A Day in the War: 9th August 1915.

A Day in the War: 9th August 1915.

In the early hours of 9th August 1915 near Hooge in Belgium Sherwood Foresters were preparing to retake trenches lost to the Germans at the end of July. At Gallipoli, other members of the regiment were readying themselves to attempt to move inland after the chaotic landings at Suvla Bay three days before. Back in England one Forester was under arrest, while in Nottingham hundreds of volunteers were to start their work of National Registration, the census of the city's adult population. It was to be a busy day.

Lieutenant Charles Morley Houfton, of the 1/8th Battalion, the son of a director of the Bolsover Colliery Company, recorded the beginning of the attack at Hooge in a letter to his parents in Mansfield Woodhouse.

“... at 2.45 [a.m.], the British guns opened fire on the German position and simply rained shell after shell into them. This was the biggest artillery bombardment that has ever been known in the world’s history, and I was close by and heard it. I can’t describe the noise; it was simply awful, thousands of shells – British and German – passing over us. At 3.45 the range was lengthened and the [2nd Battalion] Sherwoods dashed forward. It was a complete victory. They retook all the trenches, and made many prisoners.” [1]

Though hardly the walk-over Houfton described, the Sherwood Foresters at Suvla might have been content to swap places with them. Twenty-one year-old Pte. Joseph Bowler, serving with 9th Battalion, formerly a miner from Huthwaite, took part in the attack on Turkish positions they knew neither the strength nor location of a few hours later.

“I shall never forget the 9th of August, for we made an attack about six in the morning. We were about 800 strong, but when the roll was called we had between three and four hundred, and only four officers left. My God, it was like hell to see them shot down, and hear the cries of the wounded. A chum of mine dragged one of our chaps into the hedge bottom, and we bandaged him up as well as we could, but we could not do much as he was shot through both thighs by explosive bullets, and they had ripped half of his thighs off.” [2]

The losses incurred in places such as Hooge and Gallipoli had to be replaced but at that stage of the war the political will to introduce conscription did not exist. However, the passing of the National Registration Act allowed for a detailed study, a census by another name, to be undertaken to assess the manpower available for industry and army alike.

In Nottingham alone there were 200,000 people to be registered, every adult aged between 18 and 65. Dividing the city into 700 sub-areas, 700 volunteers were tasked with visiting 100 houses each to ensure the returns were made accurately; indeed made at all. And they had the power of the law behind them. Failure to supply the required information was an offence.

“If any person over 18 years of age required to register himself (a) refuses or, without lawful excuse, neglects to fill up, or cause to be filled up a form to the best of his knowledge, (b) refuses or neglects to attend at any place or time at which his attendance is required under the Act, (c) wilfully makes a false return, (d) refuses to answer or wilfully gives a false answer to any question necessary for obtaining the required information, or (e) refuses or neglects to perform any other duty imposed on him by or under the Act, he “shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding £5, and in the case of a continuing offence to a further fine not exceeding £1 for each day during which the offence continues.” [3]

An essential tool to facilitate the operation of conscription, though it was officially denied as being designed for that purpose, there were other individuals missing from military service but who were already in khaki. One such man was Pte. John William Oaklands. [4]

Oaklands had enlisted back in 1908 and had served on the Western Front with 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters since it first landed on the continent on 8th September 1914. After surviving the fighting on the Aisne later than month and his battalion's near destruction at Ennentières on 20th October 1914, he was wounded on 14th March 1915.

Evacuated back to the U.K., after recovering in hospital he was posted to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion at Mayfield Camp near Sunderland. However, the attractions of camp life seem to have been lost on him and he was found to be absent from parade at 7.15 a.m. on 28th July 1915, though his freedom was short-lived.

Arrested in Edinburgh the following day, he was returned to his unit and on 7th August charged with being absent without leave; attempting to travel without a ticket; striking a non-commissioned officer with a kit bag; being in possession of a false pass; and giving a false name to the Military Police. His sentence was to serve 28 days’ detention at Frenchman’s Point detention camp, South Shields.

On 9th August 1915, Oaklands and another prisoner, Pte. Frederick Farnsworth [5], also from 3rd Battalion Sherwood Foresters, travelled by train under an escort commanded by Sergeant Cecil Bull [6]. Hucknall's Corporal William Mitchell [7], who had lost a finger from his left hand at Ennentières, also with the Sherwood Foresters' 2nd Battalion, was one of the guards.

