SHOT AT DAWN

Grey River Argus, 13 November 1918, Page 4

SHOT AT DAWN

TRAGEDY OF THE TRENCHES.

In the whole of the terrible annals of tlie war— and they make a history that is almost unbelievable — nothing is more pitiable or mo?e distressing than the story of a young soldier who met his death, not on the strenuous field of battie but with his back to the wall, in the cold grey doom of a disgraceful dawn. The story is told at some length in the columns of "John Hull" (London) j but space precludes more than a resume of its salient ieutures.

The victim of this implacable vengeance of the stern "law of military necessity" was a young fellow, 21 years of age, and the son of a long line of fighting men. His inclinations ran to the sea, and he joined the Koyal jNaval Volunteer Reserve, in which he participated in that wondermi tight at Beaumont Hamel. But the exigincies of the service demanded Ins transfer to the land foices. He was not, so the story runs, a popular officer, nor was he a particularly efficient one. His commanding officer was not^ blmd to these deficiencies, so that ■when his battalion was Bent to the trout he was left behind. But tne heavy call of a bloody war. so thinned the stair" of officers that it was found necessary to send him to the front, in company with a brother orh'eer," to help to fill the gaps caused by the daily lengthening list of casualties. The' two were given a map and told to find their battalion at a place marked thereon; and here the young fellow's story is best taken up by a letter written to a chum, in which he says : —

"^We went up to the line and took over the right sector for four days. 'Jhen we were relieved, and returnee to . our old billets, and my company, with others, during that night took up our position, and things went fairly \vell till late in the morning, when IT was detailed to go up and replace casualties — you were m that scrap, so there is no need to explain how many. I crossed "No Man's Land" later in the afternoon, but could not find a man belonging to my unit. My companion went off with a crowd we met, but, as I still held hopes of finding the company, I rambled aoout, and lost touch with everybody, and my nerves not being strong, were completely strung up. i met another officer, who says that he ordered me to join up with the party; but this I did not do, but wandered about, still looking for my own unit. In the meantime, this gentleman went back, and sent a startling message of sorts to 8.H.Q., with the result that they are trying to kicfc: me out if it;, but up to now (December 3) the evidence given is not strong enough to cause a 'sitting.' And that is what happened to me in the big first advance — luck, isn't it? It makes me sick to thiink of it, and they have now kept me a month hanging on. 1 am hoping for the news any day now, and if there is nothing in it I do not see why I should worry my people by telling them," Whether this is a true and circumstantial account of what actually happened it is impossible to Bay; but,

"I hear that you are worrying about me more than is necessary. I will explain my present situation so as to relieve your mind. I was 'surplus/ and was sent off at five minutes' notice. I went up with another officer, of my battalion, who was senior by one ring. We reported ourselves at Brigade Headquarters, as instructed anyway, the proceedings culminated in a court martial where the youth was charged witth "desertion in the face of the enemy," in that he failed to join Ms batalion in the lines _ when ordered to do so, and, further, with conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline." His arrest, trial, and death followed. The evidence taken at the court martial is not publicly available, but the narrator of this story states emphatically that the principal witness for the prosecution stated that he met fhe young officer, and ordered him to take some stragglers to the front trench, and that he refused, saying that he would return to Brigade "Headquarters for orders, whilst his brother officer, who had started out with him, obeyed the order and took over the stragglers. ' And here again, comes his own o»»

1 letter to a friend:— jy our lieutenant in command. At that time they had lost touch with, the battalion, so we waited foe an nour or so in men- dugout awaiting orders which we got — ao least, the other man got them — and then, after a lot or trouble, 1 got them to tell jne what they were, and we both pioceeded towards Boche overland. There was considerable hostile artillery, gas shells, and tear shells falling all round us, and snipers were all over the place j we had very narrow shaves more than" once. We could not find our unit and rambled about. When it was dark we mlt a body of men witn an officer in charge; they were wanted by Colonel Jfreyburg, y <J. There was much confusion and disorder going on, and my nerves became strung to the highest extreme. 1 found that my companion had gone off somewhere with some men. The officer who was leading the party we met was my 'one and only enemy, ' bo we were not polite to each other, and as he is junior to me 1 practically ignored him, except to tell him that 1 was going back to 8.H.Q., which 1 left an hour or two before in daylight ; but finding these places was not as easy a matter as I thought, with the result that I got lost for the second time. I found a n.c.o. of the old A Company. We rambled about till he fell for want of sleep, but I managed to get ' him along. Later on my voice was recognised Ly some more men of the old R Company who were lostj they attached themselves to me, saying they were also looking for B.ff.Q. 8.H.Q,, however, was not to be found that night. My nerves were completely gone, and my head was singing. About then we came across a funk hole and there we stayed. However, my *enemy' had gone back behind his supports, and sent a stratling message to BHo concerning me. I have been under C «!rt a "iest ever since November 14 On November 8 I put in an apl plication to the officer commanding telling him my reasons for wanting to return to sea on account of my nerves not being able to stand the strain He told me that he was just the same as I, so I let it slide at that, as 1 did not want everyone to say that 1 was trying to 'swing the lead/ as others had done."

