Poem ~ What To Do With 'Drunken' Officers - Wednesday, 11 October - Sunday, 15 October 1916

Impression sketch for What To Do With 'Drunken' Officers.

i

In a number of insubordinations, various

Appearances of officers stood before

Major-General Lord Cheylesmore, who

Presided at a court-martial, Westminster.

A Commandant of Bisley Camp School

Of musketry, who had in his youth been

Described as an all round sportsman -

Though 'a little too eager to shoot birds.'

Eager Major-General Lord Cheylesmore 

Was fond of 'teaching the young idea

To shoot' - along with Karl Hans Lody trial
He had many court-martials under his belt.

Major-General Lord Cheylesmore now
Turned his talents to home grown issues -

He faced an accused Second Lieutenant

F. L. Whalley, who had pleaded not guilty.

A charge held on the Lieutenant as drunk

On 6 September 1916, at the Wimbledon

Common camp, 10.45 p.m. - the court
Listened to how Whalley's story unfolded.

A taxi cab driver appeared at servant's

Hut on the camp, asking for Lieutenant

Whalley's servant Private Donovan, who

He addressed, to request the officer’s fare.

The driver had refused the idea of being

Given a cheque - although not very clear,

Private Andrews likely went to officers

Mess, to inform another officer of events.

A further witness confirmed how Lieutenant

Whalley was slumped on his bed to appear

Drunk - in shaking him he asked him what

He was going to do; 'give the man a cheque.'

Whalley asked them to write this for him -

Private Donovan advised the driver a cheque

For 25s would be posted - in his evidence

Whalley informed court of personal worries.

Since late August his concerns centred 

About his wife having recently given birth -

On 5 September he had been all day at the

Nursing home, returning to camp at 9 p.m.

He could not sleep so then returned

To the nursing home by 1 a.m., where

Two Doctors held no hope for his wife.
In addition the child would not survive.

Staying there for many hours he finally

Left 9 p.m. Whalley took a taxi to stop

At a hotel, to drink 3 sodas and brandies

He had not eaten - but nor was he drunk.

Collapse came from mental worry and

Physical exertion - court then heard how

Whalley had been in army 11 years with

4 years active service in South Africa.

During that time no crime had been made

Against him - a letter was provided by late 
Lord Roberts to Whalley's parents, to say 

He had been part of his close bodyguard.

Whalley carried out his duties smartly,

As a keen soldier - while Captain Neale

Advised he proved to be excellent officer

And popular with colleagues and men.

ii

From Bedfordshire Yeomanry stood

Second Lieutenant H. E. R. Craig, to be

Accused that on 16 September 1916 he 

Was at Empire Music Hall Promenade.

He was found dancing whilst in uniform.

Captain T. V. Brown, Assistant Provost

Marshal of Australian Force, saw Craig

Step dancing, his arm around a civilian.

Captain Brown spoke to Craig to say his

Behaviour did not become an officer -

The Lieutenant replied he was not doing

Any harm - the Captain asked for his card.

The reply was, 'I have not got any,' to add

Was his word not good enough? then given

An order to report on Monday. 'I cannot

Do it' - then Craig followed Captain Brown.

Craig had asked for Brown's card in order

He may lodge a complaint; at 11.15 p.m.
A Captain Cameron asked him, after what

Brown had said, why did he follow him?

Craig denied he followed Brown - asked

Again if he understood he was to report

To the Provost-Marshals office the next

Morning - the reply was, 'I cannot report.'

After repeating that he must report, Craig

Was told not to loiter but go on his way -

Giving back reply, 'I shall stay where I like.'

At that point he was arrested and taken.

Travelling quietly in the taxicab Craig was

Quite sober - at Scotland Yard Lieutenant

Craig was put into a cell, to perform steps

Of a dance as the door was being locked.

Lieutenant Craig faced court-marshal over

3 charges of insubordination to a superior

Officer - this he denied, stating how he had

Only been at Promenade talking to a friend.

Further to explain that after being led into

The cell, where all the windows were open,

Lieutenant Craig stamped his feet to keep

Warm and that he had not been dancing.

iii

Second Lieutenant A. E. N. Phillips, an

Officer of the Royal Garrison Artillery sent

A telegram to the Anti Aircraft company,

Commander Captain Rotteburg one Saturday.

His words, 'kindly excuse me parade this

Morning: unavoidably detained.' Without word

Until Monday 18 September, to say by wire

He would report Tuesday with explanations.

