Shot at Dawn
Soldat Eugène Poirier son of Germain Poirier and Caroline Barrieau of Bouctouche, Kent, New-Brunswick. Eugène Poirier served as Eugene Perry in the Great War. Chosen as the first of four soldiers of the 22nd Battalion (Van Doos) to be executed during the war, and one of twenty three Canadians offered a formal apology by the Canadian Government in 2001. Their names now recorded in Parliament Hill’s Book of Remembrance.
Servientant qu’Eugene Perry
Eugène Poirier a servi en tant qu’Eugene Perry. Enrôlé au 64e Bataillon à Sussex, au Nouveau-Brunswick, le 25 septembre 1915 (matricule 470620). Il a été transféré au 41e Bataillon à Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse, le 16 octobre 1915. Il est parti outre-mer le 18 octobre 1915 et fut ré-assermenté à Bramshott, Angleterre, le 17 février 1916 (matricule 416008).
Bouctouche
This Northumberland Strait port draws its name from the Mi’kmaq word for big bay. Acadian families returning from exile settled here as early as 1784, followed by the English after 1800. The current population 92% French-speaking.
Enlistment of Private Eugene Perry
Eugène Poirier enrolled as Eugene Perry in the 64th Battalion in Sussex, New-Brunswick, on September 25, 1915 with service number 470620, and later transferred to the 41st Battalion in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 16, 1915. Born 1 April 1896 in Bouctouche, New Brunswick. An eighteen year-old labourer by trade, Eugene stood 5′ 6″ tall. Previous service with 78th Pictou Highlanders, Nova Scotia. He departed overseas on October 18, 1915 and re-enlisted in Bramshott, England, on February 17, 1916, with service number 416008.
Mistakenly Declared Deserter
Private Eugene Perry 470620, 64th Battalion, SoS Deserter, AWOL, No 2 Pier Halifax, 15 October 1915. The issue resolved the next day when Eugene completes his second attestation paper (as Private Eugene Perry 416005) at Aldershot Camp, 16 October 1915. Two days later, Private Perry sailed for England. Embarked from Quebec 18 October 1915 aboard SAXONIA, and later disembarked England 29 October 1915 with the 41st Battalion.
Private Eugène Poirier to England
Private Eugene Perry examined and pronounced fit by Captain Norbert Brown of the CAMC on 18 December 1915. The attestation finally approved on 17 February 1916 by the OC of the 41st Battalion at Bramshott Camp. The 41st Battalion later absorbed by the 23rd Battalion on 29 February 1916. Private Perry drafted to the 58th Battalion, and proceeds overseas in June of 1916.
Pte Eugène Poirier to France
Pte Eugene Perry landed in France and taken on strength of the 58th Battalion, 7 June 1916, later arriving at his unit on 9 June 1916, finding himself near Maple Copse in the Ypres Salient. On the 13/14 June 1916, his unit suffer many casualties by Sanctuary Wood.
Pte Perry transferred to the 22nd Battalion, and later joined his unit in the field on 14 July 1916.
Soldat Eugène Poirier saw his next action during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. His first experience could not have been more frightening, for his unit fought off some 13 counter-attacks by units of the German Army, just east of the ruined village of Courcelette.
While on active service, Absent without leave
Soldat Eugène Poirier sentenced to 28 days FP No 1 for when on Active Service, Absent without leave from 4:00 pm 14 February 1917 to 1:00 am 15 February 1917, in addition, forfeits one days pay. Two days previous, Eugène informed his platoon sergeant that he could not stand any more trench tours. He stated to the Court at trial that he was too nervous to stand any more shelling. Had been in France since June 1916 and had been through the Somme operations.
A soldier serves his Field Punishment one hour per day, while remaining Active with his unit. Typically, tied to a post before the men in his unit. Before completing his punishment, under pressure from High Command, C/O Lt Col T L Tremblay suddenly places Eugène in confinement on 24 February 1917. Now to be charged with Desertion.
While on active service, deserting his Majesty’s service
The crime of desertion reported to be very prevalent in the accused’s battalion with seven men having been convicted in the past ten months, without the death sentence carried out.
Soldat Eugène Poirier Shot at Dawn
Soldat Eugène Poirier tried by Field General Court Martial at Petit-Servins on 3 April 1917. His statement to his Sergeant used against him in the trial. The counsel provided woefully inadequate representation.
Sentence immediately promulgated by General Haig, and later executed at 5:30 am on 11 April 1917, as the 22nd Battalion coming out of the line.
