White Feathers

[FredPuli43]

In the Great War,a young man who was not in uniform ran the risk of being handed a white feather, symbolising cowardice, by some eager, patriotic , woman. Was this practice or anything like it followed in the Second World War? Were such men subject to such overt criticism? It may be that conscription put an end to it, since those who had not been conscripted must have satisfied the government that they had a valid reason for not being. But I remember my father, after the War, being quite hostile to those known as 'conchies', meaning conscientious objectors ,( interesting, because he himself never served, being in a 'reserved occupation', but I suppose he saw that as akin to service)

[albaqwerty]

I think you've raised an interesting point. Not sure if it happened in the second world war, maybe something more obvious was employed?

A reserved occupation was needed for the war effort, (engineers etc)

Am interested in other answers.

[Old_Geezer]

I believe so.

[hc4361]

This is from the Daily Mirror, April 1940

http://historyoffeminism.com/wp-content/uploads/DailyMirror-1940.jpg

[paddywak]

And dont forget that many men who were conscripted, I believe it was one in ten, were deployed to work in the coal mines the so called "Bevin Boys" who worked in a industry vital to the war effort.Though obviously not as dangerous actual combat these men did their duty in awful conditions a fact which went largely unrecognised untill the Queen acknowledge ther service in a speech in 1995 and no monoment existed till May of this year

[paddywak]

I forgot to mention that one old Bevin Boy who I knew well as he married a local lass and continued to work in mining told me that when he first moved into the area he was regulary stopped and asked what a fit young man like him was doing out of uniform.

[albaqwerty]

That's awful Paddy. To be regularly stopped en route to work, quite frankly stinks.

I'm sure there are other trades/occupations which have been forgotten in the midsts of time.

(Different times now, but my son got stopped at 5.30 - 5.45 am on his way to work. Not everyone works/worked 9-5)

[woofgang]

its often forgotten too that many conscientious objectors went into things like bomb disposal and medical corps.

[paddywak]

True alba,the boys of Bomber command and the Arctic Conoys who suffered horrific casualties have only recently been honoured with memorials and campaign medals, which sadly came too late for so many. The steel workers and ship builders, the transport people and farm workers are just a few industries whose work forces. men and women, who's contributions to the war effort just seems to be "skipped" over.

[wolf63]

I came over to see if these were the same white feathers that I found when my goose feather pillow was recently murdered.

My grandmother worked cleaning trains during the war, not exactly girly work. My dad was in Berlin during the airlifts working as a butcher (his trade) in the army.

[jno]

it goes back before WW1 - the film/book The Four Feathers is about Sudan in 1882 (it was written in 1902); but it became well organised during WW1.

Says Wikipedia:
"The supporters of the campaign were not easily put off. A woman who confronted a young man in a London park demanded to know why he was not in the army. "Because I am a German", he replied. He received a white feather anyway.
"Perhaps the most ironic use of a white feather was when one was presented to Seaman George Samson who was on his way in civilian clothes to a public reception in his honour. Samson had been awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the Gallipoli campaign."

[jake-the-peg]

Facinating history - I'd not seen the detail before

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_feather

//The supporters of the campaign were not easily put off. A woman who confronted a young man in a London park demanded to know why he was not in the army. "Because I am a German", he replied. He received a white feather anyway.//

[jake-the-peg]

Ah snap!


Good story eh?

[jno]

I expect Germanic types got specifically spread-eagle feathers

[Bazile]

A good film - that four feathers .

So , what were these women , who were handing out these feathers , doing themselves , during the war ?

[Peter Pedant]

Freddie: first things first - Hi Freddie ! [ PP waves paw]

Twice you have mentioned reserved occupations - so now you get it !
Can you recall the name of the committee that said yey or nay to those in reserved occupations ? You see not everyone in a reserved occ was excused call up.....

and in POW camp - where my dear Dad ended up after Dunkirk, here was a question, catch phrase amonst those in reserved occs that were in POW camp and that was; " Were you betrayed by the ( X Y Z ) committee ? "

and No, it wasnt the reserved occupation committee and it wasnt the COnscientious Objectors' tribunal ( of course ! They werent objecting )

I t might have been the Registration Committee
or the Central Manpower Committee

and this question has been plaguing me for 20 y

[FredPuli43]

Baz, the women were reading posters like "The Women of Britain say "Go!" depicting our women pointing into the distance, at men in uniform, while their own lurked in the background, and feeling smug. But, aside from that, lots of women were doing jobs which the men had done in peacetime and were also working in munitions factories.

[Old_Geezer]

They were doing all they could to ensure others prevented them from meeting the enemy, Bazile. Such was the way of the world back then, or this country anyway.

[Peter Pedant]

My grandfather was handed a white feather in around 1915 - before conscription. Basically he was stopped by a young lady in teh street - Oxford circus or somewhere - who said excuse me....
and when he said yes...
handed him a white feather. - with a satisfied 'gotcha' smile

and he didnt say anything.... nor chase her - give her a kicking etc

but returned 'home' apoplectic.

He had in fact resigned his ICS post in Bombay in Sep 1914 and re-immigrated and joined up the RFA (Royal Field Artillery)
and was home on leave.

It was the accusation (white feather)
and the social custom of not being able to answer back (because he was a stranger and they had 'not been introduced' ) which drove him crazy


[Ther you are white feather story straight off th press ]

[jake-the-peg]

Nowadays perhaps their great granddaughters accost people without a disabled badge parking in disabled parking spaces

[wolf63]

PP [i]and in POW camp - where my dear Dad ended up after Dunkirk, here was a question, catch phrase amonst those in reserved occs that were in POW camp and that was; " Were you betrayed by the ( X Y Z ) committee[i]

Was the committee called "National Joint Advisory Council" ?