Followed the court-martM. On Boxing Day the boy was summoned to appear on trial for his life, after a lapse of a period of six weeks since his arrest. During that time no opportunity had been given him to prepare a defence or offer an explanation and it was only literally at the eleventh hour that, in accordance with court-martial procedure, he was allotted the "Soldier's Friend"; in other words, an officer whose duty it was to act a defending solicitor for the accused. Counsel did not see the prisoner till half an hour before the " trial opened, and the Court were com- 1 posed of officers, from a brigadiergeneral downwards, all superior in rank to the sub-lieutenant whose fate rested in their hands. The military law reads: "In trials before courtsmartial the members of the Court 1 both find the facts and lay down the law and thus perform the functions of both Julge and jury. It therefore becomes the duty, when applying their minds to questions of fact in the capacity of jurymen, to consider themselves bound by the rules wh'ch, xn the case of ah ordinary trial by jury, ar.e laid dojfrn by the Judge." In this case the principal witness was an officer whom the accused described as his 'one and only enemy,' so what opportunity had the defending officer of eliciting evidence as to credibility and' antecedents when he was pitchforked into the trial at the last moment? The young fellow was tried and found guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy on the ground that he was youthful, that it was dark when he lost his way while seeking for Headquarters, that there Fas great disorder, and that hundreds ot men were retiring at the time. The lad knew of the sentence, and lie knew of hiis recommendation to niercy and he confidently anticipated that his punishment would end with the loss of his commission. Uis awakening was sudden, for while sitting in his prison quarters with his brother officers another officer entered, and, opening a large blue envelope read out the warrant commanding that be was to be shot at dawn. Twelve hours more of life, and just time to pen this pitiable farewell to bis anguished mother: — FRANCE, Jan. 4, 1917. Dearest Mother mine,— l nope by now that you will have had tee news. Dearest, I am leaving you now, because He has willed it. You know all, and you will have forgiven me all the past as a child. My sorrow tonight is for the trouble 1 have caused you and dad. Please excuse any mistakes, but if it were not for the kind support or the Key. VV (3 , who is with toe to-night, I should not be able to write myself. I should like you to write to him, as he has been my friend. I am leaving all my effects to you, dearest; will you give my little half the sum you have of mine. Give dear dad my love, and wLsh him luck. I feel for you 60 much and 1 am sorry for bringing dishonour upon you ail. Give my love. Sue will, i expect, understand — , ana give her back the presents — photos, cards, etc. — ghe Ms sent me, poor girl. Now, dearest mother, I must close. May God bless and protect you now and for ever more. Amen I Here is the covering note that the good padre wrote to the borrowing mother : — 1 enclose your son's last letter to his mother. I want you to understand that he wrote it entirely by lnmself , his mind being as clear and as thoughful as anyone could wish; not a tremour or moment of fear. When his end had been carried out (by order of the G.C.M.) I accompanied hife body in an ambulance car several miles away to a beautiful little cemetery, near a small town, quite close to the sea, and here we buried him with the Church of England service. A cross s will soon be erected over his grave. Leave it to me, and I will see that it is done before our hurried departure to another part of France. And then comes the climax. He was no coward. He faced death fearlessly, but the cords cut him, and he protested. The firing party lay halthidden i!n a trench, and dwelt on their dreadful work, until he cried: "For God's sake, put me out of rry "misery — this suspense is killing me. And as the rifles clicked, he added: "Well, boys, good-bye f For God's sake, shoot straight." His terrible case was brought before the House of Commons, and many members of all shades of political opinion expressed their horror and indignation of the. awrul tragedy, one member designating it as "a damnable murder." The result of the efforts, of friends of soldiers in the House was to have the army regulations and penalties brought more into harmony with modern times and with civil law, that in all future cases cases soldiers tried and condemned court-martial shall have the right of appeal,