Family Name:
Pettit
Given Names:
Richard John
Gender:
Male
Birth-Date:
1947
Death-Date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age/ Age Range:
20 years old
Location:
NSW, Corrimal
Occupation:
Service Station Attendant
Primary Motivation:
Conscientious Objector-Pacifism Religious
Reason for Court/ Tribunal Appearance:
[1] Applied for full exemption from military service
[2] Appeal of not being granted full exemption
Court/ Tribunal Name and Location:
[1] Court of Petty sessions, Wollongong
[2] District Court, Wollongong
Court/ Tribunal Hearing Date:
[1] 25 September 1967
[2] 13 March 1968
Court/Tribunal Outcome:
[1] Application for full exemption was not granted
[2] Appeal upheld and granted full exemption as a conscientious objector
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Richard Pettit was a 20-year-old from Corrimal in New South Wales. He was a Jehovah’s Witness and a Service Station attendant. Based on his pacifist religious beliefs, he applied for full exemption from military service. His hearing was on 25 September 1967 at the Court of Petty Sessions, Wollongong before Magistrate Towns. The magistrate dismissed his application and suggested he go to Vietnam as the war would make a man of him. Richard appealed and this was heard at the District Court, Wollongong before Judge Brennan. Richard informed the court that he was prepared to go to jail than be forced into the army to perform combatant or non-combatant military duties. The Judge granted him full exemption from military service as a conscientious objector.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, October/ November 1967, p.3; May/ June 1968, p.3; Canberra Times, 26 September 1967, p.?
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 