217733 Cpl. Frederick Ives British Army 3rd Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.26th Jul 1915) Frederick Ives served with the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment during WW1.
He was executed for desertion, 22/07/1915, aged 31 and buried in the Perth Cemetery (China Gate) in Belgium.
Corporal Ives had only been in France just over a month when on the 15th September 1914 he went absent without permission during the fighting on the Marne. He was already on remand for an earlier offence. Ives managed to avoid capture for 9 months. He was eventually arrested on the 24th June 1915 by an officer of the Army Veterinary Corps. At the time he was wearing civilian clothes.
Ives court martial took place on the 7th July 1915, and in his defence he stated that he had suffered memory loss due to shell fire. Although he was found guilty of desertion and sentenced to death, the members of the court martial recommended mercy on the grounds that he might be telling the truth.
However, his sentence of death was confirmed by the Field Marshal and he was shot by firing squad with 4 other deserters from the 3rd Battalion on the ramparts of Ypres on the 26th July 1915. He was 30 years of age.
He was originally buried at the Ramparts Cemetery but was later transferred to the Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Belgium which is 3 Km east of Ypres town centre
For some strange reason the Commonwealths War Graves Commission shows the date of death incorrectly as the 22nd July 1915. This error may have been made as he was tried and sentenced the week before the other men of the 3rd Battalion who were executed the same day.
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