin and Briggs survived this punishment; however after completing their punishment they were then forced into the trenches. After surviving the field punishment Baxter didn’t submit and was then told to walk to another part of the Western Front. Baxter was placed in a part of the front that was being heavily shelled. Here he wondered off and became very disoriented and was found semi-conscious in a field. He was found and then nursed back to health. Briggs experienced severe punishment in being pulled along a duckboard to the font line. Briggs got severe wounds and was then declared unfit for combat action. The New Zealand government inflicted harsh punishment on the objectors so that they would change their perspective and serve. Many of the commanding officers were especially harsh in their punishments as a result of anger towards the objectors. Many objectors suffered.
Both men experienced Field Punishment No.1 multiple times and for long hours. Baxter, Kirwin and Briggs survived this punishment; however after completing their punishment they were then forced into the trenches. After surviving the field punishment Baxter didn’t submit and was then told to walk to another part of the Western Front. Baxter was placed in a part of the front that was being heavily shelled. Here he wondered off and became very disoriented and was found semi-conscious in a field. He was found and then nursed back to health. Briggs experienced severe punishment in being pulled along a duckboard to the font line. Briggs got severe wounds and was then declared unfit for combat action. The New Zealand government inflicted harsh punishment on the objectors so that they would change their perspective and serve. Many of the commanding officers were especially harsh in their punishments as a result of anger towards the objectors. Many objectors suffered.
We will not cease: Punishment at Terrance Jail
In his book “We will not cease” Archibald Baxter details his experiences as a conscientious objector during World War One. In chapter two of the book Baxter discusses his experiences in The Terrance Jail in Wellington. At the beginning of the chapter Baxter talks of his entering into the prison. He discusses the appearance of the prison when he first entered as being very dark and constricting with the large surrounding walls and the lack of oxygen. When entering the prison Baxter and the other entering prisoners are marched in to the reception and are then examined by the officers. When first meeting the chief warder he immediately intimidates Baxter for him being a conscientious objector. The commanders verbally abused the prisoners and treated them very disrespectfully. When being examined the soldiers are very rough with men. After being examined the men have their belongings stripped from them and are then are given bad quality clothing to wear throughout their sentence. The living space for the prisoners was very confining. The bedding in their cells was also at a low standard as it didn’t provide the proper needs for the prisoners. Along with bad living conditions the prisoners weren’t feed well either. Baxter said that the dinner meal they received wasn’t terrible; however it became worse when they were given a piece of bread for tea that was meant to last for the next 24 hours. Also the food they were given didn’t acquire the right nutrition for their diet. The warders had very strict rules on the prisoners that restricted the freedom of the prisoners. Some of the restrictions that were placed on the prisoners included them not being allowed to read the instructions on the walls. The prisoners were also not allowed to leave their cells at night. While in the prison the prisoners were given chores to undertake. The warders often used the men’s chores as a form of punishment to then humiliate them. One night Baxter was moved to another cell that proved to be even worse. Baxter’s bedding was worse and there was a drainpipe that was bringing in cold air into his room. This then made Baxter very sick. When Baxter was sick the warders showed little concern into ensuring that Baxter get medical intention. While in the prisons and camps during World War One the commanding officers and other volunteering soldiers frequently inflicted punishment on the objectors. Baxter and many other objectorswas treated very badly in jail by the warders physically and mentally.