 Britain introduced conscription with the Military Service Act of January 1916, which came into full effect on 2 March 1916.The Act allowed for objectors to be absolutely exempted, to perform alternative civilian service, or to serve as a non-combatant in the army's Non-Combatant Corps, according to the extent to which they could convince a Military Service Tribunal of the quality of their objection.Around 16,000 men were recorded as conscientious objectors, with Quakers, traditionally pacifist, forming a large proportion