Thanks Marlene for passing this on it is very interesting & I am glad at last they have righted the dreadful wrong that was done , it doesn't bear thinking about those POOR men how awful it must have been for them & their Families . Here in New Zealand in the last couple of years they have pardon our men who had met the same fate , it had been a great relief for their Families . CLAIRE Claire Sinclair Paterson Invercargill, New Zealand . On Line Parish Clerk for Cubert, & Crantock Cornwall, UK ( lookups Welcome ) http://mmhamilton.tripod.com (World War 2 ,Story ) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marlene Cox" <marmelade_ca@yahoo.co.uk> To: <GEN-TRIVIA-ENG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 2:21 AM Subject: [TRIVVIES] Executed WW1 Soldiers > Thought I'd pass this on just in case it is of an > interest to any of our Listers. ..... Marlene > > Executed WW1 Soldiers To Be Given Pardons > > Wednesday, August 16, 2006 > > All 306 British first world war soldiers executed for > desertion or cowardice are to be pardoned, Des Browne, > the defence secretary, will announce today. > > For 90 years, families, friends and campaigners for > the young soldiers have argued that their deaths were > a stain on the reputation of Britain and the army. > > In many cases, soldiers were clearly suffering from > shellshock but officers showed no compassion for fear > that their comrades would have disobeyed orders and > refused to go "over the top". > > Mr Browne decided to pardon them mainly on moral > grounds, defence sources said last night. He will say > a grave injustice was done at the time given the > "horrific circumstances" in which they were shot. > One particular case brought to his attention was that > of 25-year-old Private Harry Farr, executed for > cowardice after the battle of the Somme, whose 90th > anniversary was commemorated last month. On October 18 > 1916, after a 20-minute court martial where he > represented himself, he was shot at dawn for > "misbehaving before the enemy in such a manner as to > show cowardice". > > His case was seized on by campaigners seeking a > posthumous pardon for all those executed. Pte Farr's > daughter Gertrude Harris, 93, and his granddaughter, > Janet Booth, 63, sought a judicial review in the high > court to overturn a decision in 1998 by Geoff Hoon, > defence secretary at the time, who argued that there > was no case in law to issue a posthumous pardon. > > Mr Browne - a lawyer like Mr Hoon - has taken a > different view. It would be invidious, indeed > impossible, given the lack of evidence, he believes, > now to distinguish the precise details and > circumstance of each case. He has thus decided that > all the soldiers should be pardoned. > > Defence sources said last night that Mr Browne regards > all of them as victims of the first world war. > Whatever the specific legal and historical > considerations, it was fundamentally a moral issue > which had stigmatised the families involved for more > than a generation, he concluded. > > The only distinction he is likely to make is between > the soldiers shot for cowardice and desertion and > others who were executed for murder. > > The pardons will need a decision by parliament and Mr > Browne is likely to append it to the armed forces bill > on what ministers hope will be a free vote. > > The pardons are also likely to affect former soldiers > from other Commonwealth countries - such as Canada - > and their families now living there. > > John Dickinson of Irwin Mitchell, the Farr family's > lawyer, said last night: "This is complete common > sense and rightly acknowledges that Private Farr was > not a coward, but an extremely brave man. Having > fought for two years practically without respite in > the trenches, he was very obviously suffering from a > condition we now would have no problem in diagnosing > as post-traumatic stress disorder or shellshock as it > was known in 1916." > > Pte Farr's daughter, Gertrude, said: "I am so relieved > that this ordeal is now over and I can be content > knowing that my father's memory is intact. I have > always argued that my father's refusal to rejoin the > frontline, described in the court martial as resulting > from cowardice, was in fact the result of shellshock, > and I believe that many other soldiers suffered from > this, not just my father". > > Pte Farr volunteered for 1st Battalion West Yorkshire > Regiment in 1914. After he was executed, his family > received no military pension and his widow and > daughter were forced out of their house, suffering > financial hardship, stigma and shame. > > Andrew Mackinlay, Labour MP for Thurrock, who has > campaigned for the pardon, welcomed the move last > night and said that public opinion had "moved > remarkably in support of a pardon". > > He said: "All the courts martial were flawed. People > did not have a chance to produce evidence or call > witnesses. Full marks to Des Browne, but the point is > that it has taken the British establishment 90 years." > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail. 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