Exemption refused for surviving brother

A stud groom working for the tenant of Arngibbon, Kippen, was refused exemption from military service even though two of his brothers had already been killed in the war.

The tenant had asked a Stirling area military tribunal to spare the 23-year-old groom from call-up.

He said the groom helped with farm work and was the sole support of his mother, sending her each week all but two shillings of his wages.

The groom’s three brothers had joined the Army. Two had been killed and the other wounded so badly he was no longer fit for service and discharged.

The tenant said the horses looked after by the groom were kept for profit. An attempt had been made to hire another man to carry out work done by the groom but he had failed to show up.

After considering the case, exemption was refused.

The tenant also asked for exemption from his 20-year-old farm worker who looked after 150 pigs, all kept for breeding purposes, plus several calves and other stock.

He worked during the day and at night and with the stud groom was one of only two staff on the 40-acre farm.

The tenant admitted he had made no effort to find a replacement for the farmworker, who was Irish. The farm worker had been employed on the farm for eight years, from aged 12, and was “highly skilled”. The tribunal granted conditional exemption.

Meanwhile the blacksmith at Kippen Station sought exemption for his 25-yearold son.

The applicant said they did the horseshoeing for 22 farms in the district and had made several thousand horseshoes for the Army. He was largely dependent on his son for carrying on the business.

Mr HD McLellan, solicitor, Stirling, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the father and son worked making shoes for Army horses from 6am until 8pm weekdays, Saturday afternoons, and Sundays from 6am until 1pm.

A petition was also submitted signed by 21 farmers calling for exemption for the applicant’s son. Conditional exemption was granted.