The demand for able-bodied men to fight the ‘German hordes’, and for others physically capable to work in military support was showing no signs of letting up as Spring dawned in 1918.
Fit workers in some industries were ‘badged’ to give them exemption from service and – up until this week – many of the workforce at Ashbourne’s Nestle and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk factory fell into this category.
But a letter from the Local Government Board to the Ashbourne Military Tribunal, which was charged with policing the system, told them that the firm’s workers should no longer be automatically exempt.
“Nestle and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company were originally included in the coded list because their employees had held war service badges in virtue of their large supplies to The Admiralty and War Office Contracts Departments.
It was, however, subsequently considered that the connection with munitions work was not sufficiently close to warrant protection.”
The firm had subsequently been removed from the list and certificates withdrawn.
The Ministry of Munitions, however, was said to recognise that Nestle’s work was of national importance and had indicated to tribunals that the ‘technical’ removal of the firm from the list should not prejudice individual applications for exemption.
As a consequence the Ashbourne Urban Tribunal heard applications from the firm on behalf of 21 men, working across the company, from boiler attendant C Burton, to foreman of the receiving department G Hampson, and manager OA Rogers.
The firm argued that more than 100 men had already left their employment to join the forces. Before the war they had employed 115 men, but that number was now 55 men, alongside 165 women and girls and 26 boys.
After consideration the tribunal ruled that applications should be refused for milk weigher H Moore, motor lorry foreman S Ditchfield and despatch and receiving goods department foreman WC Taylor, but conditional exemptions should be made for Mr Rogers, head clerk Bernard Taylor, second clerk Christopher Earl, cooling department foreman Henry Hadfield, filling department foreman Albert Booth, assistant milk condenser Charles Rushton, receiving department foreman G Hampson, overseer GH Morton, third clerk O McGregor, condenser foreman L Scott and packing department foreman G Fearn.
Other cases were adjourned and the tribunal ruled they had no jurisdiction over the case of C Key who was acting as a substitute for a man who had joined up.
A personal application from AE Cundy, who had seven children aged under 14 was also granted.
Ashbourne’s ever-vigilant police officer Constable Brooksbank spotted Daniel Rolley ‘in the company of three women’ at Clifton and spoke to him. Rolley told him he was 38-years old and had a certificate exempting him from the Reserves. Brooksbank’s suspicions were aroused, the Police Court was told, and he asked the labourer to go with him to the police station.
“On the way he suddenly turned around and bolted away. On being followed defendant jumped right through the hedge and ran across a field. Witness continued following and defendant ran through three other hedges, and witness then caught him.”
Rolley then punched the officer in the face.
Constable Brooksbank told Friday’s court, which was considering charges of being an absentee and assault, that he had ‘completely spoiled’ a pair of trousers which had been torn on barbed wire during the pursuit and it had transpired Rolley held no exemption.
The defendant was remanded in custody.
Two days earlier the court had heard another case of alleged absenteeism. Private George Tunnicliffe, of the 16th Cheshires, had also been arrested by Constable Brooksbank. The defendant said he had been granted two days’ extra leave, but that this had not been marked on his pass. The magistrates ordered that in the absence of evidence to support his claim he would be held in custody to await an escort.
- My fellow researcher and De Montfort University colleague John Dilley is conducting a similar real-time project with the Market Harborough Advertiser. Check out his Newspapers and the Great War blog
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