Family Name:
Le Breton
Given Names:
Peter
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown. possibly 1950
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
VIC, South Yarra
Occupation:
Unknown
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister, anti-conscription
Reason for Court Appearance:
NA
Court Name and Location:
NA
Court Hearing Date:
NA
Court Outcome:
NA
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Peter Le Breton was from South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne. He opposed the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He was a signatory to a Declaration of Conscientious Non-Compliers, from a May 1969 conference of non-compliers. The Declaration in part read, We, the undersigned, believe that the National Service Act is unjust and undemocratic…We declare, that we cannot, in consequence, comply with any aspect of this Act. Peter refused to register under the NSA for the January 1970 intake of conscripts. He informed the Minister of his reasons for not doing so. It is likely that Peter was not 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, July/ August 1969; May/ June 1970, p.4; May/ June/ July/ August 1972, p.11.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 