The obituary of Robyn Denny tells of how his period in the Royal Navy as a conscript "ended in 1951 by mutual consent when he declined to participate in any further physical activity or, indeed, to wear any outer clothing". He had indeed developed a conscientious objection to military service, and refused to wear a uniform or to take part in further military training. As a result he spent a period in military detention before being discharged.
Robyn and his then wife, Anna, were neighbours and friends of ours in Kentish Town during the 1960s, and I remember him relating with amusement the fact that while in detention the only access he and his fellow prisoners had to what was going on in the outside world was when, once a day, an officer would read aloud the headlines from a daily newspaper. Robyn's decision to act as he did reflected a deep conviction and took considerable moral courage.
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