McKEICH, Paul

Family Name:

McKeich

Given Names:

Paul

Gender:

Male

Birth-Date:

Probably1950

Death-Date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Married

Age Range:

Early 20s

Location:

Occupation:

Public Service, Department of Labour and National Service

Primary Motivation:

Pacifism, Religious

Reason for Court/ Tribunal Appearance:

[1] Application for exemption from combatant military duties

[2] Application for exemption from all military duties

Court/ Tribunal Name and Location:

[1] Magistrates Court, Victoria

[2] Magistrates Court, New South Wales

Court/ Tribunal Hearing Date:

[1] 1971

[2] 16 August 1971

Court/Tribunal Outcome:

[1] Exemption from combatant military duties granted

[2] Exemption from all military duties granted

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

McKeitch was born in New Zealand but was now a resident of Perth, Western Australia. He worked for the Department of National Service. He learnt that his birthday marble had been selected in September 1970. He applied for and was granted a one-year deferment to complete his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia. In later years he recalled he was not openly opposed to Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war. He stated he was, apathetic, open-minded and willing to enter into army training. He regarded that as a necessary evil. By the time he was called up in January 1971 he had been married for 8 months to Lorraine a trainee nurse. The army sent him to the other side of the country to Puckapanyal army base in Victoria.

Over the next three months Paul was taught weapons training. In this he was a ‘good soldier’ and received a Marksman Badge for his shooting accuracy. It was a result of this that Paul’s beliefs were challenged. He recalled that, the more I realized I was being trained to become an efficient killer the more it cut across my beliefs. This was just not for me – I am not that type of person. And it was crazy for the government to force people into this role. It is clear in my first letters from Puckapanyal that I was not happy about using a rifle and bayonet against a so-called enemy, and I was questioning Australia’s role in the Vietnam War. When training was finished Paul applied for exemption from combatant military duties.This was granted but he was allocated to the Infantry and transferred to Singleton in New South Wales. Paul complained but the army informed him his allocation would not be changed, but he may not be sent to Vietnam. After a week at Singleton the army informed him that his Infantry company was to be sent to Vietnam. No choice was offered.

His immediate response was to deliberately fire inaccurately on the firing range and apply for full exemption from all military duties as a conscientious objector. Like many objectors he was subject to abuse and ridicule and called a coward and a communist. Paul was a member of the Maylands Baptist Church. His pacifism was based on the life and teachings of Jesus of love and non-violence. However, he also allowed for the existence of a just-war. However, Vietnam was not a just war. The leaders of his church refused to support him and provide character references. Another Baptist minister did support him in court, as did Paul’s family. He was successful in being granted full exemption from all military duties by the magistrate on 16 August 1971. When Paul returned to his position at the Department of Labour and National Service, he was refused a promotion due to him. He appealed successfully to the Public Service Board

Confirmatory Sources: Bobbie Oliver, Hell No1 We Won’t Go: Resistance to Conscription in Postwar Australia, Interventions, Melbourne, 2022, esp. pp.108-112 and pp.203-204.