CROSLAND, Sidney Sharp

Family Name:

Crosland

Given Names:

Sidney Sharp

Gender:

Male

Birth-Date:

1895

Death-Date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Single

Age Range:

18 years old

Location:

NSW, Newcastle

Occupation:

Bank Clerk

Primary Motivation:

Conscientious Objector, Pacifism-religious

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Refused to attend the mandatory medical examination and refusual to undertake military training

[2] Refused to attend multiple times to drill and continued refusal to attend the medical examination

Court Name and Location:

[1] Police Cort, Waratah

[2] Police Court, Waratah

Court Hearing Date:

[1] 23 April 1913

[2] 2 July 1913

Court Outcome:

[1] Convicted and fined 20s plus costs, in lieu committed to the charge of prescribed officers for 7 days, for failure to attend the mandatory medical examination; convicted and fined 20s plus 6s costs, in lieu committed to the charge of prescribed officers for 7 days, for failure to drill

[2] Convicted and fined £5 plus 6s , in lieu one months imprisonment for failing to drill; convicted and fined £5 plus 6s, in lieu one months imprisonment for failing to attend the medical exam; convicted and sentenced to 20 days imprisonment for failing to return to military custody, to be served cumulative with the penalty for failing to attend the medical, if the fine is not paid

Military Event:

Boy Conscription 1911-1929

Further Information:

Sidney Sharp was from Newcastle in New South Wales. In some documents he is referred to as Sydney. He came from a Quaker family. He was opposed to war and militarism. Accordingly, he refused to comply with the Defence Act (DA) which required him to undertake compulsory military training. He was summonsed to the Police Court at Waratah on 23 April 1913, before Magistrate FG Adrian. He pleaded not guilty to the first charge of not attending the mandatory medical examination. He also pleaded not guilty to a second charge of refusing to attend compulsory drill on 15 March 1913. J Windeyer for the defence informed the court that Sidney had a conscientious objection to war and the militarism based of his Quaker pacifism. His father was adamant that if he was found guilty and a fine imposed it would not be paid, and his son would not drill. He was convicted, and fined 20s plus 6s costs for each offence.

Sidney was again summonsed to the Waratah Police Court on 2 July 1913 before Magistrate FG Adrian again. He faced four charges: a failure to attend drill on 1 May 1913; a failure to attend drill at a later date; a refusal to obey a command to fall-in for drill on 11 June 1913.; a refusal to attend the medical examination 11 June 1913.Sidney pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted on all and sentenced. For the offences of failing to drill he was fined £5 plus 6s costs, in lieu a month’s imprisonment. For failing to undertake the medical examination he was fined £5 plus 6s costs, in lieu a month’s imprisonment. For failing to return to military custody after being released he was sentenced to 20 days imprisonment, cumulative with the penalty for not attending the medical. From the authorities’ point of view without a successful medical Sidney could not move from Senior Cadet to the Citizen Forces. Captain Timbury asked him if he was going to pay the fine, and the magistrate reminded Sidney that he had the power to imprison. He informed them both that he would not pay the fine.

He was immediately taken into military custody by the Sergeant Major. He went with Sidney to his home where Sidney was required to pack his case. He was taken from Newcastle to Sydney by train. He was lodged in Sydney’s Victoria Barracks where he spent a day in solitary confinement. Sidney refused to wear military clothing and refused to undertake any military duties. He was then sent hundreds of miles away to Victoria. He was detained in Victoria at Melbourne’s Victoria Barracks for 20 days in a locked cell and treated like a criminal. The latter was denied by the authorities.

A Quaker friend of his family, Stanley F Allen, wrote to the editor of the Daily Telegraph protesting Sydney’s case. He said in part, All who believe in civic and religious freedom will read with utter disapproval the account of the persecution of Sidney Crosland, the Quaker lad who has been sentenced to a long period in Victoria Barracks, Sydney because he refused to place himself under compulsory military training. Knowing this boy personally for some time past I can testify to his excellent character and to the genuineness of his religious convictions against all forms of military rule…The youthful prisoner is sacrificing a great deal giving up an excellent position of trust and paying dearly by being tried like a criminal.

It is unknown if the authorities prosecuted Sidney further.It was probably not the case due to the intervention of WWI.

Confirmatory Sources:

John Barrett, Falling In: Australians and ‘Boy Conscription” 1911-1915, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1979, pp.175-176.

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner’s Advocate, 24 April 1913, p.7; 3 July 1913, p.11.

Daily Telegraph, 3 July 1913, p.11; 4 July 1913, p.15; 5 July 1913, p.22.

Sydney Morning Herald, 4 July 1913, p.10.

Bathurst Times, 4 July 1913, p.4.

Age, 5 July 1913, p.14; 7 July 1913. p.10.

Morning Bulletin, 11 July 1913, p.8.

Mercury, 15 July 1913, p.7.

Register, 23 May 1914, p.7.

Advertiser, 25 May 1914, p.5.