BAILLEULMONT COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Pas De Calais
France
Location Information
Bailleulmont is a village 530 metres south of the main road from Arras to Doullens (N25). The Communal Cemetery is at the south-west end of the village, on the road to La Cauchie (D1); and in the east corner of it, to the right of the entrance, is a plot containing the graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom.
The graves in the British plot were made by Field Ambulances and fighting units in 1916-18. There are now 34, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.
Bailleulmont is a village 530 metres south of the main road from Arras to Doullens (N25). The Communal Cemetery is at the south-west end of the village, on the road to La Cauchie (D1); and in the east corner of it, to the right of the entrance, is a plot containing the graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom.
The graves in the British plot were made by Field Ambulances and fighting units in 1916-18. There are now 34, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.
Shot at Dawn
1957 Private William G. Hunt, 18th Bn. Manchester Regiment, executed for desertion 14th November 1916, aged 20. Row A. 7. A Regular with 2 years’ service on the Western front, he had previously been convicted of Disobedience which resulted in a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment — which was commuted to 83 days of Field Punishment, No 1.
Hunt appears to have deserted from action during the Somme Offensive. At trial he was unrepresented; his Commanding Officer stated his behaviour to have been generally satisfactory; & later his Brigadier urged leniency. However his death sentence was confirmed, being promulgated to him at the customary battalion parade. Hunt rebuffed the equally customary attempt to get him drunk for execution, & in due course had to be dragged to the place of execution, where he had to be tied to a chair — & refused a blindfold. The firing was bungled, the attending officer having to administer the coup de grâce with his revolver. His local paper in Manchester reported that he had died of wounds. (Putkowski, pp 132-133)
10495 Private Albert Ingham, 18th Bn. Manchester Regiment, executed for desertion 1st December 1916, aged 24. Row B. 12. Son of George Edward and Eliza Ann Ingham, of Atherton Cottage, Lower Kersal, Manchester.
10502 Private Alfred Longshaw, C Company, 18th Bn. Manchester Regiment, executed for desertion 1st December 1916, aged 21. Row B. 13. Son of Charles and Elizabeth Longshaw, of Pendleton; husband of Mary Frances Longshaw, of 21, Milnthorpe St., Pendleton, Manchester.
Private Ingham and Private Longshaw had worked together as railway clerks, & served together on the Somme. On being posted to their battalion’s Machine-Gun company & warned for the trenches, they decided to abscond together, & at Dieppe stowed away on board a Swedish ship — where they were found in civilian clothing.
Unsuccessful efforts were made on behalf of the 2 condemned soldiers, who had been regular church-goers at home, the newspapers in their home-town being misled as to the true cause of death. Ingham’s father was likewise deceived for many years, but in due course insisted on the truth coming out, requesting, and the War Graves Commission reluctantly granting a unique inscription: see the photograph of the headstone. The 2 comrades are buried side by side, & are also commemorated on the War Memorial at Salford Railway Station. (Babington, pp. 120-121; Ward & Gibson, p. 81; Putkowski, pp 138-140)
10686 Private Benjamin O'Connell, 1st Bn. Irish Guards, executed for desertion 8th August 1918, aged 23. Row C. 7. Son of James and Mary O'Connell, of Tinnarath, Foulksmills, Wexford. He had already been convicted of 2 offences involving absence, 2 years' & 10 months’ imprisonment respectively being imposed — & presumably suspended when he deserted. O’Connell was the fifth & last Guardsman to be executed. (Putkowski, p. 253)
1957 Private William G. Hunt, 18th Bn. Manchester Regiment, executed for desertion 14th November 1916, aged 20. Row A. 7. A Regular with 2 years’ service on the Western front, he had previously been convicted of Disobedience which resulted in a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment — which was commuted to 83 days of Field Punishment, No 1.
Hunt appears to have deserted from action during the Somme Offensive. At trial he was unrepresented; his Commanding Officer stated his behaviour to have been generally satisfactory; & later his Brigadier urged leniency. However his death sentence was confirmed, being promulgated to him at the customary battalion parade. Hunt rebuffed the equally customary attempt to get him drunk for execution, & in due course had to be dragged to the place of execution, where he had to be tied to a chair — & refused a blindfold. The firing was bungled, the attending officer having to administer the coup de grâce with his revolver. His local paper in Manchester reported that he had died of wounds. (Putkowski, pp 132-133)
10495 Private Albert Ingham, 18th Bn. Manchester Regiment, executed for desertion 1st December 1916, aged 24. Row B. 12. Son of George Edward and Eliza Ann Ingham, of Atherton Cottage, Lower Kersal, Manchester.
10502 Private Alfred Longshaw, C Company, 18th Bn. Manchester Regiment, executed for desertion 1st December 1916, aged 21. Row B. 13. Son of Charles and Elizabeth Longshaw, of Pendleton; husband of Mary Frances Longshaw, of 21, Milnthorpe St., Pendleton, Manchester.
Private Ingham and Private Longshaw had worked together as railway clerks, & served together on the Somme. On being posted to their battalion’s Machine-Gun company & warned for the trenches, they decided to abscond together, & at Dieppe stowed away on board a Swedish ship — where they were found in civilian clothing.
Unsuccessful efforts were made on behalf of the 2 condemned soldiers, who had been regular church-goers at home, the newspapers in their home-town being misled as to the true cause of death. Ingham’s father was likewise deceived for many years, but in due course insisted on the truth coming out, requesting, and the War Graves Commission reluctantly granting a unique inscription: see the photograph of the headstone. The 2 comrades are buried side by side, & are also commemorated on the War Memorial at Salford Railway Station. (Babington, pp. 120-121; Ward & Gibson, p. 81; Putkowski, pp 138-140)
10686 Private Benjamin O'Connell, 1st Bn. Irish Guards, executed for desertion 8th August 1918, aged 23. Row C. 7. Son of James and Mary O'Connell, of Tinnarath, Foulksmills, Wexford. He had already been convicted of 2 offences involving absence, 2 years' & 10 months’ imprisonment respectively being imposed — & presumably suspended when he deserted. O’Connell was the fifth & last Guardsman to be executed. (Putkowski, p. 253)
Picture © Geerhard Joos
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Picture © Geerhard Joos
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Picture © Geerhard Joos
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Picture © Geerhard Joos
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