Shot at Dawn

Shot at Dawn , For many men of all ranks and social class the stress of war often became too much to bear, Military offences such as desertion, cowardice, casting away arms, striking a superior officer, quitting or sleeping at post, could all carry a death sentence. These were separate from those crimes such as rape and murder for which any person could pay the ultimate price in the case of a guilty verdict at trial., Between August 1914 and October 1918 the British Army held in excess of 230,000 Courts Martial for all types of military offence. 3,080 death sentences were meted out, and 346 actually carried through to execution, 40 of these being for offences that carried the death penalty under civilian law. , Many of these men, who had often previously fought so bravely would now be understood to be suffering from 'shell shock', but were nevertheless executed, an 'example to other troops', to 'stiffen their resolve’., This harsh and perhaps barbaric practice was accepted at the time, not just by the British but by most of the combatant nations including Italy, France, Belgium, USA, Austria-Hungary and Germany. It is certainly the case that today's standards are vastly different from those that were commonplace during the Great War. , Britain abolished the death penalty for military offences in 1930, and in 2007 an Act of Parliament granted posthumous pardons to the 306 servicemen executed for military offences. , The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire UK movingly commemorates all those executed during The Great War. , The Lochnagar Crater is privately owned by Richard Dunning MBE and is dedicated to Remembrance, Respect and Reconciliation. , www.lochnagarcrater.org, 'The Lochnagar Promise For Peace' , “In Remembrance of all those who have suffered in conflict, and those who are suffering still may we live our lives today with more Compassion and Kindness. Understanding and Forgiveness Reconciliation and Unity. Let us now, in their honour, wage Peace.”, The Trustees are grateful for the generous bequest which enabled the refurbishment of these Visitor Information Panels. , www.lochnagarcrater.org ,