Second Lieutenant A. E. N. Phillips was

Actually absent from Friday 15 to Tuesday

19 September - in his decision not to give

Any explanations, he instead gave evidence.

Stating that his section had no weekend duty,

Phillips had not realised that there were strict

Regulations in what his absence had meant -

If known he would not have taken time away.

Lieutenant Phillips defended his character,

To state he had been in the Matabeleland

And Natal Mounted Police, South Africa -

Having gained medals prior to his arrival.

He had decided to leave his police post there

To travel to England and fight for the Empire.

Having heard evidence, the court remained

Undecided on Lieutenant Phillips sentence.

Vi

On another day, without any connection,

A second Lieutenant of the Australian

Imperial Force, G. D. Lemon, had been

Present in London, 23 September 1916.

Second Lieutenant Lemon faced charges

Of drunken behaviour in Leicester Square

10.30 p.m. when he should have reported

To camp, catching his train from Waterloo.

Missing the 5.50 p.m. train that evening,

Lemon advised he was unaware of having

To get a specific train - he met an Australian

Friend, intending to travel to camp with them.

Lemon planned his return Sunday morning.

His promotion to rank of Second Lieutenant

From private had occurred in 1916; a court

Martial existed from August, for being drunk.

With Lieutenant Lemon's sentence yet to be

Decided, as was Second Lieutenant Phillips,
Lieutenant Craig, the keen, sober dancer's

Summing up said 'not guilty' - while Whalley's

Concerns for his wife, was found 'not guilty.'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Courts-Martial - Charges Against Officers. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 October 1916. P.x14. Col.1. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213397/Daily-Telegraph-October-7-1916.html> [Accessed: 11 October 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 11 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213397/Daily-Telegraph-October-7-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Poster Protest of War - Monday, 02 October - Tuesday, 03 October 1916

Source: File: No Conscription Fellowship National Committee meeting May 1916. (Front row left to right: C.H. Norman, Dr Alfred Salter, Aylmer Rose, Fenner Brockway, Clifford Allen, Edward Grubb, Will Chamberlain, Catherine Marshall. Standing left to right: Rev. Leyton Richards, Morgan Jones, John P. Fletcher, A Barratt Brown, and Bertrand Russell.) See an original image at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/cos08.html> [Accessed 2 October 2016]

When nations had emerged in their actions

Of war, opposition formed soon after, as in

The organisation of the No Conscription

Fellowship - initiated from autumn 1914

Fenner Brockway, editor of an anti-war

Paper, appealed to any man against conflict.

With the No Conscription Fellowship quickly

Gaining 300 members, the organisation's

Statement of Faith followed - these men

Refused to bear arms in beliefs of human

Life as sacred; they could not inflict death.

Till then army recruits had been voluntary.

Soon though, facts emerged that in order

To maintain high numbers for the army,

Conscription would be introduced -

The No Conscription Fellowship had

Grown stronger with members ironically

Prepared to fight for their passive beliefs.

A type of male suffrage movement in rights

To refuse to fight, with countrywide branches

Formed to campaign against compulsory

Military Service Bill - conscientious objectors

Set out to equally make refusal to take part

In any war work, or involvement of military.

In their stand members appeared at tribunals

And court martial's - all of which were carefully

Recorded - No Conscription Fellowship press

Department set to publicise frequently often

Brutal treatment of their members, their arrests  

And forceful detainment in prison and camps.

No let up was given by members' missions -

As on last day of September - Saturday

30 1916 when an appearance was made by

Journalist Edward Fuller, called to Stratford

Police court - the offence charged against

Him made under Defence of the Realm Act.

Actions taken by Edward Fuller were stated

As likely to prejudice the forces recruitment

Administration and military discipline -

Acting on Fuller's defence was Mr Hawkin,

With Mr Bodkin for Director of Public

Prosecutions, centring on use of posters.

28 August 1916 had seen arrival of a letter

To Mr Abrahams, proprietor of Borough

Theatre Bill Posting Company - a request

Asked costs in posting Double Crown Bills,

To be posted in busy districts of Stratford,

Woodford, Forest Gate and Wanstead.

With the letter was a copy of the poster,

Which set to publicize a quote from a trial,

That made prosecutions of eight members

Of the No Conscription Fellowship - words

Spoken by A. H. Bodkin K.C.  having acted 

In role of public prosecutor, 17 May 1916.

'War will become impossible, if all men

Were to have the view that war is wrong.'

