William Howells was born in Coleford in October 1890. On leaving school, he worked as a trammer, possibly for his father, who was a buttyman at Hopewell colliery. He joined the 2nd Monmouth Territorials.
He signed up in Lydney with the 11th Gloucestershire Regiment on 4 August 1915 and was sent to Belhus Park, Essex. However, he was absent from 18 November 1915 until 17 December 1915, when he was apprehended and confined to a guard room. He appeared before a district court martial at Seaford on 1 January 1916 and was sentenced to six months detention for desertion while on active duty and sent to Chelmsford Barracks.
He was transferred to the Machine Gun Regiment on 10 August 1916. He deserted again and made his way home. He was officially declared a deserter on 28 August 1916.
He was arrested after being found sleeping rough in the woods near Coleford on 11 October 1916.[1] He was handed over to the military and appeared before a district court martial at Chelmsford on 23 October 1916. He was convicted of desertion and losing by neglect his clothing, equipment and regimental necessities. He was sentenced to one year’s detention and put under stoppages of pay.
However, he was released on 3 March 1917 and sent to the front in France. He was wounded in the thigh on 8 April 1917 and was in hospital up to 15 April 1917. He was sent home in a hospital ship on 26 April 1917.
He deserted again on 7 August 1917 until he gave himself up in Coleford on 1 April 1919. He was handed over to a military escort on 8 April 1919 and held in a guard room until 1 May 1919. He faced a court-martial on 1 May 1919 and was tried for “deserting his majesty’s service”. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty as charged and sentenced:
to be imprisoned with hard labour for one year and to be discharged with ignominy from his majesty’s service.
He was sent to Lincoln prison. He was discharged on 21 October 1919. He returned to the Forest to live with his family and started work at Princess Royal colliery as a trammer. He remained single and lived with his mother after his father died in 1941. He died in January 1953.
[1] Dean Forest Mercury 20 October 1916.