Local historians hear how spy's shoe was kept as a trophy by firing squad

VETERANS of the First World War were well known for rarely speaking about what they went through and the grandfather of Brignall farmer Andrew Watson was no different.
Samuel Day did, however, share two  significant stories with his only grandson – as well as an extremely unusual artefact that proves the stories to be true. The item, a handmade leather shoe, and the gruesome story behind it was a hot topic of  discussion during a recent Barningham Local History Group meeting.
The shoe belonged to a Turkish spy, and Mr Watson’s grandfather was part of a six-man firing squad that killed him. Mr Watson said: “There are only two things he ever told me about the war, that was one.”
Other than the fact that the soldiers drew lots to divide up the spy’s belongings, with Samuel Day getting the shoe, the grandson was told little else about the incident.
The second story Mr Day told him gives an insight into the horrors that soldiers in the trenches faced on a daily basis. It tells of how a soldier near Mr Day had held up a recently washed shirt to dry. It was spotted by the Germans who fired off a “whizz bang”.
Mr Watson said: “It exploded between his legs.”
While the soldier was killed, Mr Watson’s grandfather was unscathed. Mr Day, who joined the Loyal Suffolk Hussars at the age of 19 on October 15, 1915, served in Palestine, Egypt and in the trenches in France. He was still there when the Armistice was agreed and gathered .303 bullet casings from the last shots that were fired. He was discharged in 1919 and earned the victory and service medals.
All of his memorabilia, including his pay book, badges, photographs and the Turkish spy’s shoe, were handed to Mr Watson by his grandfather before his death.
Mr Watson said: “He was born on December 19, 1895, and died December 7, 1995, just 12 days short of his 100th.”