Henry Firth

Henry William Firth (1888 – 6 February 1918) was a British conscientious objector during the First World War. He was a shoemaker and Methodist preacher who objected to serving in the war on account of his faith. Firth served a term of imprisonment in HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs after refusing to be conscripted into the British Army. After his release he was arrested and imprisoned a second time at HM Prison Maidstone. When he fell ill he agreed to carry out alternative war work so that he could leave the prison.

Firth was sent to the conscientious prisoner camp on Dartmoor where he worked in the quarry. He complained of the cold conditions and displayed symptoms of diabetes but was initially refused treatment. Firth was eventually admitted to the camp's hospital but died within days. More than 500 of the conscientious objectors in the camp went on strike because of the treatment of Firth and his case was discussed in the House of Commons.

Early life and imprisonment Henry Firth was born in 1888, the eldest son of a bootmaker. He was immediately put to work in the camp's quarry without receiving a medical examination. Intervention by a committee of conscientious objectors led to him being put onto a milk diet. Despite this Firth died in the camp hospital on 6 February 1918.

Aftermath of death

Firth's wife arrived at the camp on 7 February and his body was carried from the camp to Princetown railway station the following day. Firth's body was carried by a group of conscientious objectors from Norwich and the assembled crowd, up to 1,000 in number, sang the hymns "Lead, Kindly Light" and "Abide With Me". As the train left it received a salute from railway detonators arranged by the conscientious objectors from Dartmoor camp. The strike, which advocated for better treatment of conscientious objectors in hospitals and prisons across the country, lasted from 6am to 7pm. The participants were confined to camp until 22 February and its leader C. H. Norman was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for one year.

An inquest was held into Firth's death at which Battiscombe and the other camp doctor affirmed that they had given all care possible. A verdict of death by natural causes, of pneumonia, was returned. Firth's death led to questions in the House of Commons as to whether he had been physically fit to carry out the work assigned to him. Joseph King MP said in the house on 21 February 1918, that "when he went to Dartmoor he was in an enfeebled condition, but set to work in a quarry, punished for not working hard and only sent to hospital when past recovery". Home Secretary Sir George Cave responded that Firth had been passed fit for work by the camp medical officer and assigned to light duties. The only other death of a conscientious objector at the Dartmoor camp during the war was Henry Haston, who died of pneumonia resulting from Spanish flu on 28 October 1918.