Samuel Cropley
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Samuel Cropley was the son of John a boot repairer and Mary Cropley (née Johnson). His father was born in 1842 at Folkingham, Lincolnshire and his mother in 1859 at Holdingham, Lincolnshire. They were married in 1877 and five children. Samuel’s siblings surviving infancy were Thomas b.1879 and Alice b.1889. In 1901 they lived at 37 Inner Street Grantham. By 1911 the family, including a grandson Wannon, had moved to 6 Hornbuckle Street Denman Street Radford Nottingham. They had six lodgers. Samuel emigrated to Canada after the 1911 Census.
Samuel enlisted on 23rd August 1915 into the 2nd Battalion Eastern Ontario Regiment. He landed at Le Havre 17/3/1916 and joined his unit in the field two days later. On the 10th June 1916 he was admitted to hospital for treatment to a gunshot wound in his left foot. On 26th June 1916 he was tried at a Field General Court Martial for self inflicted injuries on active service, neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, carelessly wounding himself in his left foot. He was found guilty and awarded one month’s Field Punishment No 1.He later returned to his battalion and on 3rd May 1917 was killed in action. He was buried in Orchard Dump Cemetery. Arleur-En-Gohelle, France. Grave Reference: III B 15
Field Punishment was introduced in 1881 following the abolition of flogging, and was a common punishment during World War I. A commanding officer could award field punishment for up to 28 days, while a court martial could award it for up to 90 days. Field Punishment Number One, often abbreviated to ‘F.P. No. 1’ or even just ‘No. 1’, consisted of the convicted man being placed in fetters and handcuffs or similar restraints and attached to a fixed object, such as a gun wheel or a fence post, for up to two hours per day. During the early part of World War I, the punishment was often applied with the arms stretched out and the legs tied together, giving rise to the nickname ‘crucifixion’. This was applied for up to three days out of four, up to 21 days total. It was usually applied in field punishment camps set up for this purpose a few miles behind the front line, but when the unit was on the move it would be carried out by the unit itself. It has been alleged that this punishment was sometimes applied within range of enemy fire. During World War I Field Punishment Number One was issued by the British Army on 60210 occasions. Field Punishment Number One was eventually abolished in 1923, when an amendment to the Army Act which specifically forbade attachment to a fixed object was passed by the House of Lords. (Wikipedia) In memoriam entry published in the Nottingham Evening Post 3rd May 1918:- “ CROPLEY,- In loving memory , our dear son, Pte Samuel CROPLEY, who was killed in action of May 3rd 1917, gone but not forgotten, sadly missed by his mother, father, Sister and little nephews “ In memoriam are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.
