A GLASGOW university will be sharing a letter from its achieve highlighting the struggle of Scotland’s Conscientious Objectors who refused the call to arms in the First World War.

Glasgow Caledonian University will be sharing the letter from an Ayrshire father to his baby daughter as the centenary of the Armistice approaches.

Actor Gary Lewis has contributed a reading of the correspondence of Ayrshire postal worker Robert Climie, who had been a life-long activist in the international peace movement before he was conscripted in 1916.

Read more: George Square to close for A WEEK for Fast and the Furious spin-off shoot

Exercising his right to appeal on political grounds, a tribunal hearing initially backed Robert’s case before a retired army officer, outraged at his refusal to fight, pursued the matter and saw it overturned.

Like hundreds of other Scottish objectors, Robert was imprisoned at Wormwood Scrubs, before being moved to a labour camp by Loch Awe to work on forestry.

Writing from Argyll on his daughter Cathie’s first birthday, the absent father’s four-page letter says: “The first year of your life … will in later years be known as one of the worst years in the History of the World.” It continues “A most fearful war is raging … The World is just now divided into nations and the people of each nation believe themselves to be fighting on behalf of their own particular country.

“However, there are men and women who believe that all men and women are brothers and sisters. These people are known as Pacifists.”

Read more: Glasgow's People's Palace and Winter Gardens to close 'indefinitely'

Gary said the letter had touched him deeply. “Men like Robert Climie were victimised and persecuted because of their stance, but it was a principled stance.

“It wasn’t that they were cowards.

“It was because of their very firm conviction that men should not fight.”