大象传媒

鈥極nly I can speak for my conscience鈥�

(submitted by The Peace Museum, with permission of Mrs Nias (senior)and Peter Nias (son))

My father, then aged 23, went before a Conscientious Objector鈥檚 Tribunal in 1940 and pointed out the illogicality of needing to have someone else to speak for his conscience. This was recorded in the local press at the time, as follows:

Text of a newspaper report on a Conscientious Objector鈥檚 Tribunal in Southampton.
From The Daily Echo, Southampton 13th June 1940

Witnesses to Conscience

Tribunal willing to receive evidence

The value of evidence in support of applications for registration as conscientious objectors was commented upon by the chairman, Judge Maurice Drucover, at yesterday鈥檚 sitting of the tribunal at Southampton.

Edwin Norman James Nias, Emsworth Road, Southampton, an articled solicitors clerk, was asked if he had any witnesses. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 see what a third party can state as to my conscience,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am prepared to stand here by myself.鈥�

The chairman said the Tribunal attached importance to what witnesses were able to say about an applicant.

Nias said surely, if the Tribunal accepted what he said, there was no need for witnesses.

The chairman said: we are not bound to accept what you say.

Nias: If you don鈥檛 believe what I say you may as well throw my case out at the start.

Nias said he had been a Methodist practically all his life and had done Sunday school work.

He was registered for service in a non-combatant corps.

***

Pending being called for this service, my father was required to work on the land at Nursling, at the time on the outskirts of Southampton. This situation continued for the duration of the war as he was never called to a non-combatant corps. He said to me that he would have refused had that call come.

Peter Nias
July 2004

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