SKETTS MURDER (from Gabe Thomas)

Walter Leonard Skett, First Radio Officer, from the British Petrol, was shot dead by a German sentry at 11:20 p.m. on the thirteenth of May 1942, allegedly whilst disregarding the sentry's challenge. The German death certificate sent to England by the Red Cross 1 stated that he died from "herzschutz", [heart failure,] although it was well known in the camp that he had been shot twice, once without warning and a second time whilst lying helpless on the ground.

William Cambelton, a steward from the Orama, witnessed the shooting and on return to the U.K. gave the War Office the following statement;

"Walter Skett was shot and killed. First shot fired without warning, second shot was fired as he lay on the ground. He [the guard] had been heard to state that he would pile up the dead one morning and on several occasions he threatened me with the rifle" 2

The guard who shot him "was rather thin featured and gave the appearance of a halfwit" according to Cambelton.

Albert Dean, Ordinary Seaman from the Roslea, provided the War Crimes investigators with the following statement;3

"During rather hungry times in 1942 an armed guard was put on the galleys to stop stealing. Witnesses will prove that the guard said hours before the criminal act that, "If any Englishman came near the galley when he was on watch he would shoot them. The same night Wireless Officer Skett was shot. At the time myself and the other named witnesses were on night watch in the galley and saw him die. Mr Alexanda, one of the witnesses carried him in. We heard no warning but this may have been due to our being indoors. We heard two shots. Skett was hit from behind in the left shoulder and the right hip this bullet coming out at the top of his head. Skett was wearing an overcoat, pyjamas and slippers. It was never known where he was going or what he was doing."

Julius Green, camp dentist writing about the incident;

"A young Radio Officer called Skett had established trading relations with one of the marine guards, and used to slip out of his barrack at night to meet the guard when he was patrolling. Cigarettes and eggs would change hands. I heard a rifle shot and a scream. About a minute later I heard a second shot. By this time I was out of my bunk, had on my shoes and greatcoat, and with a surgical haversack in my hand I reached the door of the hospital barrack. I saw a party of Germans running to a spot behind the kitchen hut.I joined them and saw Skett lying on the ground in his pyjamas and an army greatcoat. When I went to examine him, I was stopped and told to mind my own business. The body was carried into the hospital barrack and the German doctor, Trautmann, and Schoof, one of the security officers, arrived. Trautmann asked what had happened and I said that I had heard two shots and we found Skett lying dead. Schoof said there was only one shot, and I retorted that there had been two, where upon Schoof warned me to be careful what I said or else I'd be in bad trouble. He went on the say that Skett had been shot while trying to escape. I said it was obvious he was trying to escape since he was wearing only pyjamas and slippers, and that it was my opinion that while the Germans could possibly justify one shot, the second one was simply murder. At this Schoof yelled that I would have to answer for my words. All this time Trautmann was examining poor Skett's body. When he had finished he said that there had been two shots. Sure enough, Skett had been shot in the left shoulder and again in the back. I announced that my report to the Swiss Protecting Power's representative on his next visit would be that Skett had been shot twice and that at the time he was dressed in pyjamas and slippers. Apparently Skett had left his barrack after lights out, which was forbidden, to see the guard with whom he was trading, and as he approached, the guard shot him and, realizing that Skett was only wounded, shot him again as he lay on the ground. I have never discovered the reason for this murder, which was nothing out of the way in German PoW camps, especially if the prisoners were Russians, Serbs, Poles or French. A couple of months later I gave my report to the representative of the Protecting Power, and on my return to the U.K. after the war I made a statement under oath to an officer of the Judge Advocate General's Department when the matter was being investigated. The tragedy of Skett's murder - it was nothing less - brought home to us the fact that we were at the mercy of any trigger-happy Hun."

James Mcintosh wrote to the author (2004)

"About Walter Skett, you may recall that I had previously said that I had not heard of his having been trading with some German guard as the dentist Green had suggested and had hoped Green had been more explicit. I couldn't see what each would have to offer the other. From what is said in your latest e-mail, I think Green was mistaken. From what Walter's step-sisters have learned, Walter was interested in languages and my personal guess would be that German was one of them and that he had possibily struck up an aquaintance with one of I also pointed out that the description of the guard who killed Walter as given by William Campbelton of the Orama did not match up with that of the guard who young Jimmy Robb played mouth organ with. We were told he had been the killer. Jimmy Robb was younger than I was so he may still be around. He was repatriated early."

Walter Skett was twenty-three years old when he was killed. As far as is known no one ever stood trial for his death. -----------

NOTES

1 RSS: Death in captivity pouches; W.L. Skett.

2 ibid., statement by W. Cambleton.

3 ibid., statement by A. Dean.

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