• http://www.keystagehistory.co.uk/freesamples/GCSE-history-source-work.html
• Activities put together on the basis of some of the
ideas above
1. What type of
source is
this?
2. Explain.
3. Date the
source.
4. How can you
tell?
5. What does it
tell us?
“A friend of mine phoned me and said “What are you doing about the
war?” Well, I had thought nothing about it at all. He said, “Well, I
have joined my brother's regiment which is the Honourable Artillery
Company. If you like, come along, I can get you in.”
At lunchtime I left the office, in Southampton Row, went along to
Armoury House, in the City Road, and there was my friend waiting
for me. There was a queue of about a thousand people trying to
enlist at the time, all in the HAC - it went right down City Road. But
my friend came along the queue and pulled me out of it and said,
“Come along!” So I went right up to the front, where I was met by a
sergeant-major at a desk. My friend introduced me to the sergeant,
who said, “Are you willing to join?” I said, “Yes Sir.” He said, “Well,
how old are you?” I said, “I am eighteen and one month.” He said,
“Do you mean nineteen and one month?” So I thought a moment and
said, “Yes Sir.” He said, “Right-ho, well sign here please.” He said,
“You realise you can go overseas?” So that was my introduction to
the Army.’”
Reginald Haine, who
joined the Honourable
Artillery Company,
recalls enlisting in the
First World War.
The extract comes
from Forgotten Voices
of the Great War. It
was edited by Max
Arthur for Ebury Press
in association with the
Imperial War Museum
and published in
2002.
“A friend of mine phoned me and said “What are you
doing about the war?” Well, I had thought nothing about it
at all. He said, “Well, I have joined my brother's regiment
which is the Honourable Artillery Company. If you like,
come along, I can get you in.”
At lunchtime I left the office, in Southampton Row, went
along to Armoury House, in the City Road, and there was
my friend waiting for me. There was a queue of about a
thousand people trying to enlist at the time, all in the HAC
- it went right down City Road. But my friend came along
the queue and pulled me out of it and said, “Come along!”
So I went right up to the front, where I was met by a
sergeant-major at a desk. My friend introduced me to the
sergeant, who said, “Are you willing to join?” I said, “Yes
Sir.” He said, “Well, how old are you?” I said, “I am
eighteen and one month.” He said, “Do you mean
nineteen and one month?” So I thought a moment and
said, “Yes Sir.” He said, “Right-ho, well sign here please.”
He said, “You realise you can go overseas?” So that was
my introduction to the Army.’”
What do you
think is in the
other half of this
image?
Who produced?
When?
Why?
Poster
commissioned by
The British
Parliamentary
Recruiting
Committee, and
designed by
Savile Lumley. It
was published in
1915
Ripples of
certainty:
Discuss with a
partner and write
down anything
you can work out
from this image.
The closer to the
image you are the
more certain you
are.
A poster
published in 1940
by the royal air
force in the
second world war
1. Highlight any job
roles/recruitment
groups/political
acts
2. How would you
describe Albert
Rowland?
3. How “typical” was
Albert Rowland’s
experience?
4. Give this source a
caption.
I was called up by the Military Training Act of May, 1939. This was
replaced by the National Service Act in September, 1939. I refused
to enlist. At that time, about 1940, I was deeply involved as a
Christian in the peace movement. Several of us organised a public
meeting in at the local Baptist Church. The meeting was packed.
There were also a number of police officers stood at the back of
the hall. From then on I and a friend were watched. Later, we were
found with copies of the ‘Peace News’ and I was sentenced to five
weeks’ imprisonment. After release, I was working for an
engineering firm and was set to work on a machine for filling
cartridges. I refused and was sacked. After a tribunal I was allowed
to stay in my work. Other conscientious objectors weren’t so lucky:
some were moved to agricultural work; others were given ‘noncombatant’ work in the services. The most insincere group of
conscientious objectors were the ‘political objectors’, the left wing,
who were lazy and had no consciences. When Russia entered the
war on our side, some of them joined the armed forces.
Albert Rowland
recalls his time as a
conscientious
objector in the
Second World War.
From his contribution
to the BBC’s People’s
War website,
provided in 2005.
I was called up by the Military Training Act of May, 1939. This was
replaced by the National Service Act in September, 1939. I refused
to enlist. At that time, about 1940, I was deeply involved as a
Christian in the peace movement. Several of us organised a public
meeting in at the local Baptist Church. The meeting was packed.
There were also a number of police officers stood at the back of
the hall. From then on I and a friend were watched. Later, we were
found with copies of the ‘Peace News’ and I was sentenced to five
weeks’ imprisonment. After release, I was working for an
engineering firm and was set to work on a machine for filling
cartridges. I refused and was sacked. After a tribunal I was allowed
to stay in my work. Other conscientious objectors weren’t so lucky:
some were moved to agricultural work; others were given ‘noncombatant’ work in the services. The most insincere group of
conscientious objectors were the ‘political objectors’, the left wing,
who were lazy and had no consciences. When Russia entered the
war on our side, some of them joined the armed forces.