Family Name:
Gross
Given Names:
William
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown, possibly1950
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
SA
Occupation:
University Student
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister, anti-conscription
Reason for Court Appearance:
Failure to register for national service
Court Name and Location:
Court of Petty sessions, Adelade
Court Hearing Date:
19 March 1971
Court Outcome:
Convicted and fined
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
William Gross was from South Australia and a student at Flinders University. He opposed the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He publicly refused to register under the Act for a January 1970 intake of conscripts. He was summonsed to the Adelaide Court of Petty Sessions on 19 March 1971. He was convicted and fined under the NSA.It is unlikely that Laurie was further prosecuted under the NSA. The government during 1971, and especially 1972, were reluctant to prosecute when the result would be jailing a young man. This was particularly in regard to a refusal to obey a call-up notice. This attracted 18 months’ imprisonment. The government aimed to minimize its political risk of having large numbers of young men in prison. All pending prosecutions under the NSA were stopped by the newly elected Whitlam Labor government in early December 1972.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, August/ September 1970, p.7; May/ June/ July/ August, p.11.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 