Harry Platt

Oldham Tribunal 3, 5 and 6 July 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 8 July 1916 and 8 July 1916 and 8 July 1916

Several Oldham men appealed to the Oldham Tribunal on Monday afternoon for exemption from service on the ground that they hold a conscientious objection against war and against having connection with the war.

…. An appeal for exemption from service on conscientious grounds had been sent in by Harry Platt, of Turf Pit Lane, Moorside, employed by Messrs. Thomas Mellodew and Company Ltd., of Moorside, but as he did not present himself to support the appeal the Tribunal disallowed it, after adjourning the hearing for a time to see if he turned up.

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The Oldham Tribunal on Wednesday afternoon considered and dealt with several claims for absolute exemption from service sent in by local men on the ground of a conscientious objection against any form of military service.

…. Harry Platt, of Turf Pit Lane, Moorside, mill manager employed by Messrs. Thos. Mellodew and Sons, Moorside Mills, sought exemption from service as a member of the Christadelphian Church. He had always held a religious conscientious objection against all forms of military service. He became a member of that Church in 1908, he wrote. He objected to non-combatant service for that service was under military control. He was willing to do any civil work of national importance.

Appellant should have been before the Tribunal on Monday, but he and his wife had made a mistake in the date of the hearing, he said.
He was asked what his objection against non-combatant service was? - He replied that it was under the military. He had no objection to do work that was not under the direction of the military. He would not take hospital work in a military hospital.
The Tribunal resolved to adjourn the hearing until the day following, so as to give an opportunity for evidence on the matter of the appellant's employment.

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At the Oldham Tribunal on Thursday several more cases of conscientious objectors were heard.
The Town Clerk reported the case of Harry Platt, employed at Moorside Mills. The case had been adjourned by the Tribunal so that the Town Clerk could see what Messrs. Mellodew and Co. were doing in the matter. The Town Clerk said they had spoken to him on the telephone and said they did not appeal for this man because he did not attest. They had made it a rule that they would not appeal for those that did not attest. The man was important to them, almost indispensable, but they said they were not prepared to do anything on that ground. - After spending much time discussing the position of the man and the nature of his work the tribunal decided that the man must go to non-combatant service.

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Not found 1911 census

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley