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Story: Conscription, conscientious objection and pacifism

Conscripting family men, 1918

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Conscripting family men, 1918

The men compulsorily registered for military service (conscripted) were balloted in two divisions. First, unmarried and recently married men and widowers with no children were called up. By 1918 married men with one child were also eligible for the ballot. This posed photo, published in the Auckland Weekly News, shows one such man receiving his call-up papers in the post.

Using this item

Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Reference: 7-A14534

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Mark Derby, Conscription, conscientious objection and pacifism – Conscription, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/35686/conscripting-family-men-1918 (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Mark Derby, published 18 May 2012.