Devon and the First World War

1 Devon and the First World War Submitted by Richard John Batten to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in September 2013 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. 2 Abstract This thesis examines the experiences and impact of wartime mobilization in the county of Devon. It argues that a crucial role was played by the county’s elites who became the self-appointed intermediaries of the war experience on a local level and who took an explicitly exhortative role, attempting to educate Devonians in the codes of ideal conduct in wartime. These armchair patriots, defined by the local commentator Stephen Reynolds as ‘provincial patriots’, superintended the patriotism of Devon’s population, evaluating that patriotism against the strength of their own. Through a critical exploration of Reynolds’ definition of Devon’s elite as the police-men and women of patriotism, this thesis reveals the ambiguities, constraints and complexities surrounding mobilization and remobilization in Devon. The evidence from Devon reveals the autonomy of Devon’s citizens as they attempted to navigate the different challenges of the war while they weighed-up individual and local interests against the competing requests that the ‘provincial patriots’ prescribed for them. In many cases, their responses to the appeals and prescriptions from Devon’s elite were informed by what they considered to be an appropriate contribution to the war effort. Therefore, the choice to participate in the measures introduced in the name of war effort in Devon was not a binary one. A tension between individual survival and national survival in the county was apparent in the encounters between Devon’s elite as agents of mobilization and the county’s populace during the war. Through various campaigns of superintendence in order to police the patriotism of Devon’s people, the ‘provincial patriots’ attempted to navigate through the terrain of these competing priorities and resolve this tension. In their endeavours to mobilize Devon’s populace, the authority of Devon’s elite was criticised and they faced constant negotiation between individual priorities and those of the nation. This analysis of the complexity of the Devonian 3 experience of the First World War is sceptical about the ‘total’ nature of the First World War because the war to some Devonians was not the pre-eminent issue and did not absorb all of the county’s efforts. Rather, a significant part of Devon’s population was primarily concerned with individual priorities and that of the county throughout the war years. 4 Contents Page Abstract 2 Acknowledgements 6 List of Abbreviations 7 Introduction 10 Historiographies of the First World War 10 The local elite as the Intermediaries and Superintendents of the Home Front 26 Sources and methodology 38 Structure 44 Chapter 1: Mobilizing for War, August 1914 to December 1914 50 Introduction 50 Devon and its local elite in 1914 58 Reactions to war in Devon and the transition from peace to wartime 62 Volunteering in Devon 92 The Cultural/Political and Economic Mobilization of Devon 118 Conclusion 124 Chapter 2: The Totalization of the conflict? 1915 130 Introduction 130 5 Recruitment 136 Charities 164 The Organisation of the Rural Economy 177 Tourism in 1915 183 Conclusion 196 Chapter 3: The changing dynamics of wartime citizenship, 1916 206 Introduction 206 Military Service Tribunals and the policing of patriotism in Devon 214 Gender and citizenship in the wartime community 242 The experiences of minority groups in Devon during 1916 263 Conclusion 269 Chapter 4: The effects of remobilization, 1917-1918 275 Introduction 275 Interventionist measures of remobilization 282 Tribunals under strain 323 Local government and Welfare 332 Conclusion 346 Conclusion 358 Bibliography 371 6 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my supervisors Doctor Tim Rees and Professor Richard Toye: their continued steadfast support and encouragement in me, my abilities and the validity of this thesis have been deeply reassuring. I would also like to thank my study skills tutors at AccessAbility (previously the Disability Resource Centre) Peter Smith and Elizabeth Sherwood for their helpful review of my work in terms of grammar and punctuation. Moreover, I would like to express gratitude to the archivists at the North Devon Record Office, the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office and the Devon Heritage Centre. In particular, archivist Josephine Halloran whose knowledge and expertise in the source material, which is housed in the archives of the Devon Heritage Centre, has proved to be of great benefit to my thesis. I would also like to express my appreciation to Mike Paddick, Sue Dearing and Phil Hunt. On a personal level, I would like to thank all of my family for their patience and cheerful support, in particular my mum for her great tolerance and understanding in proof-reading my work. I dedicate this thesis to her. