Poem ~ Death Sentence for Prisoner of War - Friday, 1 January 1915

Source: File: Private William Lonsdale, 7471 and Wife and children.jpg, 2015. From The Daily Graphic. 4 January 1915. [online] (updated 1 January 2015)  Available at: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/nwkf/9929470105/> [Accessed: 1 January 2015].

A severity of sentence increased

For an English prisoner of war,

In a camp at Doberitz, Berlin -

Private William Lonsdale had been

Sentenced to a term of ten years,

In his refusal to obey a guard,

And for his attitude of threats.

At a Guard Corps court martial,

Lonsdale faced a death sentence.

By statement in Lokal-Anzeiger

Papers, judgment of the original

Court martial of ten years prison

Was inadequate -came the call

For another trial  - this time

For charges of aggravated assault.

The Berlin newspaper states

Private Lonsdale will appeal,

At the Imperial Court-martial.

The British action of reply was

Of German Anglophobia  -

Within Germany itself came

Viewpoints to the total absurd

Notion of such a court martial -

To prompt some SPD protests

As published in Vorwarts -

In a statement of The German

Socialist Deputy, Edward David.

The Dr.'s words accept that war

Causes an acceptance of fate

To those that have to take part

But silence at a death sentence

On a prisoner of war cannot be

There was a need to speak out.

This is a young man caught

In military justice machinery  -

Whose actions were not in any

Way a criminal motive –

Doctor Edward David's hope,

Is that this great injustice,

Will be shared by the majority,

Of the German people.

In call of empathy for a prisoner

Of war, it is understandable

That, when taken out of life's

Normality, the private’s reaction

To attack a Landsturm guard,

Under tense frustration, would

Not come as such a surprise.

Within a prisoner of war camp,

An unarmed man, to be faced

By an armed man and receive

Sentence of ten years in prison,

Is by no means any kind of mild

Punishment  - such action,

Might only serve as a deterrent.

How should such a blow, made

In a moment of excitement,

Deserve an act of execution?

By counter argument, Dr David

Reasons the 'what if' situation

Was reversed - to a German

Prisoner of war held in England.

The Dr calls out for clemency -

And give humanity for those

Men imprisoned in a country,

That remains hostile to them.

Compared to the original trial,

Made on 2 December 1914,

No new evidence was given,

As the German papers show.

The trial is reported to say,

How the evidence states

That the 'prisoners' of war -

(Multiple not singular)

Were then all set out to revolt

At the war camp of Doberitz.

Even the prisoner confirmed

At the trial of his actions,

That he is subject to German

Military law - as confirmed

By witnesses - he admitted

Too that the Guard, he attacked

Was his superior in rank.

Clearly admitting his actions,

Private Lonsdale also stated

How he had been struck,

By the bayonet – an act

Countered by permission given

To all the guards to use arms,

Without making considerations  -

As that was seen to happen

On that particular occasion.

With name of Huth, an officer,

Stated that on 9 November,

That all the English prisoners,

Did not turn out to begin their

Work at 8 a.m. Huth gave

Orders to clear all the tents -

So all of the prisoners,

Even without any kind of work,

Would get a lesson – Yet still

a refusal to work - the English

Said it was raining a little.

Following the orders of Huth,

The non commissioned Officer,

Corporal Peters, sent out

Ten men to each tent, who

Ordered the prisoners out.

From tent no. 5, came a noise -

Private Lonsdale fists closed

Aimed a punch at the guard,

Followed by another to his chin,

After which he tried to escape.

Corporal Peters acted to take

Out several blows at him,

With a sword before Lonsdale

Hid amongst other prisoners.

On the next day, Lonsdale

Was found - on his arrest

The other prisoners moved,

And jumped in all directions,

Trying to keep him hidden.

In other evidence the Corporal

Stated that those in tent No. 5

Were of rebellious nature -

They had on that day, jeered

At the Landsturm guards

When they went into the tent -

Mimicking them, calling out

‘Quack! Quack!' As they all

Refused to exit the tent.

The prisoner had shouted

'Someone's being attacked here!'

Corporal Peters made orders,

'Nun aber los' - ‘go for them.’

Using bayonets, they pushed

All the culprits from the tent.

It was stated the prisoners

Were disobedient , being given

Reprimands to get to start work.

The court martial panel said

There was no proof if any

Landsturm - officer or man -

Had treated the prisoners,

Other than with regulations -

Prompting men to agitation.

The prosecutor Dr. Kochler

At the first hearing, had not

Stated death penalty - showing

The superiority of Germanic

Leniency opposite to verdicts,

Made out in other countries.

After considering its decision

The court then reconvened,

Confirming a death sentence.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Death Sentence of an English Prisoner – Second Court Marshall – Case of Private Lonsdale. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 1 Jan. P.11. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11319510/Daily-Telegraph-January-1-1915.html [Accessed: 1 January 2015].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 1 January 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11319510/Daily-Telegraph-January-1-1915.html

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