TRIBUTE TO SHOT SOLDIER
SERVICE HELD TO HONOUR 100 YEARS SINCE ROBERT WAS DEPRIVED OF HIS LIFE
A Sunderland soldier shot at dawn 100 years ago this month has been honoured with a ceremony at the former battlefields of WW1.
Robert Hope was just 19 when he was shot for desertion after being found sleeping in an empty house near the Somme, 11 weeks after going missing from his company.
The Deptford-born former shipyard worker, who was more than likely shell-shocked by what he had witnessed in one of Britain’s bloodiest battles, was one of 306 men shot at dawn by their comrades in the conflict.
Now, 100 years after that tragic day in July 1917, a service has been held in Ypres, Belgium, to remember his life.
In attendance was filmmaker Esther Johnson who was invited to the ceremony after featuring Robert’s story in her film Asunder, which premiered at Sunderland Empire last July.
Esther, who uses local archive footage to tell the story of Sunderland’s involvement in the First World War in the film, said: “When researching the film I wanted to use a good range of stories and one of the lesser-known ones, which I didn’t want to shy away from, was of the soldiers shot at dawn for desertion because they were shell-shocked, or for another reason.
“It’s so poignant to think that Robert was just 19 when he was shot.”
Esther was invited to the service by the Friends of In Flanders Fields Museum, who host services to honour the dead. Whilst there, she also attended a small service to remember her great grandfather, who was killed in Ypres on February 14, 1916.
Since Asunder’s premiere in Sunderland last year, which featured a live sound-track by Field Music, Warm Digits, Royal Northern Sinfonia and The Cornshed Sisters, the film, which was produced by Bob Stanley, has gone on to be screened across the country.
Speaking about why the North East was chosen as the focus of the film, Esther said: “Because of the area’s location on the coast it was in a very vulnerable position and an important part of the film is telling the stories of those on the home front, as well as the Western Front. We wanted that balance of storytelling.”
The next North East screening of Asunder will be at Jam Jar Cinema, in Whitley Bay, on August 1. Details at http://asunder1910.uk/events.