Synopsis "Call to Arms"
For the Bennett family, the introduction of military conscription in January, 1916 is the moment of truth. Robert, newly returned from America, declines to enlist in defiance of the Military Service Act, determined to abide by the pacifist principles of his Quaker family. Forcibly enlisted, he is abducted, suffers field punishment and is sentenced to death. Michael, his younger brother, though under age, defies his parents and enlists in the infantry. Decorated for bravery, he is posted 'missing in action'. Alice joins the No-Conscription Fellowship, an organisation dedicated to supporting those who have defied the War Office. She falls in love with Malcolm, a wounded infantry officer who sat in judgement on Robert's refusal to obey lawful orders. Scarred by his experiences in the line, Malcolm betrays Alice and endangers her life. Set in military tribunals, the trenches of the Western Front, the bleak cells of Wandsworth Prison and the echoing corridors of London's military hospitals, CALL TO ARMS is a story of love, betrayal fortitude and faith as a family struggles to reconcile its personal convictions with its obligations to King and Country.
