Family Name:
Deutscher
Given Names:
Maxwell John
Gender:
Male
Birth-Date:
Unknown, possibly 1937
Death-Date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age:
18 years old
Location:
SA, Adelaide
Occupation:
University Student
Primary Motivation:
Conscientious Objector, religious
Reason for Court Appearance:
[1] Application for total exemption from military duties as a conscientious objector
[2] Changed application to exemption from combatant military duties only
Court Name and Location:
[1] Court of Petty Sessions, Adelaide
[2] Court of Petty Sessions, Adelaide
Court Hearing Date:
[1] 6 July 1955
[2] 28 July 1955
Court Outcome:
[1] Adjourned to 28 July 1955
[2] Application was granted
Military Event:
National Service 1951-1959
Further Information:
Maxwell Deutscher is a University Student at Adelaide University. He was a Christian by religion. Based on his religious beliefs he applied for total exemption from military duties as a conscientious objector under the National Service Act 1951. His hearing was on 6 July 1955 at the Adelaide Court of Petty Sessions before Magistrate Scales. The magistrate asked Maxwell, what he would do if a man armed with a knife attacked his mother. Maxwell replied, he would step in front of the knife. Scates the asked, What if you had a loaded rifle and were too far off to stop the man in time? Maxwell responded with, No. The appellantin a statement told the court that, The first great commandment, according to Christ was to love our God and our neighbours as ourselves. This must mean that we are not to kill him in order to keep or secure our freedom. Obviously every part of the forces must be filled to keep the whole organisation going, and, therefore, it is simply quibbling to take a non combatant post which merely means that another manis free to bear arms. I will not support any part of the organisation. At same stage in the hearing the magistrate told Maxwell to put the notes he was referring to in his pocket. Maxwell still told Scates that it is wrong to kill even if not doing so we lose our freedom. He also informed the court that his own father was a minister of religion. He also mentioned that at Adelaide University he asked the Revd. Alan Walker, a pacifist, if to defend one’s country was right. The Revd. Walker had replied to No. The magistrate adjourned the application for exemption until 28 July 1955. Before that date it appears, Maxwell amended his application to ‘exemption from combatant military duties’. The magistrate then granted this changed application and ordered Maxwell to serve in the Army Medical Corps. This was policy in South Australia for those exempted from combatant military duties. Given Maxwell’s strong statement against serving in any capacity it is wondered at whether he was ‘lent on’ to change his application.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, August 1955, p.2.
Bobbie Oliver, Hell No! We Won’t Go! Resistance to Conscription in Post War Australia, Interventions, Melbourne, 2022, p.219.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 