217803 Pte. William G. Hunt British Army 18th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.14th Nov 1916) William Hunt was executed for desertion on 14th November 1916 and is buried in the Bailleulmong Communal Cemetery in Pas-de-Calais, France.
Private William Hunt was a regular soldier with two years service on the Western Front. Originally he had landed in France on 9th November 1914 before being posted to the 2nd Manchester Regiment 18th Battalion. He had previously been convicted of the military crime of disobedience, and had received 1 years HL in Hunt's case this had been commuted to 83 days field punishment No.l. The Recollections of an eyewitness to the private's execution recalled events surrounding the case and these were published in the early 1970s — The First Day on the Somme' by Martin Middlebrook, and the eyewitness later elaborated on some of the details.
The eyewitness, Private Paddy Kennedy was serving with 18 Manchesters and recalled that Hunt was drafted to the battalion during the latter part of 1916. 30 Division had seen a lot of action in the opening month of the Somme offensive and during a subsequent operation Kennedy maintained that Private Hunt had become detached from his unit and had gone into action with one of the South Lancs battalions. Kennedy maintained that Hunt had become lost and, because the attack failed, it was decided to make an example out of Hunt. Kennedy had no personal knowledge of these events and his description is also clouded by the passage of time. However, what can be verified as correct, is that Private Hunt was tried for desertion (the account given in Middlebrook's book incorrectly states that the offence was cowardice.) on 22nd October and that he was not represented or assisted by a prisoner's friend.The commanding officer's comments, submitted to the court, stated that in his opinion, Hunt's behaviour was generally, *satisfactory. Later the Brigadier also recommended leniency for Hunt.
Private Kennedy recalled how news of the sentence was publicised. As was the custom the battalion was paraded for the promulgation. As the men stood to attention Private Hunt was ordered to step forward, then the sentence and confirmation were read out. Kennedy stated that he and five other privates were detailed to be the firing squad Once the sentence was known the Military Police were also in attendance to ensure the ritual's eventual performance. As was standard practice an attempt was made to get the soldier drunk. With the prisoner in a drunken state everyone's task became that much easier. Intoxication was also regarded as more humane for the condemned man. Private Hunt however refused drink, and as dawn approached on the following morning he was equally uncooperative. Refusing to walk, his escort dragged him downhill into a quarry, the place of execution. There they tied him, with arms and legs bound, into a chair. His final act of defiance was to refuse the offer of a blindfold.
Kennedy recalled that the firing squad had their rifles temporarily taken from them, so that a supposed blank round (which acted as palliative for troubled consciences) could be loaded into one man's rifle. The officer warned the firing squad to take care with their aim, as he did not wish to be the final executioner. Private Kennedy also mentioned that one man in the firing squad stated he knew the victim from their regular soldiering days and declared he wanted nothing to do with the execution, as Private Hunt was a good lad. The soldier's objection was ignored. With a white handkerchief pinned over the victim's heart, the unsteady firing squad took aim. The officer's worst fears were realised. Hunt was still alive when the officer stood forward and blasted the badly wounded private in the side of the head with his revolver. The grisly spectacle over, Private Kennedy and his comrades were left to bury the body and clean up the mess. The execution had been the first in the 18th Manchesters and also the first in the Division but others were to follow before this blood letting came to an end. Twenty year old Private Hunt was a native of Manchester, and seemingly an orphan. On the last day of November the local paper reported his death saying that Hunt had died of wounds(Manch Evening News 30th Nov 1916). * It says unsatisfactory on the CO report.
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