Browsing by Author "Littlewood, David"
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- Item'Should he serve?' : the Military Service Boards' operations in the Wellington Provincial District, 1916-1918 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University(Massey University, 2010) Littlewood, DavidNo abstract available
- ItemThe tool and instrument of the military? : the operations of the military service tribunals in the East Central Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire and those of the military service boards in New Zealand, 1916-1918 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University(Massey University, 2015) Littlewood, DavidThe Military Service Acts that implemented conscription in Great Britain and New Zealand during 1916 permitted appeals for exemption to a Military Service Tribunal or Military Service Board respectively. Although claims lodged on the grounds of hardship or occupation were by far the most common, historians have overwhelmingly focused on that distinct minority of individuals who cited conscientious objections. Furthermore, there has been no attempt to compare the structure, or the workings, of the exemption systems in these two countries. By employing a ‘British World’ approach, this thesis compares the operations of the Tribunals in the East Central Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire with those of the Boards across New Zealand. It investigates the relationship between the appeal bodies and their respective governments and militaries, to assess how far each claim was judged on its merits. It also analyses the appointment of personnel and the attitudes that the Tribunal and Board members adopted during their hearings. Finally, this thesis considers the proportion of men who appealed, or were appealed for, and the likelihood of them receiving a favourable verdict. The operations of the Tribunals and the Boards exhibit some striking differences. Large numbers of Tribunals were established with diverse and locally chosen memberships, whereas the personnel for the handful of Boards were appointed according to a prescribed formula. Moreover, the Tribunal members received a plethora of ambiguous directions, which, when combined with a tendency to prioritise the needs of their communities, led to significant inconsistencies of procedure and decision. In contrast, the New Zealand Government exerted strong centralised control, an approach that coincided with the Board members’ desire to achieve uniformity. Despite these significant discrepancies, appellants in both the East Central Division and New Zealand were more likely to be awarded some period of relief from military service than to have their conscription simply confirmed.
- Item"What is it we are going to remember?”: comparing New Zealand's centennial narratives of World War One : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) McLean, Jessica AnneThe centenary of World War One (WWI) was a significant cultural event in New Zealand. During the period 2014-2019, a great deal of material was produced that aimed to ‘remember’ the war and the New Zealanders who were involved. The centenary of the landing at Gallipoli in April 2015 was by far the most dominant event of the period, and with it came familiar national and cultural identity narratives about the Anzac diggers and the birth of modern New Zealand. This thesis interrogates these and other narratives of the commemorations and assesses whether mythic cultural understandings of WWI were challenged by the centennial historiographies, or whether the period reinforced established beliefs about New Zealand’s war experience. Five narrative themes are investigated: the New Zealand soldier, mateship and relationships, depictions of suffering and sacrifice, the creation of personal connections, and the depictions of Māori and women. This thesis examines these themes across two bodies of material: the ‘print histories’ and the ‘non-poppy material’.
