Joseph Stones
Encyclopedia
Lance Sergeant
Joseph William Stones (1892 – January 18, 1917) was a British
soldier
during the First World War
who was executed
for cowardice
. He later became the first Briton so executed to have his name added to a war memorial
.
Stones was born and grew up in Crook, County Durham
, and worked as a miner
before the war. When the war began in 1914 he volunteered to join the army, but was rejected because he was too short. By 1915 the army had lowered its requirements, and Stones joined the 19th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
in 1915. He was commended for his bravery several times, and fought in the Battle of the Somme.
The incident for which he was executed occurred near Arras
on November 26, 1916. According to his statement to his court martial, his officer, Lt Mundy, was injured by a gunshot, and ordered him to go for help. He was unable to fire his rifle
because the safety catch
was on and the cover was over the breech, so he jammed it across the trench
to slow down the advancing German
soldiers. In spite of Mundy's orders, and a statement from his commanding officer that "he is the last man I would have thought capable of any cowardly action." Stones was convicted of "shamefully casting away his rifle" in the face of the enemy, and sentenced to death. Brigadier-General
H O'Donnell upheld his conviction, in spite of his doubts about the quality of the evidence presented. Stones was executed by firing squad
several days later alongside John McDonald and Peter Goggins
, who had been convicted of abandoning their posts in the same incident. The chaplain
who prayed with them before their deaths remarked that he had never met three braver men.
Like many men executed for cowardice, Stones became a source of shame for his family, and his name was rarely mentioned. His great-nephew, Tom Stones, only discovered that he existed accidentally, while researching his family tree, but later became prominent in the campaign for a Royal Pardon for Stones and the other servicemen executed for cowardice during the First World War.
In 1997, Wear Valley Council
took the then unprecedented decision to add Stones' name to the war memorial in Crook, after the Minister of State for the Armed Forces
, John Reid
, announced a government review of the cases of the men shot for cowardice. Stones was eventually pardoned in 2006 along with the other 305 British soldiers shot at dawn during the First World War.
Lance Sergeant
A lance sergeant in the armies of the Commonwealth was a corporal acting in the rank of sergeant. The appointment is retained now only in the Foot Guards and Honourable Artillery Company...
Joseph William Stones (1892 – January 18, 1917) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
who was executed
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for cowardice
Cowardice
Cowardice is the perceived failure to demonstrate sufficient mental robustness and courage in the face of a challenge. Under many military codes of justice, cowardice in the face of combat is a crime punishable by death...
. He later became the first Briton so executed to have his name added to a war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
.
Stones was born and grew up in Crook, County Durham
Crook, County Durham
Crook is a market town in County Durham, England. It is situated about 10 miles south-west of Durham.Crook lies a couple of miles north of the River Wear, on the A690 from Durham...
, and worked as a miner
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
before the war. When the war began in 1914 he volunteered to join the army, but was rejected because he was too short. By 1915 the army had lowered its requirements, and Stones joined the 19th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
in 1915. He was commended for his bravery several times, and fought in the Battle of the Somme.
The incident for which he was executed occurred near Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
on November 26, 1916. According to his statement to his court martial, his officer, Lt Mundy, was injured by a gunshot, and ordered him to go for help. He was unable to fire his rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
because the safety catch
Safety Catch
Safety Catch is a sitcom on BBC Radio 4 created by Laurence Howarth and written by Howarth and John Finnemore. The series was first broadcast in 2007. It is about Simon McGrath , a man who works in a job that he does not like - the arms trade. The show mocks issues of morality, although Howarth...
was on and the cover was over the breech, so he jammed it across the trench
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
to slow down the advancing German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldiers. In spite of Mundy's orders, and a statement from his commanding officer that "he is the last man I would have thought capable of any cowardly action." Stones was convicted of "shamefully casting away his rifle" in the face of the enemy, and sentenced to death. Brigadier-General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
H O'Donnell upheld his conviction, in spite of his doubts about the quality of the evidence presented. Stones was executed by firing squad
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
several days later alongside John McDonald and Peter Goggins
Peter Goggins
Lance Corporal Peter Goggins was a British soldier who was executed for desertion during the First World War. His case later became a well publicised example of the perceived injustices of British military discipline during the war, and he was pardoned in 2006.Born in South Moor, Durham, Goggins...
, who had been convicted of abandoning their posts in the same incident. The chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
who prayed with them before their deaths remarked that he had never met three braver men.
Like many men executed for cowardice, Stones became a source of shame for his family, and his name was rarely mentioned. His great-nephew, Tom Stones, only discovered that he existed accidentally, while researching his family tree, but later became prominent in the campaign for a Royal Pardon for Stones and the other servicemen executed for cowardice during the First World War.
In 1997, Wear Valley Council
Wear Valley
Wear Valley was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council was based in Crook.The district covered much of the Weardale area. In the west it was parished and rural, whereas in the east it was more urban...
took the then unprecedented decision to add Stones' name to the war memorial in Crook, after the Minister of State for the Armed Forces
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
The Minister of State for the Armed Forces is a middle-ranking ministerial position, subordinate only to the Secretary of State for Defence, at the Ministry of Defence in Her Majesty's Government....
, John Reid
John Reid (politician)
John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
, announced a government review of the cases of the men shot for cowardice. Stones was eventually pardoned in 2006 along with the other 305 British soldiers shot at dawn during the First World War.
See also
- Harry FarrHarry FarrPrivate Harry Farr was a British soldier who was executed during World War I for cowardice at age 25. He came from Kensington in London and was in the 1st Battalion, the West Yorkshire Regiment.-Background:...
- Shot at Dawn MemorialShot at Dawn MemorialThe Shot at Dawn Memorial is a British Monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, UK in memory of the 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for cowardice and desertion during World War I...
- Soldat fusillé pour l'exemple
External links
- A Brave and Bold Soldier - Profile on Shot at Dawn Website