Shot at Dawn

[jungle1810]

Hello,
In respect of the above named thread and as it is National poetry Day I offer the following as a mark of respect to the thread Shot at dawn reintroduced by a padre (Sky Pilot)

"THE PADRE"

The Padre's got a cushy job,he roams about all day,
He doesn't work, he just talks and wastes his time away.
He wears his collar back to front,and looks professional,
But don't you let him take you in, he doesn't work at all.

It's War boys, and we've got to fight, and that's our job for now.
The C.O. and the officers are here to tell us how,
The M.O's here to patch us up-we'll need him in this war.
But is there anybody who knows what a Padre's for.

The Army must be mechanised if we're to make a show,
And every Fusilier admits we need an M.T.O.
A Q.M. there must be to to superintend the store,
But only the Almighty knows just what the Padre's for,

And yet I've just been thinking chaps, that surely he was sent
To do a job of some kind for he's not an ornament.
I've heard it said by friends of mine who met a few in France ,
The Padre's can come up to scratch if men give them the chance.

Mind you, I'm not afraid to die, and I don't ask for a fuss,
But we've got girls or wives and kids who think the world of us,
And if I get knocked out to-night and laid I don't know where
Although I'm not a churchy chap I wouldn't mind a prayer.

Take that young fellow over there who's getting on so well-
If he get's shot his mother's heart is going to ache like hell,
If Padre wrote it couldn't bring him back, for nothing could,
And yet she'd be relieved to know that some one understood.

That some one understood, you know, some one who was nearby,
Who lived with him, and knew his name, perhaps who saw him die,
And every Mother in the hour of bitterness and loss,
Might like to know that some one tried to help the boy across.

I've asked you what a Padre's for,well now I wonder. Bill
If he's been sent by Jesus Christ to help us up the hill?
He's not a Saint and yet it's grand tho' some might think it odd
\that we have a fellow here to make us think of God

Written by a Padre with the Royal Welch Fusiliers 1940 (K.W. Parkhurst

[dcdl12976]

Wonderful mate, many thanks for posting it

[jungle1810]

Hello all,
Number Rank Name Age Offence Unit Division Date of death Plot Row Grave
10853 Pte A Troughton 22 Desertion 1 R W F 7 22/4/1915 Estaires Communal Cemetery 3 D
10958 Pte M Penn 21 Desertion 1 R W F 7 22/4/1915 as above Penn's Christian name was MAJOR
15954 Pte W Jones ?? Desertion 9 R W F 19 25/10/1917 Locre Hospice Cemetery 1 C 4
15437 Pte C W Knight 28 Desertion 10 R W F 3 15/11/1915 Le Grande Hasard Cemetery 3 B 9

There were also men from the Welsh Regt and the S W B's shot at dawn.
R B Donovan
E & O E

[welchboy]

Re Shot at Dawn. The records would suggest that Exec utions within the the British Army from 1914 to 1918 averaged over one a week. Covering Desertion, Cowardice, Quitting Post, Disobedience and Murder. From the start of the war to the end of 1914 there were only 4, for 1915 the total was 55, 1916 the figure rose again to 95, reached a high of 104 in 1917 and dropped to 46 in 1918.

[ap1]

The poem posted by Don was written by Ken Pankhurst, who was the Padre to the 1st Bn at Donbaik and Kohima in 1943/4. A couple of weeks ago at the RWF museums archive, we had a look through his wallet, which was donated to the museum by his family years ago. What did we find? Lots of photos of happy smiling Fusiliers, many with personal messages to him. These men knew and trusted Ken and with him shared their darkest days during the Burma Campaign.

Red Dragon later recorded after the unveiling of the Kohima Memorial in Nov 1944 "Shortly after the ceremony the battalion padre left. Probably there has never been any battalion padre more universally respected and loved by all ranks, from highest to lowest. He was always to be seen on the line of march, carrying either a pick or a shovel, and was always ready to dig his own foxhole."

[welchboy]

Shot at Dawn. Here is some further facts which shows the imbalance between "Other Ranks", and those officers who were found guilty of desertion. During the war, 15 officers were found guilty of desertion and sentenced to death. None of these sentences were carried out as they all recieved the "Royal Pardon"

[welchboy]

Shot at Dawn, have found reference to 15437 Pt. Charles William Knight, 10th RWF., mentioned in the earlier thread, that he was executed for the murders of Privates Poffley and Edwards whom he shot and killed whilst apparentley drunk according to the Court Martial. ( Source Blind and Alone ). A Pte. John Williams 9RWF. executed on 25.10.17 for Desertion. Possible connection to the earlier thread also which mentioned two members of the Welsh Regiment. L/Cpl William Price and a Pte. Richard Morgan 2WR., executed February 1915 for the murder of their Company Sergeant Major, CSM Hayes.