Executed soliders' epic tale

The soldiers hid in the French village for 18 months

The story of two First World War soldiers from Belfast and Cavan, executed during the Great War, is to be turned into a Hollywood Film.

BBC NI's Stephen Walker recounts the story of the men who were shot along with two English soldiers after they were tried by the Germans for spying.

In August 1914, David Martin from east Belfast and Thomas Donohoe from County Cavan, were both privates with the Royal Irish Fusiliers.

They had taken part in the battle of Le Cateau in France in the opening weeks of World War I.

During the retreat, after the fighting ended, the men became lost and disorientated and met up with other soldiers from English regiments who had also become detached from their units.

The men are honoured by a plaque in the village

The Ulstermen met up with Robert Digby from Hampshire and Willie Thorpe from Liverpool.

Trapped behind enemy lines the men knew their options were limited.

They could surrender or hide in the hope that eventually they could rejoin their regiments.

They initially took refuge in a fishing lodge close to the German-controlled village of Villeret in Picardy.

Today the land is owned by a local farmer, Phillipe De La Court, whose ancestors assisted the men.

Hidden

He said: "They lived in the lodge in a woodland which was used by the German soldiers as a training camp.

"The soldiers hid in the cellar for a number of weeks. My aunt would come and bring them food every day. The Germans never knew."

After the soldiers left the lodge, they were taken in by villagers who hid them in their houses.

Ben McIntyre: "The villagers behaved heroically"

The soldiers attempted to pass themselves off as French by adopting local accents and dressing as villagers.

London Times journalist Ben McIntyre, first discovered the story and he has just written a book about the episode.

He believes local people took great risks in hiding the men.

"I think the villagers behaved heroically, in many cases they put their lives on the line by hiding the soldiers in cellars and attics and then clothing them, dressing them as French peasants and teaching them to speak French," he said.

"They never really questioned what they were doing it seems as if they felt it was their patriotic duty to do what they did."

One of the German soldiers seem to say something and then they fired at the British soldiers

George Mercier

The soldiers all began to develop close friendships with the villagers.

Robert Digby began an affair with local woman Claire Dessenne and in November 1915 their daughter Helene was born.

The arrival of Helene caused much friction in the village and led petty rivalries to surface.

Digby was a charismatic, handsome, figure and it is believed some local women were jealous of his relationship with Claire.

In May 1916, 18 months after the men first arrived, the soldiers' adventure in the village came to an end.

George Mercier: Witnessed the execution as a six-year-old boy

They were captured by a squad of German military police.

All four were tried as spies.

The men were found guilty then lashed to posts and put before a firing squad.

Although the German forces banned the French villagers from watching the executions, one young boy did see the killings.

George Mercier, now 92, as a six-year-old boy hid in bushes overlooking the execution site.

In his first broadcast interview he told the BBC: "I was quite high up and you could see what was happening in the valley.

"One of the German soldiers seem to say something and then they fired at the British soldiers. I was with my uncle.

"I wanted to say something. He told me to stay quiet.

Documentary

"The soldiers were wearing ordinary clothes. One of them was very tall. They broke his legs, so that he could fit in the coffin."

Many local people believe the soldiers were betrayed by a villager.

However, nearly nine decades on it is difficult to find the truth.

Ben McIntyre thinks it was likely that the German forces were tipped off.

"I don't think that whoever betrayed them thought that they would be executed," he said.

"I think they just thought that they would be taken as prisoners of war. I think it then spiralled out of control and the tragedy ensued but I don't think it was, if you like, a murderous piece of treachery.

"I think it was just 'we have to get these people out of our hair because they are now serious liabilities' ".

A Radio Ulster documentary on this event called An Act of Remembrance will be broadcast on Saturday 13 April at 1130 BST and on Sunday 14 April at 1430 BST.