INGLE, William

Family Name:

Ingle

Given Names:

William

Gender:

Male

Birth-Date:

Circa 1875

Death-Date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Married

Age Range:

Circa 35-40 years old

Location:

SA, Hectorville

Occupation:

Unknown

Primary Motivation:

Conscientious objector, pacifist, opposition to conscription

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Failure to ensure his son registered for compulsory military training

[2] Failure to pay the fine

[3] Continued refusal to comply with the Defence Act

Court Name and Location:

[1] Magistrates Court, Adelaide

[1] Unknown, Adelaide

[3] Unknown, Adelaide

Court Hearing Date:

[1] April1913

[2] 1913

[3] Earlier than 21 June 1913

Court Outcome:

[1] Convicted and fined £1/1/-, in lieu 14 days imprisonment

[2] Convicted and imprisoned 14 days

[3] Convicted and imprisoned

Military Event:

Boy Conscription 1911-1929

Further Information

William Ingle and his family emigrated from Scarborough in the United Kingdon late 1911 to Adelaide, South Australia. He was a Quaker and a pacifist. His son Herbert Ambrose, 14 years old, was eligible for military conscription under the Defence Act (DA). William refused to ensure Hebert registered for compulsory military training. He was summoned to an Adelaide court on 13 April 1913. He informed the magistrate that his actions were motivated by his Christian beliefs. He said, to obey this Defence Act, my conscience and my religion will be violated. He questioned the magistrate about how son is could love and serve his fellow men while obeying the Act. The magistrate replied, we don’t want that. That is more a matter for the churches. William responded, I was told there was a conscience clause, but my child would be compelled to take an oath to serve the King. If a child agrees to join the military and in battle an officer said to him, ‘carry that box of ammunition to the men fighting’, is he compelled to obey that officer? The magistrate replied, Don’t you understand discipline? The officer must be obeyed. William said, Yes. Well, there is no difference between carrying the ammunition and shooting a man. The magistrate was not persuaded, and he convicted William, and fined him £1/10, in lieu fourteen days imprisonment. William told the magistrate he would not pay the fine and take the 14 days.

He was imprisoned again for continued non-compliance with the Act. In a letter to the editor of the South Australian, Advertiser Mrs Ingle described her husband as someone, has stood boldly for freedom other conscience, even to imprisonment…it is an honor to support him in all he has done, and gladly take my stand by his side in prison, fighting forces save our children from conscription, which it is more formidable foe than any invader. A new regulation was passed by Parliament on 21 June 1913. It allowed an Area Officer to register a boy for military training without parental approval.

Mr and Mrs Ingle strongly supported their 14-year-old son, Herbert, who was sentenced to 14 days at Fort Lags. When he refused to co-operate with the authorities he was sent to Fort Glanville with solitary confinement. He claimed he was threatened with a beating from a officer. This was contested by the military authorities.

After both father and son served their terms of imprisonment the Ingle family returned to Scarborough in the United Kingdom at the end of 1913.

Confirmatory Sources:

John Barrett, Australian and ‘Boy Conscription’ 1911-1915: Falling In, Hale and Irenmonger, Sydney, 1979, pp. 171-175.

Bobbie Oliver, Peacemongers: Conscientious objectors to military service in Australia 1911-1945, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1997, pp. 24-27.

Advertiser, 20 May 1913, p.11; 27 May 1914, p.7; 17 January 1914, p.22; p.9; 16 February 1914, p.7.

Journal, 19 May 1913, p.4; 22 May 1913, p.1.

Register, 19 May 1913, p.6; 23 May 1913, p.6; 10 February 1914.

Express and Telegraph ,19 May 1913, p.1.