Essex Scottish Dieppe Prisoners of War Face Imprisonment for Treason
Following the catastrophic raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe, on 19 August 1942, German Forces imprisoned hundreds of Canadian soldiers. While prisoners of war (POW) of German forces, some Canadian troops experienced extreme circumstances which resulted in either death or torture. Three Essex Scottish POWs were charged with treason by the Canadian authorities after World War II (1939-1945). Thus, Privates John Gordon Galaher, Edwin Barnard Martin, and George Hale were discharged from the Army with disgrace. At the three trials, the men were found guilty and received sentences varying from ten years of imprisonment to life in prison.
Pte. John Gordon Galaher was sentenced to life in prison for aiding the German enemy during his time as a POW. Following the issued charges, the trial was held by a Canadian General Court-Martial at Faraborough, Hampshire, England and lasted four days. In his own defence, Galaher stated that “I did it to save my own miserable skin.” Additionally, he believed he did what anyone else would have done in his circumstances. Although Galaher claimed innocence, he was officially convicted of treason in the fall of 1945.
Pte. George Hale was charged with treason for voluntarily aiding the enemy while detained in a prisoner of war camp. Lieutenant-Colonel J.D. Watt was the prosecutor in Hale’s case and recalled Hale denied all the presented evidence. The only evidence Hale admitted to had been that he “went out with a German under-officer to a beer garden.” In addition, Watt’s evidence was supported by two soldiers who were at the POW camp with Hale. It was stated that, “[t]he evidence will disclose that Hale at one time in the autumn of 1942 was in charge of a working party of some 21 POW.” Two witnesses, Trooper Lawrence of the No.3 command, London, and Pte. R.H. Harwood, a Virginian member of the Black Watch of Canada also taken prisoner at Dieppe, confirmed they were on that work party under Hale’s supervision. The charge report read in part, “In Germany between November 1942 and March 1943, Hale had acted as a volunteer informer for the enemy of information useful to the enemy obtained by him from allied POWs.” At the end of the trial, Hale was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Pte. Edwin Barnard Martin's trial in England lasted six days. He was tried on two charges of treason and assisting the enemy. During his examination in court, Martin admitted to giving information to the enemy while imprisoned. To make matters more serious, he was found to be an active member of the “anti-communist” British Free Corps (BFC) while in a POW camp. As a Canadian soldier, being a member of the B.F.C. was grounds for a second charge of treason. Evidence was shown that Pte. Martin agreed to work as an informer for the Germans. Martin stated he wanted to gather information to assist the Allies in the war. Martin pleaded that “any information he had given the Germans was incorrect or misleading.” Subsequently, that was proven false, as he supplied the Germans with information about the Allies’ small arms equipment used at Dieppe, concealed radio sets, and two-pounder anti-tank guns. Although Martin claimed he wanted to gain the enemy’s confidence as intelligence for the Allies, the evidence against him suggested otherwise. The Canadian court martial determined Pte. Martin was guilty of treason for being an informer for the German Army and a member of the British Free Corps and sentenced him to 25 years imprisonment.
Story by Taylor Blackmere, Canada Summer Jobs 2022 Participant
with The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment Association.
Sources
- Duty Nobly Done, The History of The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment by Sandy Antal and Kevin R. Shackleton, 2006 – Chapter 13
- "Concise Clear, Canadian Charged with High Treason", Toronto Daily Star, August 21, 1945
- "Court Withholds Decision in Case Against Soldier", Toronto Daily Star, August 30, 1945
- "Dieppe Captives Get Long Terms for Aiding Foe", Toronto Daily Star, September 28, 1945
- "Dieppe Captive on Trial, Charged with Aiding Foe", Toronto Daily Star, August 24, 1945
- "Hale Case Finding Must be Confirmed", Toronto Daily Star, August 29, 1945
- "In ‘Free Corps’ to Smash it Up, Says Canadian", Toronto Daily Star, August 30, 1945.
- "Serving Life for Treason Canuk Aids Tar on Trial", Toronto Daily Star, March 22, 1945
