Marine John William Smith

He was the Marine that made the statement about Helmore's homosexuality in the Marines in Ireland.

1897 Mar 9. at Lyddingham, Uppingham, Rutland

1901 census living at Lyddingham, Uppingham

1911 In Uppingham Workhouse with his family

1914 Nov 4 Enlisted in Marines

1922 Feb From Nicola Hallam The investigating officer noted that he felt that the idea that Helmore killed Yates because he was angry at his seduction and unable to find a way to break off the immoral relationship was likely. However as there was so little evidence to corroborate his statement the Admiralty’s response to Voss in February 1922 was that they could not support the conclusion of justifiable homicide and they therefore would not consider a reduction in sentence. Voss refused to accept this.

1922 Jul Voss & Co called the Admiralty to ask permission to question another messmate of Helmore's called Smith that Lt Col Johnson had tracked down

1922 Sep 8. Voss wrote to the Admiralty with Smith’s statement. J W Smith was a reluctant witness but a key one. He stated that he first met Yates in Leicester in 1919, they met up a few times after that casually and did not meet again until they were both at Chatham. He describes seeing Yates and Helmore frequently talking together sitting on Helmore's bed when they were in Chatham. He said that Yates did not associate with any other private in the way he did with Helmore. Other men noticed this as well and commented ‘here comes Yates with his winger’. He noticed that sometimes when Helmore and Yates were talking alone Helmore would blush. Once in Ireland he observed Yates and Helmore walking together. He was only based at the Coastguard Station in Ballyvaughn for a fortnight and left about a week before the shooting. When he heard about the shooting and it was said that Helmore and Yates had quarrelled about a girl he didn't believe it as neither of them, to his knowledge, went out with girls. He said it was only then he thought the friendship between Helmore and Yates was more than an ordinary friendship.

This statement was a double-edged sword for Helmore’s case. It appeared to corroborate the story that Yates’ interest in Helmore was ‘unnatural’ and therefore confirmed the likelihood of there being sexual intimacy between the two but, as noted in a comment by the Royal Marines Adjutant, “assuming for the sake of argument that their relations were irregular at Chatham, this assumption tends to discredit the view that Helmore shot Yates owing to a sudden revulsion of feeling”.

Voss wanted to know whether the Admiralty would follow up with Smith but the Admiralty felt there was little point as it was not likely to be able to prove that Yates was the instigator or that his attentions were unwelcome. It was decided that Helmore’s sentence would be reviewed after he had served five years. Assuming good behaviour this meant he should have been released in around 1926. There is no note on the court martial paperwork to confirm the date he was eventually released.

He would appear to be this man Marine John William Smith, who served in 8th Battalion Royal Marines in Ireland from 2 Jun 1920 to 31 Dec 1920

 

1935 May 10 Married in Leicester to Rachel Allen

1944 Feb 5 Pensioned from RM

 

Yates Murder