Scamps in Khaki: The criminal lives of home front deserters in WW1 | Andrea Hetherington

In this presentation, Andrea Hetherington talks about how deserters sometimes turned to crime to support themselves whilst on the run within the UK.
This talk looks at the ranks of bigamists, fraudsters, thieves and murderers on the home front.
This is one of the lectures given at the WFA's AGM and Conference 2022
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[@gblcfc65]

Top quality presentation. Andrea really knows the subject and her relaxed style is entertaining and informative

[@patrickHayes-bq1ry]

one of best delivered WFA lectures I have seen , really engaging style and great delivery

[@georgemulcahy4515]

Excellent. Very interesting and seldom discussed.

[@chrishewitt4220]

That was a very interesting talk. Thank you.

[@wstevenson4913]

Brilliant stuff Andrea !!!!!

[@CobinRain]

Really good talk. Thanks so much…

[@j5edgar2h]

Thank you -- an interesting slice of our grandparents times x

[@Tomcallinswood]

Really interesting presentation!

[@xNevikKx]

Awesome subject. Thanks!

[@stewartfullager493]

Really interesting subject and great presentation Andrea.

[@pmac798]

Amazing lecture. I hadn't really thought about that all going on very interestingthank you. Beautifully narrated 😊

[@sandovalperry2895]

In every war with conscription you’re bound to pull in a criminal element. Those criminals don’t change their ways because they are in the military.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Judging from the presentation, there was also no consistent policy of excluding those with records, either.

[@stephenbarker5162]

​@@stevekaczynski3793in an era of paper records and the rapid expansion of government administration during WWI, I imagine re-enlisting under another name or at a different town, would not have been too difficult.

[@henryjohnfacey8213]

​​@@stephenbarker5162True. T. E. Lawrence re-enlisted in the Air Corps under a different name. There's a whole mine of extraordinary stories their to be told. Greetings from Yorkshire.

[@john-y7z]

Much respect,Andrea, really good and deep presentation, themes and how you do these are really good, a difficult ship to keep on an even keel! (recognise you fron the 'bavaria' pub) all best to you...keep class work like this up!

[@stephenbarker5162]

A very interesting and well presented talk. I have heard about the criminal activities of deserters in WWII but not about the previous war. For British Society WWI especially conscription was a new and unprecedented situation.

[@paulm3033]

Brilliant.

[@CliffMcAulay]

The real criminals were the ones sending these men into the 'meat grinder' . Good luck to the ones who stayed in the attic, that's what I would have done. We have hopefully learned never to listen to the powers that be. A very interesting talk about a terrible subject thank you.

[@grahamthacker6498]

Completely agree.

[@DerAngriff]

WW1 was a criminal absurdity.

[@MarkSmith-jt3pt]

But yet you enjoy the freedoms those men went to war for like been able to write that comment on the interweb

[@Dusty-uy3ev]

@@MarkSmith-jt3pt I’m native I will not be leaving turtle island for war.

[@therealrobertbirchall]

​@@MarkSmith-jt3ptwhich freedoms we are still subjects of the English crown. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@NickRatnieks]

"Sent to borstal in Kent". Would that be in Borstal itself? Very interesting and enjoyable talk.

[@charlytaylor1748]

He-e-ere's Wiki... "The word originated from the first such institution established in 1902 near the English village of Borstal in Kent, and is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institutions and reformatories"

[@sailordude2094]

Thanks for the discussion. Interesting topic. Deserters that are also cons. Lol, quite a reputable group.

[@nledaig]

Excellent

[@NathanDudani]

Depressing

[@ivanconnolly7332]

The" Black and tans" paramilitary force sent to Irelandi n 1920 to "police"the native population included paroled criminals, unsurprisingly bank robbing, looting ,drunken violence and murder , the burning of Cork city and Balbriggan gave the force a terrible reputation.

[@EXO9X8]

I sure wonder how they explained that one to poor Jack ……

[@squidgypoppet]

Great topic, wonder if we will see a follow on covering deserters behind the front lines in france.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

The Smyrk family later knowing nothing about the case until being told of it could have been a case of the episode simply being embarrassing. It was decided to forget about it.

[@lynnmorton7544]

Wow, even that generation had its own share of villains

[@andymoody8363]

The greatest generation!

[@fintonmainz7845]

What was "great" about killing people you don't know because you swore an oath of loyalty to the Windsor family?

[@stevekaczynski3793]

The Jack Smyrk business reminded me a little of the Hollywood film _Sommersby_ which was itself based on a French film. That was founded on a real case, I think from the 16th century.

[@factorylad5071]

Apropos Percy Topliss . I took a train through the French countryside on a stopping train and the station (although not used) is as the photos in the book . Read the book it's a right riveting read and I believe every word.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Victor March dying a hero seems to be a case of him using "coolness and presence of mind" on the Germans, rather than, say, to burglarise or deceive a war widow.

[@raoulcaliente1030]

Interesting . . .

[@HandyMan657]

But did any of them claim bone spurs?

[@denis-mf3cx]

👍

[@matthewmoore5698]

Hang on I thought they shot desserters back then maybe I it was that dodgey film !

[@kearnsdouglase]

No they were ... for a reason

[@mickwhelan28]

Switch this whole presentation around if it was Women that had to go to war and a man was delivering the presentation . " Only 365 women were shot at dawn " titter titter

[@charlytaylor1748]

except it would be *guffaw guffaw*

[@mathewhex7045]

Mhm, mhm, I can understand where your coming from however I took that alot differently. I took it to mean that was an atypical amount perhaps lower than previous days around that time

[@henrypollock7987]

@@mathewhex7045yes but he’s implying how when you switch it women it’s horrible but with men just a quiet Tuesday

[@untwistedlogic2976]

Lol and your still telling them off

[@Americal1970]

I am American and I can't understand a word you are saying.

[@fintonmainz7845]

Thicko