Jeremy Gilling interviewed for the documentary "Hell No We Won't Go"

Accession Number F09718
Collection type Film
Measurement 26 min 34 sec
Object type Interview
Physical description MXF (.mxf)/colour/sound
Place made Australia: New South Wales, Sydney
Date made 10 July 2014
Access Open
Conflict Vietnam, 1962-1975
Copyright

Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright

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Description

Jeremy Gilling was from a well-to-do Castlecrag family and his mother Bridget Gilling was politically active around women's issues and subsequently a member of Save Our Sons and prominent in the anti-war movement. Jeremy was called up in December 1967 and applied for Conscientious Objector status but this was refused when he made opposition to the Vietnam war the central focus of his objection. In 1969 he was jailed for a month for refusing to register and in 1970 for a further week for failing to report for his medical. He subsequently heard from a doctor in the Commonwealth offices in Chifley Square that the doctors’ practice by then was to ascertain whether a young man wanted to enter the army and to find reasons to disqualify those who did not on medical grounds. Jeremy had a second attempt at Conscientious Objector status in 1971, putting the same defense as previously to the court, and was granted CO status. He believes that the Prosecution was deliberately running dead on the issue and this was a win for many opposed to the Vietnam war. He later worked as an educator and journalist. (Description provided by interviewer).

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