rickpreston@nasuwt.net Posted 1 July , 2013 Share Posted 1 July , 2013 Private James Briggs, 5231, 2nd Border Regiment who died 06 March 1915 During my work indexing all the soldiers mentioned in the Penrith Observer for the period 1914 -1918 I came acress a very interesting artical relating to "A Cumberland Deserter shot". The artical was taken from the local parish magazine and was by the Rev H Parker and took a very consilatary and supportive line. It stressed that he had been in the forces prior to the war and that of his own free will volunteered for Service at the out break of war. As his vision of home was in contrast to the terrible oppression of war and in an unguarded momment he left his work at the front and made tracks for home only being caught on the boat at La Havre. He was subsequently court martailed and was shot March 6th 1915. The Rev. then went on to express sympathy to his parents and to squash any rumours he was not a traitor. To conclude he said "James Briggs was not a traitor. He simply deserted and deserted alone. After this statement I feel sure that our people will think kindly of the dead boyand be filled with sympathy for his parents and other relations". A couple of questions arise 1 Does anyone know if the records of this court martail exist and where will they be, and/or has any book been published with this mans tale ? 2 He presumably was burried after his excusion, but when one look on the CWGC site he is recorded as being on the Mamorial at Le Touret Memorial. What happened to his grave? Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 1 July , 2013 Share Posted 1 July , 2013 CWGC could give a detailed reply about his grave, but I would expect it to be that he was buried normally and that the grave was lost or destroyed by subsequent fighting. I htink the court martial records are at Kew, but not digitised. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaforths Posted 1 July , 2013 Share Posted 1 July , 2013 I've found 1 execution in diaries at brigade level. Several court martials mentioned at divisional level. Some of these are 'weeded' into separated material boxes under different Kew references for each division. But I also believe that the records of the court martials themselves are held separately at Kew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 2 July , 2013 Share Posted 2 July , 2013 I couldn't find an MIC for that name and number, nor a service record on Ancestry, but I did find this TNA reference, which could possibly be the same man, Reference: WO 71/404 Description: Briggs, J. Offence: Desertion. Documentation relating to the pardon was added to this file in August 2007. Date: 1915 http://discovery.nat...ls?uri=C4430586 His pardon may have been part of a general pardon granted to WW1 deserters in 2006. Executed WW1 soldiers to be given pardons (The Guardian) http://www.guardian....migrationpolicy regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickpreston@nasuwt.net Posted 3 July , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 July , 2013 Thank you all for your responces. As I suspected a visit to Kew is needed. Richard It was good to see kieth at Golipolli conference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 3 July , 2013 Share Posted 3 July , 2013 I couldn't find an MIC for that name and number, nor a service record on Ancestry, but I did find this TNA reference, which could possibly be the same man, Reference: WO 71/404 Description: Briggs, J. Offence: Desertion. http://discovery.nat...ls?uri=C4430586 That is indeed the Public Records Office reference for Pte Briggs Court Martial Record. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 3 July , 2013 Share Posted 3 July , 2013 Apparently it was his 6th conviction for absence and he also escaped from the first confinement on 30 January. Joined battalion on 10 Jan 1915 Roll call on 20th - missing 22nd caught on ship with a Pte Gardner. 30th Jan - escaped. 11 am next morning caught - found drunk in a bar. Put up no defence and just answered 'No' to everything. He was listed as 'Bad' in behaviour and the battalion discipline was also bad. PRO ref - WO71/404 Info from 'Blindfold and alone' Cathryn Corns and John Hughes-Wilson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickpreston@nasuwt.net Posted 3 July , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 July , 2013 I will get the book out of the library. Thank you. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob74 Posted 9 December , 2013 Share Posted 9 December , 2013 I came across this forum while searching for more information concerning an account I have read of the execution of Briggs, James. Private 5231, 2nd Bn Border Regiment. The account is taken from a letter written by a fellow soldier who knew James Briggs and was paraded to witness the execution. It is a detailed and harrowing letter to read, but I thought it may be of some use to the Op. It also seems only right that the fate of this poor man be made more widely known. The letter written by Private John McCauley can be found in the book, The Soldier’s War by Richard Van Emden. Concerning Private Brigg’s burial. “We marched for about a mile along the main road, and then turned off through the entrance to a farm. Passing by the farm buildings, we entered a field at the rear of the farmhouse and were then ordered to halt.” The War Diary for the 2nd Bn Border Regiment places them in billets at Rostraete, roughly three miles North, North West of Estaires on the 6th March 1915. “The body was placed on a stretcher and covered with a Union Jack. The small group surrounding it suddenly moved towards a corner of the field, headed by the padre. In the corner of that beautiful green field, the body of the deserter was laid to rest. Private Briggs there found the peace which passeth all