Can anyone help with a SAD details

[Steve Gullick]

He was executed on 10/04/1917 and is buried at Perrone.

Does any one know the details of his trial or the circumstances of his desertion?

Thanks Guys.

[Simon Birch]

He was executed on 10/04/1917 and is buried at Perrone.

Does any one know the details of his trial or the circumstances of his desertion?

Thanks Guys.

I know a little. Private William Robinson went absent at the beginning of Narch 1917 in order to avoid taking part in an attack. Came from Chesterfield, buried Peronne. From memory their is nothing in the battalion diary - but I stand to be proved wrong.

The papers are under WO 71/552 at the PRO.

Simon

[stevem49]

I cannot see anything in the War Diaries or the book on 1st/2nd Battalion.

Not in SDGW.

I will be getting his papers soon as I am writing about the Battalion at present. Not sure when unless I can get them online.

Steve

[ATNOMIS]

PERONNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

Private W. Robinson,

1st Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment),

Executed for desertion on 10 April 1917.

[BRONNO]

PERONNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

Private W. Robinson,

1st Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment),

Executed for desertion on 10 April 1917.

70715 Pte William Robinson enlisted and lived in Birmingham.

He previously served in the Army for 13 years and is listed as a Conscript (Probably having been recalled from reserve)

No entry in Soldiers Died in the Great War.

Shown in 1st Bn Roll book 1914-18 as joined the Battalion on the 22nd September 1916 and served with "A" company.

Went absent to avoid taking part in an attack, there is no reference of the Court Martial or execution in the Diary of the 1st Bn. BRONNO.

[roughdiamond]

He was executed on 10/04/1917 and is buried at Perrone.

Does any one know the details of his trial or the circumstances of his desertion?

Thanks Guys.

Have you tried the book "Shot at Dawn" by Julian Putkowski and Julian Sykes? it has a piece on almost every person executed but in varying detail, you should be able to get it from the library, a word of warning though, it was written as part of the "Pardon" campaign and can be a bit economic with the truth in some cases.

Having read that and the book "Blindfold and Alone" by John Hughes-Wilson and Cathryn M Corns, which I found more balanced and more informative on the FGCM procedures than "Shot at Dawn" (although it doesn't cover every case), they both make it clear that Field General Courts Martial (FGCM) papers in many cases hold very scant detail.

[Marco]

From 'Shot at Dawn':

....On the second day of thew offensive, a conscript in a regulair battalion suffered the extreme penalty. Private William Robinson had gone absent at the beginning of March in order to avoid taking part in an attack. His freedom had been shortlived, as later in the month he was brought to trail. No entry was found in the war diary of the 1 Sherwood Forresters to record the soldiers death, nor the locality at which the event took place. But today the private's remains lie buried in Peronne Communal Cemetery

.

Regards,

Marco

[Steve Gullick]

Thanks everyone for all the responses - it looks like a bit of a dead end.

I am visiting my Gt Uncle who is buried at Perrone next June and I thought that whilst I was there I would look at this guy and also the VC that is there.

Thanks again to all. I am constantly amazed at tyhe wealth of knowledge on here.

[mikebriggs]

He was in a batch of about 90 men that were posted to the 1st battn from other battalions of the Regiment (some of whom were territorials) around about 21st to 22nd September 1916 (as Bronno has stated)

Mike