Was stated by Mr Bodkin, an eminent lawyer

Of the Kings Council - repeating his stand

At bringing Edward Fuller to trial, whose 

Intent was to post these misquoted words.

The suggestion of this statement by Bodkin

Was to take them out of context, to publicise

This as a public prosecutors view of the war -

Mr Abrahams replied to Mr Fuller with costs,

To also ask if they had war office sanctioned

The posters to show them in public situations.

For the defence, Mr Hawkins interactions

With Mr Abrahams was for a straightforward

Business transaction - a 'molehill had then

Been turned into a mountain,' - yet an input

From Brigadier General Childs, voiced how

Conscientious objectors wasted army time.

1,700 COs had so far been court-martialled -

Mr Hawkins gave the court a reminder how

Movement's intent was to cause the war

Office problems - that showing those words

Could do no real harm; Mr Fuller had not set

Out to disrupt recruitment, it was technical.

'War will become impossible, if all men

Were to have the view that war is wrong,'

Suggested that if everyone held that belief

Of war being unlawful, no war could take

Place; the Bench concluded Fuller was just

A dupe and not to be automatically detained.

Given choice of 121 fine and costs, Edward 

Fuller had the alternative of 90 days in goal.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Prejudicing Recruiting - Objector Fine £100. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 2 October 1916. P.5. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213365/Daily-Telegraph-October-2-1916.html> [Accessed: 2 October 2016].

Source: File: Conscientious Objection: No-Conscription Fellowship. Available at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/cos04a.html> [Accessed 2 October 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 2 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213365/Daily-Telegraph-October-2-1916.html

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Poem ~ Troopers Mutiny - Thursday, 16 March 1916

Impression sketch for Troopers Mutiny - by Jamie.

One certain regiment of a county laying
Within the capital county of London,

Made a show of discontent by way

Of mutiny - amid 5th supernumerary

Company, 9th Battalion Middlesex

Regiment, made private disobedience.

Until a call to war of eighteen months

Before, the Territorial Force of 1908

Had struggled as a home defence -

Three months in, the national reserves

Formed into Protection Companies,

To guard vulnerable home targets.

The protective force saw modification

By March 1915, into supernumerary

Companies - on Parade of 19 February

1916, a new guard inspection made

Witness to actions by three privates,

Towards others of rank into a mutiny.

The Saturday saw a supernumerary

Company on parade ground - amid

Them, a Private Thomas Walker,

Private William Frederick Williams,

And Private Fredrick Charles Poole;

All present for guard inspection.

Superiors of rank overseeing men

Included Lieutenant Anderson and

Lieutenant D'Oyly, while Sergeant

Melroy paraded the guard - already

Known among them was discontent,

As the Sergeant called out orders.

First of the three Private Walker,

At the call of Sergeant Melroy

To 'Right turn,' then stepped away

And said 'Don't do it boy's!' to be

Arrested - another Private Williams

Had separated from the ranks.

Amidst murmurings of rising

Discontent, Lieutenant Anderson

Gave Williams an order to step

Back to the ranks - the private

Made hesitation, wanting to air

His complaint to the officer.

His later statement told how

He had not heard order to step

Back, due the shouting noises

At the time - Private Poole was

To follow in arrest, by trying

To persuade others to mutiny.

Lieutenant Anderson after act

Of the second arrest, warned

The men of their serious nature

To disobey orders - he could

Only hear individual complaints

Not collective voices of the men.

'Right turn,' was given by Lieutenant

Anderson. The force obeyed, except

For two, one of who then followed

A repeated order - the other stepped

Forward and called out, effectively

With words, 'throw down your arms!'

Wednesday 15 March 1916, a Court

Martial hearing by Major General

Lord Cheylesmore, saw the three

Accused - two charged to instigate

Mutiny and the other in disobeying

A lawful command by senior officer.

Private Walker’s statement stated

The men's complaint came from

A so-called 'rest' order - how most

Of the men on 18 February had

Been on duty for eighteen hours;

'Not having been treated like man.'

The statement was backed up by

Two other soldiers - while Private

Williams, in having 30 years service

In varied units, had never been part

Of any crime - Williams in 1914 had

Been a sergeant at St James Palace.

The disorganised parade had proved

A tinderbox of discontent for soldiers

Complaints, amid shouting of orders

By officers and men alike - accused

Called witnesses, who backed them;

Court's decision was not announced.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Alleged Camp Mutiny - Soldiers Court-Martialled. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 March 1916. P.11. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12193873/Daily-Telegraph-March-15-1916.html [Accessed: 16 March 2016].

