Shot at Dawn - Executions in WWI

[2RHPZ]

" It was a great shock when I opened the file listing details of executions in the Great War. What I found amazed and deeply troubled me. There were names, ages and details. I discovered that they were so young, so vulnerable and so alone. ...In only three cases did the prisoner have the benefit of a prisoner's friend. These young men, on trial for their lives, went before their superiors without legal representations or assistance. The knowledge of this is horrific, and has deep implications." Leonard Sellers, author of "For God's Sake Shoot Straight".

Interesting web site (http://www.shotatdawn.org.uk/index.htm)

[Kitsune]

Cliche has it that the Germans were militaristic (at any time before 1945).
But interestingly the number of capital punishments that were passed by the military jurisdiction system of the Reichswehr during WWI was exceedingly low. All in all 150 German soldiers were given the maximum penalty because of cowardice, treason, desertion, rebellion, attack on superiors in the field and murder. Only 48 of those death sentences were actually carried out. And thats for all 4 years of the war. Obviously, the German authorities didn't believe that executions were good for troop morale.

[Aussie E]

Breaker Morant is a great movie about Australians put on trial and made scapegoats for the Empire in the Great Boer War.
"Shot Straight Ya Bastards, Don't Make A Mess Of It!"
Q: Under what rule did you exacute the prisoners?
A: Rule? Rule 303!

[ShotOver]

Great movie that.

[Obergefreiter]

Breaker Morant was a great movie. I thought it was the Boar war though.

[Royal]

Breaker Morant is a great movie

Indeed a great film.

What the site doesn't point out is that a large number were shot for criminal offences such as rape and murder. The last British officer shot during WWI was shot for the rape of a French girl and the murder of 2 MP's...

As for no Russians executed?????????

[oldsoak]

Breaker Morant is a great movie about Australians put on trial and made scapegoats for the Empire in the Great Boar War.
"Shot Straight Ya Bastards, Don't Make A Mess Of It!"
Q: Under what rule did you exacute the prisoners?
A: Rule? Rule 303!

And there was I thinking he was born in England... :P
Sh*thouses in Duntroon and all ADF barracks should now be referred to as Kitcheners and the act refered to as "going for a Kitchener"

[Aussie E]

Morant was born in England, but was living in Australia and probably an Australian citizen at the time. Witton and ******* were both Australian. They were in the Bushveld Carbineers which was an Australian unit. And yes it was in the Boer war like my first post stated. From what I'v gathered this was the last time Australian soldiers were tried by another country and since then I haven't found any accounts of any other executions of Australian soldiers.

[digrar]

Before any big South African Afrikaners get upset, it's Boer not Boar.

[oldsoak]

I think your right, the reason for that being the trial of Morant. Quite rightly, Australians told the UK to get stuffed. NZ didnt quite do it with the result IIRC at least one kiwi was executed . Pequliarly, not many of the "higher ups" of that era had much affection for colonial troops - alledgedly because colonials were seen as a wild unruly bunch and decendents of never-do-wells with no "real" idea of running a war etc. All bs and down the nose snobbery. The rank and file who probably had close relations serving with the ANZACS etc had no such reservations. Certainly my grandfather who served in WWI regarded the empire troops with great affection, the feeling being that they were kith and kin