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to James Goodchild who also kindly proof-read this thesis for me. His comments were very helpful and brought a number of issues to my attention that required modification. Last but by no means least; I would like to convey my warmest personal appreciation to Meghan for her support and belief in me. 7 List of Abbreviations ABRC Alphington Belgian Refugee Charity AEC Agricultural Executive Committee APL American Protective League BAF Board of Agriculture and Fisheries BC Board of Conservators BT Board of Trade CDC Civil Distress Committee CO Conscientious Objector CoETSFITL Church of England Temperance Society for Female Inebriates at Temple Lodge CPA Corn Production Act DAT Devon Appeal Tribunal DCA Devon County Asylum DCC Devon County Council DCF Diocesan Clergy Fund DCHC Devon County Horticulture Committee DCWRC Devon County War Refugees’ Committee DFU Devon Farmers Union DGPS Devon Garden Produce Society DHC Devon Heritage Centre DORA Defence of the Realm Act DPC Dunkeswell Parish Council DPF Devon Patriotic Fund DPRC Devon Parliamentary Recruiting Committee 8 DRLC Defence of the Realm Losses Commission DSFC Devon Sea Fisheries Committee DWAC Devon War Agricultural Committee DWWSC Devon Women’s War Service Committee EDC Exmouth Dock Company GWR Great Western Railway HO Home Office HM His Majesty HMS His Majesty’s Ship HRDC Honiton Rural District Council ISWF Inspector for the South West Fisheries IUDC Ilfracombe Urban District Council IWM Imperial War Museum JHC John Heathcoat & Company LGB Local Government Board LPL Lambeth Palace Library LSWR London and South Western Railway MCL Men’s Committee of Lacehands MSA Military Service Act MSB Military Service Bill MST Military Service Tribunals NDRO North Devon Record Office NECW National Egg Collection for the Wounded NFU National Farmers Union NMRO Navy and Marines Recruiting Office NWAC National War Aims Committee 9 PAT Plymouth Appeal Tribunal PWDRO Plymouth and West Devon Record Office POW Prisoner Of War PUDC Paignton Urban District Council RNVR Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve RMS Royal Mail Ship TM Tiverton Museum TNA The National Archives UDC Urban District Council VAD Voluntary Aid Detachment VC Victoria Cross VTC Volunteer Training Corps WAC War Aims Committee WAPC West Alvington Parish Council WCA War Charities Act WLA Women’s Land Army WO War Office WSA War Savings Association WTC Women’s Timber Corps 10 Introduction This thesis examines the experiences and impact of wartime mobilization in the county of Devon. It argues that a crucial role was played by the county’s elites who became the self-appointed intermediaries of the war experience on a local level and who took an explicitly exhortative role, attempting to educate Devonians in the codes of ideal conduct in wartime. The nature of the relationship in Devon from both above and below was in numerous instances a cause of friction as many Devonians placed individual priorities above obvious service to the nation. Hence, Devon’s elite became more than solely intermediaries of the war experience but sought to undertake other activities in wartime. Through these actions, the local notables of the county became perceived as the ‘provincial patriots’ - the superintendents of patriotism. Their assorted campaigns of vigilance and superintendence in controlling the nature of what constituted patriotism across the county were met with varied degrees of success. They sought to educate and adjudicate the social morality of wartime throughout the administrative boundaries of Devon. Arguably, Devon’s elite attempted to resolve the tension between individual priorities and nation ones. At the same time, it was clear to the county’s local elite that some Devonians were hesitant and ambivalent towards such appeals for self- mobilization and remobilization. Between 1914 and 1918, the county’s populace faced the continuing predicament throughout the war of how to engage with the escalating demands of the war effort. In fact, when faced with the continued exhortations for mobilization from Devon notable figures, many Devonians placed their own needs and those of their respective local

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