Eugène’s execution witnessed by many of his own comrades in La Targette. His burial followed immediately at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, five kilometer behind the lines.
More Executions
High Command still pressuring the 22nd Battalion for more examples, and they are given a double-dose. Later at 04:45 on 3 July 1917, Soldat Gustave Comté and Soldat Joseph LaLancette executed by firing squad. Finally, their remains located in Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension, Plot I, Row F, Grave 20 & 21.
Soldat Joseph LaLancette
Soldat Gustave Comté
Soldat Léopold Delisle
The fourth soldier of the Van Doos executed at 04:24 on 21 May 1918. Soldat Léopold Delisle only 25 years of age. His remains located in Bellacourt Military Cemetery, Plot II, Row J, Grave 6.
Léopold Delisle démontra dès le départ qu’il était réfractaire à toute règle. Après deux enrôlements avortés, fort possiblement par désertion, il joignit le 22e Bataillon le 22 avril 1915 et traversa outre-mer un mois plus tard. La suite fut une série continue d’infractions disciplinaires : ébriété, absences répétées, désobéissance, insubordination et même, une agression d’un supérieur qui lui valut un an de travaux forcés. Il était donc inévitable qu’avec une telle attitude il aurait un jour son « Waterloo ». Le 28 mars 1918, le 22e Bataillon fut requis d’urgence sur la ligne de front afin d’aider à bloquer une offensive allemande. Léopold disparut alors et fut déclaré absent le lendemain. Il fut arrêté une semaine plus tard. Jugé en cour martiale pour désertion face à l’ennemi, il fut déclaré coupable et condamné à la peine de mort. Il fut fusillé le 21 mai 1918.
Ecoivres Military Cemetery
Mont St Eloi is a village in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, 8 kilometres north-west of Arras. The village stands on high ground overlooking the battlefields of Vimy and Souchez and the main Bethune-Arras road, and the ruined towers once used as an observation post during the French attacks at Neuville-St Vaast and Givenchy in May 1915. Ecoivres a hamlet lying at the foot of the hill, to the south-west and about 1.5 kilometres from Mont St Eloi on the Arras-St Pol line. The cemetery on the D49 road.
Apology
The Government of Canada has offered an apology and formally announced its regret for this situation. On December 11, 2001, Veteran Affairs Minister, Dr. Ron Duhamel rose in the House of Commons and with sincerity and passion, read the names of those 23 Canadians into the Parliamentary record and announced their names into the Parliament Hill’s Book of Remembrance. Whole-heartedly supported by all of Canada’s opposition Parties.
“Those who go to war at the request of their nation do not know the fate that lies in store for them. This was a war of such overwhelming sound, fury and unrelenting horror that few combatants could remain unaffected,” said Minister Duhamel. “While we cannot relive those awful years of a nation at peril in total war, and although the culture of that time is subsequently too distant for us to comprehend fully, we can give these 23 soldiers a dignity that is their due, and provide closure to their families.”
(The Honourable Ron J. Duhamel, Minister of Veterans Affairs 11 December 2001)
The two other Canadians Shot at Dawn, not included in the formal apology, executed for the crime of murder.
Executions
In total British court martials had 306 soldiers Shot at Dawn. Among them 25 Canadians, 22 Irishmen and 5 New-Zealanders. Australia the only country that refused execution. The 129 Australians (including 119 deserters) sentenced to death during the war (117 in France) not shot.
Only 18 German soldiers executed in the Great War as opposed to over 600 in the French Army.
Between April 1917 and November 1918 American court-martials sentenced 24 American deserters to death, however, none actually shot, but stragglers and deserters often publicly humiliated.
Not only soldiers of the Great War executed, but also spies like Carl Hans Lody, Mata Hari, Edith Cavell.
Mémoire d’une Ville Martyre
However, the greatest number of executions happened to the civilian population in the early stages of the war, most especially during the so-named Rape of Belgium. While there is little evidence, if any, to support the systematic rape of women by the German Army during this period, there remains a plethora of evidence, still ignored today, of deliberate mass-executions of the civilian populace and the franc-tireur.
In Dinant, a total of 674 civilians killed, one-tenth of its population, furthermore, in Andenne, the execution of 200 civilians forcibly witnessed by the remainder of the surviving villagers. Sir Arthur Currie would not forget these people almost five years later, just prior to leaving the Western Front.
The story of Company Quarter Master Sergeant William Alexander Shot at Dawn related by Reverend Frederick George Scott, 1st Canadian Division Senior Chaplain.
