“Their Cross to Bear”: The Church of England and Military Service during the First World War

From the earliest days of the First World War, the Church of England and its clergy closely aligned themselves with the government interpretation of the conflict and actively supported the national war effort, notably playing a major role in the recruitment campaigns of 1914 and 1915. Despite their vocal support for the war, however, the leadership of the Church was adamant, until the final year of the conflict, that junior clergymen should not volunteer to serve as combatant officers. Clergymen, of all denominations, were also formally excluded from the terms of the Military Service Act of 1916 and enjoyed a somewhat sheltered status in wartime Britain. This apparently contradictory position attracted a steadily increasing degree of criticism throughout the war years, both from the Anglican laity and from traditionally anticlerical quarters. Drawing on a variety of contemporary sources, this article outlines and assesses the criticism directed at the Church on the issue of military service from 1914 to 1...