Source: File: Reserves and Reservists. Online. Available at: <http://www.1914-1918.net/reserve.htm> Accessed 16 March 2016

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 March 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12193875/Daily-Telegraph-March-16-1916.html

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Poem ~ Deserters Death Penalty - Saturday, 22 January 1916

Source: File: Harold John "Jack" Tennant.jpg. [online] see an original image at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Tennant> Accessed: 22 January 2016].

The deadly deed had already begun,

In regard to accusations of desertion -

As given to the under secretary

Of State for War, the Liberal Scottish

Politician Harold John Jack Tennant.

The matter raised came from event

Of court martial, that had taken

Place a year before in France -

Private Thomas Hope, An Irish

Soldier with the 2nd Leinster Rgt.

Private Hope on duty on the front

Line was given orders - being

Detailed to make his way back

To the rear line to collect rations;

The soldier did not reappear.

Some weeks passed until Hope

Was discovered - to be promptly

Court-martialed for desertion.

It was heard how on his impulse
Was a reaction to brothers deaths.

Both Thomas Hope's brothers

Had been killed taking part

In action - In distress he fled

On 23 December 1914 to be

Placed on trial 14 February 1915.

A statement at the time given

By Government, laid out

Fact how that it was known

To all soldiers that any acts of

Desertion had a death penalty.

Almost one year after, business 
of the House of Commons Friday 
12 January 1916, included

a renewed challenge, that came

From Mr Farrell to Mr Tennant.

The resultant faulty military trial 
ended in Private Hope's sentence
To death - his name contrary 

To his situation - to be informed

Barely 12 hours before the act.

Mr Farrell raised accusations

Of Hope's deserting duty post -

How the trial lacked any gravity

Of the situation being conveyed

To Private Thomas Hope.

There was the belief how Hope

Was only told of his execution

Sentence, only an hour before -

Mr Farrell therefore challenged

The reliability of the court's action.

Had any advocate been provided

To Hope? Or lawful interval given

For any decision to be reviewed?

Did sentence reflect regulations?

Or take regard of prior bravery?

Farrell said Private Thomas Hope

Had proved himself in trench

Fighting, to show he was neither

A shirker or a coward - a reply

Came from secretary in writing. 

The worded reply of Mr Tennant

Told how Private Hope charged

With minor misdemeanors, along

With desertion, at field general

Court-martial; 14 February 1915.

In reference to evidence of Hope

Being absent from trenches,

Between 23 December 1914,

Until 9 February 1915, sentence

Was later passed on 14 February.

The advice was that a review

Had been made over 13 days,

When Commander in Chief

Confirmed, according to law,

The death sentence on Hope.

The Secretary of state stated

How the accused had not given

any type of evidence - Nor any 
reference to acts of bravery 

Being raised during Hope's trial.

Mr Tenant’s reply suggested how

Obvious it was; that any court

Martial cannot be subjected

To any kind of counsel - in any

Field of war military law was final.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Sentence of Death - A Case at the Front. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 January 1916. P.6. Col.3. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12108572/Daily-Telegraph-January-22-1916.html [Accessed: 22 January 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 22 January 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12108572/Daily-Telegraph-January-22-1916.html

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Poem ~ Italian Spy In France - Friday, 7 January 1916

Source: File:Marseille Port.jpg. [online] An original image is Available at: <http://www.marseilletourisme.fr/histoire-du-vieux-port-en-images/> [Accessed: 7 January 2016]

An Italian born man, naturalised

As Swiss and Argentine, lived

In Paris - under the name Pasi

He had worked as a German spy.

Pasi had been traveling between

Paris and Marseilles, to obtain

Information; this included detail

On a new long-range French gun.

Troop movements about Paris

Came under Pasi's scrutiny -

Along with French movements

Of the navy situated in Marseilles.

Particular interest was on Kleber

Battleship's sailing departure -

Pasi's contacts based at Geneva

And Barcelona to receive letters.

The correspondence of Pasi

Had been intercepted - the result

Was the man's arrest in Paris;

Held by court martial for trial.

Exclusion of public and press

In 'trial by camera' had unanimous

Sentence, devoid of extenuating

Circumstances, in death penalty.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Espionage in France - Sentence of Death. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 January 1916. P.11. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12083261/Daily-Telegraph-January-7-1916.html [Accessed: 7 January 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 7 January 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12083261/Daily-Telegraph-January-7-1916.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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