Arriving at Frenchman’s Point, Oaklands was brought before Corporal George Jaques, a 43 year-old Barnsley man; like him, a pre-war regular soldier now serving with a reserve unit, in his case 3rd York & Lancaster Regiment. Oaklands’ kit was inspected and his rifle examined, as it had been before leaving Mayfield Camp. Jaques removed the bolt, looked down the barrel and, finding it clear, returned both rifle and bolt to Oaklands.

Jaques turned his attention to Farnsworth who, trying to say something, was told abruptly to ‘shut up’. “If there is any more talking to be done, I’ll do the talking” [8], said Jaques, who then proceeded to look at Farnsworth’s kit. Just then there was a shot and Jaques fell, the bullet going straight through him from right to left, striking Sergeant Bull, grazing him on the right side, the bullet having first smashed his wrist watch. Bull was bruised but not seriously injured but Jacques’ injuries proved fatal. He staggered into the orderly room bleeding profusely and fell at the camp commandant’s feet, Captain John Parnell Alan. Jacques said to his commanding officer, “I have always done my duty, haven’t I sir?” to which Captain Alan replied, “Always, none better.” [9] Sergeant Albert M. Simmonds, a medical orderly, gave Jaques first aid. “Shim, they have got me this time.” [10] ‘They’ had indeed and Jaques died shortly afterwards. In the meantime, Cpl. William Mitchell and the other members of the guard party had wrestled Oaklands to the ground, handcuffed and placed him in a cell.

Oaklands’ rifle was inspected again and found to have two rounds in the magazine and a spent cartridge in the breech. Where had they come from? There had been none in the breech and the cut off was closed when Jaques handed the rifle back to Oaklands. It should not have been possible for a cartridge to have found its way into the breech without it being opened deliberately, i.e., unless Oaklands had loaded and cocked it. At least that was the finding of the Coroner’s Inquest on 17th August, which, taking into account Oaklands’ apparent lack of shock or even concern for what had happened, committed him to the Durham Assizes for trial on a charge of wilful murder.

At the trial on 24th August 1915, Farnsworth gave evidence stating that after Oaklands had been handed back his rifle by Jaques, he saw Oaklands, “turn half right, and bring his rifle to the ready position” [11] before the gun went off only two feet away from Jaques.

In his defence, Oaklands said that, “he fastened the bolt down to the catch and lowered the sight down to the normal, turned the rifle to the left and saw that the magazine was not closed up. He pressed that home and pushed the bolt forward. While doing that his foot slipped on a stone and this caused him to turn to the right, and at the same time he pressed the trigger, and the rifle went off.” [12]

Although obvious that the rifle had been loaded somehow, Mr. Paley Scott, the defending counsel, addressed the issue of opportunity. If Oaklands had wanted to kill Jaques, precisely how had he managed to load the rifle without being seen despite being in the full view at all times of a five man guard? As for motive, although there was evidence to suggest that Jaques had a reputation as a strict disciplinarian, there was nothing to suggest that Oaklands had ever met him before that moment. Why, therefore, should Oaklands wish to kill him?

After a 20 minute deliberation, the jury returned a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict, deciding that there was insufficient evidence to prove a charge of murder and Oaklands was discharged.

George Jaques' body was returned to Barnsley, where he was buried in the town cemetery. He left a widow, Charlotte, and six children. Nine years later the army was still arguing about the terms of his pension.

[1] ‘Mansfield Reporter & Sutton Times’, 24th September 1915.

[2] ‘Mansfield Reporter & Sutton Times', 10th September 1915.

[3] 'Nottingham Evening Post', 9th August 1915.

[4] He served, qualified for his medals, as 'William Oakland.' He later transferred to the Labour Corps.

[5] Frederick Farnsworth, who had landed as a reinforcement to the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment ) on 11th November 1914, was later transferred to the Army Service Corps. He deserted on 18th December 1918 and forfeited his 1914 Star as a consequence.

[6] Cecil Bull was later transferred to the Labour Corps and discharged as no longer fit for service.

[7] William Mitchell was transferred to the Lincolnshire Regiment, where he served with a Garrison Battalion in India for the remainder of the war.

[8] ‘Notts. Local News’, 21st August 1915.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] ‘Notts. Local News’, 28th August 1915.

[12] Ibid.