Additional Name Of Soldier Added To War Memorial And Details Of Another ‘Shot At Dawn’ Corrected

Published on: 8 Nov, 2014
Updated on: 10 Nov, 2018

By David Rose

When the Mayor of Guildford, civic dignitaries and others gather at Guildford’s war memorial in the Castle Grounds this Remembrance Sunday for the annual wreath laying ceremony, I hope some of them take a moment to look at a new name that has recently been added. And also, a correction that has been made to another who was shot for desertion in the First World War.

David Rose stands in front of Guildford’s war memorial in the Castle Grounds. His suggestion to GBC’s parks department to add a new name and correct details of another have been successful.

Earlier this year a friend of mine, when continuing her research into people who once lived at her house, discovered that an Eric Sibley Stinchcombe, was one of those.

An Elizabeth Martin Sibley (who was a teacher) lived at Hillside in Deerbarn Road, off Woodbridge Hill, from 1911 to 1924. On the 1911 census she is listed as head of the household.

Elizabeth’s sister Mary, and her brother-in-law William Stinchcombe, also lived there with her at that time. They had three children: one whose name is unknown died in infancy, Eric, born 1897, and Avice, born 1902.

Eric was living at the house when he enlisted in the army during the First World War. He was a private in the 5th Battalion, the Wiltshire Regiment. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 11, 1915, aged 17.

Yes, that’s right – aged 17, so he must have lied about age to get into the army!

His details on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWCG) website also confirms his age and that he parents were of ‘Hillside’, Deerbarn Road, Guildford.

Also earlier this year I, along with others including the former curator of Guildford Museum, Matthew Alexander, were invited to sit on Guildford Borough Council’s committee for the town’s Great War centenary commemorations. At one of the meetings it was announced that the war memorial in the Castle Grounds was going to have some restoration work ahead of the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War on August 4.

I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to have Pte Stinchcombe’s name added to the memorial. There have, over the years, been a few extra names engraved on the Portland stone panels, but none since the name of Pte Arthur Webster was added. His was added at the request of his family, as, at the time, there were no names of men who had died on active service during the Second World War.

In 1995, an additional plinth was added with those names, so Pte Webster’s name now appears twice!

The name of Pte Eric Sibley Stinchcombe now added to the war memorial.

Moreover, I made a successful appeal to the council’s park’s department, that was supervising the restoration of the memorial, to have Pte Stinchcombe’s name added (after supplying details as seen above), but also took the opportunity to ask whether at the same time details of another hero could be corrected.

The name of 2nd Lieutenant Eric Skeffington Poole had come to light a few years ago following research by Dragon editor Martin Giles into men from St Catherine’s Village who had made the supreme sacrifice during war.

2nd Lieut Eric Skeffington Poole as originally incorrectly listed as of the Norfolk Regiment.

I had checked out his name on the war memorial in the Castle Grounds and found that it listed him as being in the Norfolk Regiment, when in fact he was of the 11th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment.

Poole’s listing, now corrected.

However, Eric Poole did not die in battle or of wounds sustained in action. Although he had been suffering from shell shock, he was executed for desertion.

During the First World War, 306 British soldiers were executed for military offences such as desertion and cowardice.

In some cases, their names were omitted from the war memorials that were erected across the UK in the years immediately after peace was announced in 1919.

The execution of a relative was very often a source of shame and in some cases war pensions were not paid. However, in 2006, after many years of pressure, the then Defence Secretary, Des Browne, said he would be seeking a group pardon, approved by Parliament, for the men.

Eric Skeffington Poole.

In fact, 2nd Lieutenant  Poole was one of only three British officers executed during the First World War.

Eric Poole was born in Nova Scotia, Canada on January 20, 1885. He gained his first military experience in the 63rd Regiment of the Halifax Rifles, with whom he served for two years between 1903 and 1905.

The Poole family arrived in England at some stage between 1905 and the outbreak of the First World War, settling in Guildford. This may have been 2 Rectory Place, off the Portsmouth Road and just within St Catherine’s Village.

It is that address that appears on details about 2nd Lieut Eric Poole, courtesy of the CWGC. However, other official military documents that exist relating to him, such as his attestation record for October 1914, gives his address as ‘Spreyton’, Guildford.

The local town directory for 1913 lists Spreyton, Josephs Road, as occupied by the “Misses Poole”.

Regarding Eric’s war service, in early October 1914, he joined the Honourable Artillery Company as a driver in B Reserve Battery, but was commissioned on May 3, 1915. He initially served with 14th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, in the UK. At the end of May 1916, he was sent overseas to join 11th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, 23rd Division in France.

He wandered away from his platoon on October 5, 1916, near the frontline trenches at Flers.

Two days later he was apprehended by the military police, and October 10, was arrested.

The medical history sheet compiled for Eric Poole’s court martial in November 1916 reveals that he suffered “shell shock” after being hit by clods of earth distributed by an enemy shell during fighting on the Somme on July 7, 1916.

Eric Poole wrote in his own testimony for his own trial that at times he had often been confused and had great difficulty making up his mind.

A medical board examined Eric Poole. They concluded that “he was of sound mind and capable of appreciating the nature and quality of his actions”.

His trial took place in the Belgian town of Poperinghe on November 24, 1916. He was charged with destertion “when on active service.”

Six witnesses were called. Two men spoke for his defence, including a Royal Army Medical Corps officer who stated that Poole’s mental condition had precluded him from intentionally deserting his company.

In his own testimony, Poole confessed that he had been unaware of the seriousness of not going to the front line on October 5.

The court found Poole guilty of desertion and sentenced him to “death by being shot”. This verdict was confirmed by General Douglas Haig, on December 6, 1916.

Haig is reported as saying at the time that although Eric Poole was an officer, no exceptions could me made, owing to his rank.

Eric Poole was the first British officer to be executed by firing squad during the First World War. His execution took place at Poperinghe town hall on December 10, 1916.

He lies in the town’s military cemetery with the customary white headstone.

Poole family grave in St Martha’s Churchyard that commemorates Eric Skeffington Poole, although is is buried in Belgium.

However, his name appears on a third memorial. Members of his family are buried in the churchyard at St Martha’s – that beautiful hillside location just outside Guildford near Chilworth.

On a part of the stone memorial that surrounds the grave “Eric Skeffington Poole” can clearly be seen.

My good friend and fellow researcher Frank Phillipson, has uncovered some of the details noted here about Eric Skeffington Poole.

I thank the council’s parks department for the addition of Pte Stinchcombe’s name and for correcting the regiment details of 2nd Lieut Eric Skeffington Poole.

David Rose points to the name of 2nd Lieut Skeffington Poole. Picture by Anna Valentina.

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