Caldwell, George Walter & Barrett, Percy George

[auchonvillerssomme]

There are a few glaring errors in the story below...but I have copied it exactly, can anyone identify the men, regiments and any other detail?

Caldwell, George Walter & Barrett, Percy George

In August 1918, Lance-Corporal Cardwell and Private Barrett were two young deserters who were staying in lodgings near Pontefract. Yorkshireman Caldwell and Londoner Barrett had been on the run for three months and to make ends meet both worked as labourers at a colliery while lodging with Cardwell's sister. On 16th August, they changed back into their Army uniforms and decided to rob a Pontefract jewellers, ran by an elderly widow. Mrs Rhoda Walker. That afternoon, Mrs Walker was found behind the counter. She had been battered about the head and had horrific wounds. She died in hospital in the early hours of the next day. Witnesses reported seeing two soldiers near the shop before the crime was discovered. one observant on-looker noticing that one of the men wore 'wound stripes' from the Army Service Corp. Four days later, police in London arrested two soldiers selling rings in a London pub. They noticed that one of the men sported 'wound stripes' and the pair were held on suspicion of the Pontefract murder. They had been staying with Barrett's girlfriend in East Ham and a search of her house found several rings, still with their price tags on, which were proved to have come from Pontefract. When they stood trial before Mr Justice Avory on 3rd December 1918, they each tried to blame the other for the actual killing but the short trial ended with them both being sentenced to death. They protested their innocence to the last but were hanged together by Thomas Pierrepoint and Robert Baxter. Despite being a deserter, Cardwell had fought with extreme courage and bravery during the war. Once he had been recommended for the Distinguished Service Medal, and on another occasion he was put up for the Military Medal. The six 'wound stripes' he sported on his arm, and which helped lead to his arrest, were the result of being wounded in action in France in 1915. In all, he was wounded five times and gassed once. The double execution was carried out on the 8th January 1919 in Leeds. Caldwell was twenty two and Barrett just nineteen.

Mick

[Guest mruk]

Hello Mick,

According to a report, both L/Cpl. George Walter Cardwell and Pte. Percy George Barrett were deserters from the Army Service Corps, and were committed to the Leeds Assizes by the Pontefract magistrates on September 13, 1918. In a statement to Chief Warder Covell [Armley Gaol] Barrett had claimed that he was pressed into the robbery by Cardwell who taunted him as 'chicken-hearted.' [The Times, Sat., Sept. 14, 1918. p. 3]

Cheers,

Dave

[auchonvillerssomme]

i looked them up when having had an evening out last week in Pontefract a local in the group told me that the chinese restuarant had been the scene of a murder by 2 soldiers (at the time it was a jewellers) and when the chinese first opened it was called Two Hung...being well known for my inability to take anything at face value, it does indeed appear to be true.

Mick