Hope

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The Trial and Execution of Private Thomas Hope

2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment

Field General Court Martial: Chapelle d’Armentieres - 14 February 1915

Charges: 1) Deserting H.M. Forces Plea: Not Guilty Finding: Guilty

2) Drunkeness Plea: Not Guilty Finding: Guilty

3) Conduct prejudicial to good order Plea: Not Guilty Finding: Guilty

Sentence: Death

President: Major G.M. Bullen Smith 2 Bn. Leinster Regiment

Members: Captain Hon. N.G. Bligh 6 Bn. Rifle Brigade, Lt. H. C. Berne 2 Bn. Leinster Regiment

1st Witness for the Prosecution: No.7390 Sgt. S. [Barwell ?] 2 Leinster Regt. States that on the night of the 23rd December, 1914 he detailed the accused Private Hope as one of a ration party with three other men. The party left the trenches about 6:30pm and he did not see accused again till February 10th 1915. Ration party would have to proceed about 800 yards to perform this duty.

2nd Witness for the Prosecution: No.7810 Sgt. C. Saunderson 2 Leinster Regt. States that on 23rd December 1914 he was acting Quartermaster Sergeant of the company to which the accused belongs, and was living in the trenches. Between about 7:30pm and 8pm a ration party came down to draw rations for each platoon. Accused was one of the party from one of the platoons. Witness saw accused arrive at the point where he was distributing rations. On witness returning to the trenches it was reported to him by the Lance-Corporal assisting him, that accused was absent. Witness did not see the accused till about 11th February. It is the duty of the ration party to proceed back at once with the rations to the various platoons. The name of the Lance-Corporal who was assisting witness is Lance-Corporal Boraston, who is now in hospital.

3rd Witness for the Prosecution: No. 9217 Coy. Quartermaster Sgt. W.H. West 2 Leinster Regt. States that at the Rue des Patineurs, Armentieres on February 9th 1915 accused was brought to the billet at about 4:45pm. He was dressed in a greatcoat with a Lance-Corporal’s stripe and a Police Badge, and was drunk. He gave his name as Lance-Corporal Stout, and asked permission to fall out to get a relief, as he would be placed in arrest if he did not report at 6 pm. Accused now before the court is the man who was brought to me.

4th Witness for the Prosecution: Capt. O. Milthorpe 1 Rifle Brigade States at Armentieres on the 9th February 1915 he went round the company billets, and found a drunken soldier of the 2nd Leinster Regt. outside the door. There was also a Lance-Corporal there, and both were wearing police badges. He asked Lance-Corporal why he had not arrested Private Donoghue, the private in question, under arrest. He then saw that the accused who gave the name of Lance-Corporal Stout was also drunk, and placed him in arrest. He identified the accused as the man who gave his name as Lance-Corporal Stout.

Above Witnesses were duly sworn.

Defence:

Accused declines to call any witnesses or to give evidence on his own behalf.

Accused makes the following statement in his defence:

On the night of December 23rd, 1914, I was very much upset owing to the death of two of my brothers of which I had just heard. I had no intention of going absent when I left the trenches. It was a sudden impulse. [crossed out in original: Then I wandered about until I got into the French trench after] The first night I was away I went by mistake into the German trenches. The enemy kept me three days, and took me to their headquarters at Lille. I escaped from the Germans during an attack and got into the French trenches and I stayed there two days. Then I met some British troops and stayed there are some of three or four days. I've been walking round since and tried to find my own regiment.

Headquarters 6th Division 14.2.15

I see no reason why the sentence should not be carried out. G.M. Harper, Brig. General, commanding 17 Infantry Brigade

3rd Corps 16.2.15

The names of the two brothers mentioned in the accused’s statement are 9701 Private P. Hope, 1st Munster Fusiliers and 24610 Driver J. Hope, Royal Field Artillery, number of battery unknown. The statement of the accused with regard to them has not been verified. The prisoner has brought no evidence in proof of his very improbable statement & I see no reason why the sentence should not be carried out.

