Location

Le Crotoy is a village on the right bank of the Somme estuary and is 20 kilometres north-west of Abbeville. The Communal Cemetery is on the north-western side of Le Crotoy on the road to the beach and to the neighbouring hamlet of St Firmin.

I have found that the easiest way to find the cemetery is to follow the signs for the Centre Equestre du Crotoy (Riding School) which is signposted out the St Firmin Road from the roundabout. There is a football pitch next to the centre and the cemetery is opposite that.

Historical Information

Le Crotoy Communal Cemetery contains four Commonwealth burials of the First World War, four from the Second World War (one of which is unidentified) and one unidentified Polish war grave.

Amongst the graves in the Military Section can be found this grave to a 6 year old boy killed in 1944.

Lieutenant Roger Sherman Dix

An American pilot who was killed in an aircraft accident at Le Crotoy in May 1918, aged 22.

Roger Dix joined the American Field Service in July 1917 for service in France (Before America's entry into the war). He served in the Verdun area until in November 1917 he transferred to the US Aviation Service.

Wanting to get back to the front as quickly as possible he agreed to train as a bombing-observer rather than take the longer pilot's course. His School of Instruction was here at Le Crotoy in the Bay of the Somme.

He was unfortunately killed on his last training flight when the plane in which he was acting as observer fell from 200 metres. Both he and his French pilot were killed.

Liked and respected by all he was sadly missed by all.

Sub Lieutenant Edwin Dyett

During the First World War the British Army executed some 300 soldiers, but only 3 officers (One for murder).

Edwin Dyett is probably the more famous of the two shot for desertion, with a number of books devoted to his case.

In essence his case was as follows:

Dyett was a young and somewhat ineffective junior officer in the Nelson Battalion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. In October 1916 he found himself along with the rest of the Division on the Somme and about to take part in the battle for Beaucourt in the Ancre Valley. By this time he had already made application to transfer away from the front as he didn't think that he was suitable - an impression shared by his Company Commander.

The Nelson Battalion was the reserve for the Hood and Hawke Battalions who were charged with taking the German Front Line on 13 November 1916. The attack was a success, though the Nelson Battalion lost 34 killed and 204 wounded with a further 120 missing.

As he was not considered to be quality material Edwin Dyett was left as a reserve officer and it was only in the course of the battle with confusion all around, that he was sent forward with reserves.

Not being able to find anyone from his unit Dyett and another officer decided to return to Brigade Headquarters for more information. At Beaucourt Station they met up with a junior officer on staff duties who had a number of men with him who needed taking back to the front.

This is where it all went wrong for young Edwin Dyett. Whilst his companion accompanied the men back to the front and went on to take part in the latter stages of the battle. Dyett took offence at being ordered by a junior officer and continued on his way towards the rear. He met up with a number of soldiers who were also lost, but in the dark none of them could find Brigade HQ and they spent the night in a shell hole.

What he did not realise was that the junior officer put in a report to HQ explaining Dyett's refusal to go forward.

The following day Dyett was found at Englebelmer some ilometres behind the front line. He was placed under arrest and later charged with desertion.

What then followed is the subject of much discussion. The trial was held at la Ferme du Champ Neuf near St Firmin a ten minute drive from Le Crotoy.

Dyett did not give evidence and the evidence of the prosecution was damning enough.

At the conclusion Edwin Dyett was condemned to death, with a plea for mercy on account of his age and lack of experience.

Major-General Shute in command of the 63rd Division recommended mercy, but General Gough made the damning remark:

If a private had behaved as he did in such circumstances, it is highly probable that he would have been shot.

On 2 January 1917 Field Marshal Haig confirmed the death sentence. Dyett was informed on the evening of the 4th and at 0730 hours on Friday 5 January 1917 he met his end, probably in the courtyard of the farm where he had been held and tried.

In my own mind there is little doubt that Dyett had no intention of going anywhere near the fighting if he could avoid it. There was no evidence put up to show that he had made any real attempt to go back up to the line. That he was ordered to take men to the front by a junior officer is perhaps neither here nor there, it was his duty as an officer to get up there and lead. His companion didn't appear to have any problem with the instructions and did what Dyett should have done.

I think that the best way to look upon these men who died at the hands of their fellows is to be thankful that for most of us we have never been put to the test, to be found wanting. We cannot all be brave or courageous and for those that faltered I think we can afford to be forgiving.

I can't say that I am in favour of a blanket pardon. We cannot alter the laws and legislation of the time and those that committed military offences knew what the possible penalties could be.

If anything I feel that in the case of Edwin Dyett he was badly served by the forces from the word go. How did he ever get passed the recruiting office door let alone the training. He appears to have been a lad totally unsuited to lead men and the fact that he went to pieces under pressure should have surprised nobody.

His story is in stark contrast to the young American Pilot who lies a few metres away, but different though their stories may be they serve to highlight different aspects of a war that wasted so many young lives.