understanding.” I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Briggs Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 I am a newcomer to this forum and I have been searching for a long time for details about my great uncle James Briggs and what became of him. I have not found any details about him after the 1911 census and can only assume that he enlisted in WW1 when his brother William Briggs did, but I have not found any service record or MIC for him. He was born on 23 Feb 1891 at Red Beck, Eskett, Cumberland and lived in Arlecdon & Frizington, Cumberland until the 1911 census when he is living in Maryport with his mother, Isabella, and brothers, William & John and sister Annie, and cousin, Mary Elizabeth Casson. As far as I can determine, he never married. If anyone has had a look at the court martial enquiry document WO 71/404 at The National Archives, Kew then I would be very interested to know if any age is listed for James which may go some way to confirming his identity, one way or the other. Ancestry has a Register of Soldiers Effects page for him which lists his father as John Briggs. The James Briggs in my family tree also has as a father, John Cowan Briggs which is why I need a bit moreconvincing before I finally concede that we have a black sheep in the family! Many thanks. David Briggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnumbellum Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 I am a newcomer to this forum and I have been searching for a long time for details about my great uncle James Briggs and what became of him. I have not found any details about him after the 1911 census and can only assume that he enlisted in WW1 when his brother William Briggs did, but I have not found any service record or MIC for him. He was born on 23 Feb 1891 at Red Beck, Eskett, Cumberland and lived in Arlecdon & Frizington, Cumberland until the 1911 census when he is living in Maryport with his mother, Isabella, and brothers, William & John and sister Annie, and cousin, Mary Elizabeth Casson. As far as I can determine, he never married. If anyone has had a look at the court martial enquiry document WO 71/404 at The National Archives, Kew then I would be very interested to know if any age is listed for James which may go some way to confirming his identity, one way or the other. Ancestry has a Register of Soldiers Effects page for him which lists his father as John Briggs. The James Briggs in my family tree also has as a father, John Cowan Briggs which is why I need a bit more convincing before I finally concede that we have a black sheep in the family! Many thanks. David Briggs. If, as seems likely, the James Briggs, the subject of this thread, is indeed your great uncle, remember that in 2005 he was formally pardoned, as well as being officially recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as a victim of the First World War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Briggs Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 Many thanks, Magnumbellum, I will probably have to make a trip to Kew to see the Courts Martial documents for myself. Thanks for pointing out that he was pardoned in 2005 but I would like to prove for sure that it is my James Briggs before closing this particular strand of my family history. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 Soldier's Effects on Ancestry should show the next of kin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 as well as being officially recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as a victim of the First World War. Commemoration predates the conditional pardons. CWGC has never made a distinction about the nature of a man's death and commemorates all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 As IPT suggested, next of kin is given as his father John in Soldiers Effects. But I see David Briggs has that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 21 November , 2015 Share Posted 21 November , 2015 Ah, yes. I missed that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnumbellum Posted 22 November , 2015 Share Posted 22 November , 2015 Commemoration predates the conditional pardons. CWGC has never made a distinction about the nature of a man's death and commemorates all. I was aware of that. I merely wished to draw attention to the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 22 November , 2015 Share Posted 22 November , 2015 I was aware of that. I was sure you would be. However, I reckoned less knowledgeable folk might have read you post and assumed the commemoration was as a result of the pardon (as adding names to local war memorials might be) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Briggs Posted 23 July , 2016 Share Posted 23 July , 2016 Further to my enquiry regarding James Briggs in November 2015, I have been able to establish that James was indeed my great-uncle. I contacted the Arlecdon & Frizington Local History Group with a view to finding any other newspaper reports of the execution and they managed to locate an 'In Memoriam' entry in the Whitehaven News of 15th March 1917 which reads: "In loving memory of a dear brother James Briggs, died in France 6th March 1915. Mary Jane and Jim Frost." The Mary Jane mentioned in the item is James Briggs's half-sister (and my half-great-aunt), Mary Jane Casson, who married James Frost in 1909 at Dearham. I have obtained a copy of the book 'A Soldiers War' but will continue searching for any other Cumberland newspaper references to the death of James Briggs. I also still need to get to Kew to view the Court Martial records. Many thanks to those who offered suggestions, but I think the identity of James Briggs is now proven to my satisfaction and, despite the tragic end, another strand of my family tree is now closed. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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