Devon county, Torquay, 3 February
1915,
A Jury sat, before the County
Coroner -
Sidney Hacker - to meet on the third
day
For the inquest in the killing of
two officers.
Arthur Ernest Simpson, Army Service
Corps,
Along with Sub Lieutenant Bertram
Welby
Hart - of Royal Naval Air Service
Plymouth.
On Sunday 24 January 1915, the two
men
And a driver approached Torquay by
car.
They were taking the road along the
town's
Sea front - it was dark, when being
stopped
By two sentries, from a Territorial
patrol
Section - pre-armed with loaded
rifles.
The sentries in searching the car
became
Dissatisfied with the odd method
used
In numbering the motor, so they
detained
The occupants – as a crowd gathered.
Soon an altercation occurred, with
one
Of the sentries rifles being fired -
Lt. Hart
Was hit and fell dead - alongside
him
Lt. Simpson was shot - being fatally hit.
Questioning turned to Captain Gorwyn,
Of 7th
Reserve Battalion, Devon Cyclists
(Territorial), commander of B
Company -
Stating the sentries were new to the
army.
Private Harris had joined 29
December,
Aged 19 and Private Pullman had
joined
1 December, aged 27 - Their Company
Previously undertaking
training at Totnes.
By 18 January the company moved to
Torquay.
In questioning the Commanding
Officer,
The coroner began asking about their
duties
For 24 January, ‘their duty was
coast-watch.'
The men were ordered to report any
signs
Of enemy aircraft, ships, or illegal
signals
Made from the shore - further they
had been
Ordered to keep watch out for a
particular
Car- and any suspicious vehicle or
persons.’
‘Their instructions included to
search cars
And if required to detain the
travellers,’
Captain Gorwyn confirmed this
was done
In line with the Defence of the
Realm Act.
To the fact of sentries being
accompanied
By any non-commissioned officer – 'no'
Was the reply - adding it was
correct for such
Responsibly to be given to very new
recruits -
With their rifles to be prepared and
loaded.
Five bullets would be loaded in the
magazine,
But none in the breach - Captain
Gorwyn
Confirmed if these rifles were
correctly loaded,
There would be no accidental
discharge.
Not unless ‘the cut-off from the
magazine
Were out.’ Which would allow a
bullet to fall
Into a firing position – orders
specified ‘the
Magazine charged and the Cut-offs
closed.’
It was the duty, said Captain Gorwyn,
for the
Non-commissioned or senior officer
to check
That rifles are correctly charged –
in duties
Given to the sentries - was it their
judgment,
If sighting a suspicions vehicle, to
stop it?
‘Yes - To search and detain
occupants if they
Felt it was necessary.’ They had
also powers
To make all arrests, due to those
occupants
Of a car they were looking for - in
the orders
Received from superiors - for a
specific car.
They believed an enemy was in the
area.
A represent of the military
authorities from
11th
Devon Regiment, - Captain Thompson
Gave no objections in courts
referral to orders
That had been issued that day - the
accused
Representative - Mr Hutchings then
showed
The written orders, signed by
Captain Gorwyn.
Orders, dated 15 January were for a
particular
Car and the occupant to be arrested
on sight.
A two-seater car with a key seat and
numbers
LL or SL 3,827 - with a description
of the driver.
The man had a red moustache ,dressed
in light
Grey tweed suit and knickers and 5
foot 10 in.
In height – In addition that this
driver was
Believed armed - all caution would
be needed.
Question was - even if the sentry
had a loaded
Bullet in rifle breach, would it not
be excessive,
With regard to these orders?
Soldiers on duty
Were to be armed and cautious - so
bearing
Rifles, ready to fire would not
exceed such duty.
In reply to a Mr Bickle’s words
Captain Gorwyn
Explained, that while those sentries
had no
Bayonet fixed on the riles in future
these would
Be added - and if needed they would be used.
Next called to the dock came Private
Pullman
Who, having confirmed his part in
the events,
Said that prior to enlisting he was
an analytical
Chemist - their orders that night
had been given
To them at the drill hall by the
colour-sergeant.
Rifle and ten rounds ammunition were
issued
With orders to stop and search any
suspicious
Car - mainly to look for the described vehicle.
Pullman said how they had stopped
one car
To be okay, before the car with the
two officers.
There were three occupants, to
include the driver
Mr Murton. Pullman said it was his
own opinion
How this car matched the description
of the
Wanted car - and how both officers did not like
Being stopped and were
reluctant for a search.
Lt Hart's reaction included him to swear
- Harris
Told him they were under orders -
with approach
Of a tram Private Pullman ordered
them to move
Their car to side of the road – at
that moment
His rifle had no bullet ready, in
the rifle breach.
A question by Mr Hutchins regarded
the Private
Stating how he would shoot if they
did not move
The car - why did that occur?
Pullman’s answer
Explained that in the car being
moved to the kerb,
The engine was still running - Lt Hart walked by
The side of the car as Lt Simpson
got back inside.
The car was accelerating, as Lt Hart
appeared
About to get back in. Private
Pullman believed
They were intending to make an escape -
Their orders had been stop any such
attempt
So he said - ‘If you move the car, I’ll fire.’
Private Pullman had formulated a
belief about
The car, which he maintained until
they reached
The police station – he felt it was
the wanted
Car - to believe the number plate was
altered.
In reply to the officers asking if
they could go,
His fellow sentry said, they had to
wait for their
Colour Sergeant - Harris said the reason was
A question over the car's number
identification
Harris then went to the edge of the
crowd,
In order to send for the Colour
Sergeant.
With Harris absent for some minutes
Pullman
Placed a bullet into the breach of
his rifle,
Thinking the men may be armed – a
big crowd
Had formed about the car and both
sentries
Were being jostled, Pullman then
addressed
The crowd, that hampered his duty he
pushed
Them back- as a shot fired from
Harris’ rifle.
A suggestion had been made that
Private Harris
Was unable to remove the bullet from
his rifle –
Was it because of being upset - or
he did not
Know how to? At the station he cried
into a state
Of collapse - Private Pullman in another answer
Said neither of them were impolite
to the officers.
Pullman agreed, to believe the men
to be other
Than what they seemed - to be thinking that ,
As Officers, they should have the
least objection
To a search - he felt the shooting was
accidental.
Mr Bickle said that the sentries
were stopping
All cars to find the suspected one
and Harris
Was not heard to say 'Shut up yer
yap' – words
Mostly likely to have been called
from the crowd.
In his summary the coroner noted how
terrible
The event was, for the deceased
men's family
And the country, in a loss of their
service - in
50 minute recess, he advised a commonsense
Approach - After stood the speaker
of the jury.
Lieutenant Hart and Lieutenant
Simpson were
Killed by accidental fire held by
Private Harris
During execution of his duty - it
was with deepest
Sympathy to families of deceased -
for public
Safety the military need discretion,
to select
More experienced men placed on
highway duties.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Torquay Tragedy – Two
Officers Shot – Verdict Accidental Death. The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 4 Feb. P.7.
Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11380305/Daily-Telegraph-February-4-1915.html
[Accessed: 4 February 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 4 February 2015).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11380305/Daily-Telegraph-February-4-1915.html
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Torquay
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