Keir, Major General, commanding 6th Division

I see no reason why the extreme sentence of death should not be carried out

W.P. Pulteney Lieutenant General, commanding 3rd Army Corps

3rd Army Corps

Will you kindly furnish the information called for in memo. No. A/4/23 of even a date, a copy of which is enclosed.

J.B. Wroughton, A.A.G. 2 Army

Headquarters

17th Infantry Brigade

Reference 2nd Army Memo. A/4/23 d./ 18.2.15, I beg to report as follows concerning No. 9689 Private T. Hope of the battalion under my command.

As regards para. (1) of the above memo. Pte. Hope was serving with the battalion before mobilisation. He accompanied the battalion to Cambridge, where he absented himself and rejoined with the first reinforcements at Dhuizel. He again absented himself on the march from Dhuizel to Le Mieux and was awarded Field Punishment No.1 by Field General Court Martial. He again absented himself later on, and was awarded three months Field Punishment No.1. I consider him a bad example to other soldiers.

As regards para. (3) it would appear that Private Hope has made up his mind not to serve creditably. In peace time he gave a good deal of trouble in his company through small absences. He was given every chance in the battalion as he is a fine athlete, but proved himself very unreliable. I am of the opinion that the act of desertion, for which he is now under sentence was part of his general line of conduct, to avoid all military duty as far as possible.

Officer Commanding 2 Leinster Regt.

6 Division

21.2.15

As regards (1) & (3) I attach the commanding officer’s statement. As regards (2) the discipline of the battalion may be considered fair considering their surroundings. As regards (4) I see no reason to take a different view from that expressed by the court that tried Private Hope.

G.M. Harper , Major General, commanding 17th Infantry Brigade

21.2.15

I concur in the views expressed by the Brigade Commander. The case as viewed by me is a very bad one.

Keir, Major General, commanding 6 Division

D.J.A.G.

23.2.15

The brigade discipline is the 2nd worst and the Battn. Discipline is also the 2nd worst in the Army. The case is a very bad one indeed & I recommend that the extreme penalty be carried out.

H. Smith-Dorrien General, commanding 2nd Army.

27.2.15

Sentence confirmed by Lord French C. in C. British Expeditionary Force

Sentence promulgated 4.30 p.m. 1 March 1915 by Lt. A.D. Murphy, Adjutant, 2 Bn. Leinster Regiment

Executed at 7.05 a.m. 2 March 1915 – Lt. S. Wright RAMC certified Hope was killed instantly. The execution squad was supervised by the Assistant Provost Marshal, 6 Division.

Extracts from Hansard March – May 1916 / Re Private T Hope

Mr Farrell, Nationalist Member for North Longford, raised a specific case, involving a Private Hope who had been shot the previous spring. Was it true that no hint had been given to Hope during the entire proceedings that he was in mortal danger? Could the Secretary of State for War enlighten the House on the allegation that it was not until an hour before his execution that Hope was informed that he was to die?

According to Mr Farrell, Hope had previously given gallant service in the trenches and had proved that he was neither a coward nor a shirker. Had this been brought before the court martial ? Furthermore, he would like to know whether the man had been defended and whether the sentence had been confirmed according to the regulations laid down ?

Mr Tennant the Under-Secretary For War. If it was Private T. Hope of the 2nd Leinster Regiment who was referred to, he had been tried by a field general court martial on 14 February, 1915, on a charge of desertion and other minor charges. The evidence showed that he had been missing from the trenches from 23 December, 1914, until 9 February, 1915, when he was arrested.

'It is well known to all soldiers that desertion in the face of the enemy is liable to be punishable by death. Private Hope was informed of his sentence more than twelve hours before it was carried out. The sentence was passed on 14 February, and was most carefully reviewed before it was confirmed by the Commander-in-Chief on 27 February.'

It was obvious, that counsel could not be employed in the field. Hope had called no evidence as to his previous conduct and none was before the court martial. He added in answer to a further question: 'When a man has been sentenced to death and all the possible means of obtaining a reprieve have been exhausted, to defer the execution unduly does not appear to be at all desirable in the interests of the condemned.'