After a long and determined campaign, soldiers who were executed during the First World War for various offences such as desertion and cowardice, were recently given a posthumous pardon. One of these men is recorded on the war memorial in St George's church in Frankwell, Shrewsbury. Records show that Denis Jetson Blakemore was a Private in the North Staffs Regiment. He was shot at 4.30 am on the 9th July 1917 for desertion and is buried at Locre Hospice cemetery in Belgium.
Blakemore was the son of the headmaster of Bicton school near Shrewsbury. He initially served in Ireland and then travelled with his battalion to France in 1916. At least two of his brothers also served in the First World War. At 5.40 am on 7th June 1917 he was reported missing as his unit formed up to attack. He was discovered hiding in a shell hole in the rear of the assembly trenches and then formed up, but later was found again to be missing. At his trial he pleaded not guilty and simply said he was too upset to go on with his section. Having previously been found guilty of being absent without leave, and been given a suspended sentence of 15 years penal servitude, a death sentence was almost inevitable. A guilty verdict was recorded and in the early hours of 9th July Denis Blakemore's life came to a sad end.
The interesting thing about the memorial in St George's is that Blakemore's name shows all the signs of having been in the list from the outset. For obvious reasons the names of many such men were left off local memorials. Maybe the circumstances of his death were not revealed at the time or maybe the people of Frankwell were more compassionate than many others. Can anybody out there throw any further light on this or provide any more information? Leave me a message by clicking on 'comments' below.
For details of the 'Shot at Dawn' memorial in Alrewas arboretum click on:
I've recently discovered that Blakemore's name is also listed on the memorial plaque in Bicton church. Similarly to the one in St George's church it looks very much as though the name has been there from the outset.
Many thanks to Mike Carty who is carrying out some research into the various men who were 'shot at dawn' and points out that in fact quite a number of the men were included on their local memorials at the request of family or friends.
1 comment:
Just come across this post.
I am researching the war experiences of a Reverend David Railton, he is the padre who came up with the idea of the Tomb for the Unknown Soldier. And it is his flag that hangs in Westminster Abbey.
it appears that he was the Senior Chaplain of the 19th Division and he held communion for a convicted soldier the night before he was executed with the flag.
Blakemore and a Private Jones in the 9th RWF are the only matches I have so far.
Any information about Blakemore would be most helpful.
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