Shot at dawn

[Tom Kilkenny]

I seem to remember there was some kind of bar on discussion of this topic at one time so I hope I'm not transgressing any rules here!

I am getting to the end of Michael Morpurgo's 'Private Peaceful' with my year 7s (11-12 year olds) and intend to do a little bit of 'speaking and listening' work with them to finish off. I want them to get involved in a campaign to add Charlie Peaceful's name to the Iddesleigh war memorial - they'll write letters and attend a public meeting etc - you know the kind of thing.

The thing is, and apologies if this information might easily have been found elsewhere, I am wondering what the state of play is in regard to those soldiers shot at dawn. Am I right in thinking the government offered a retrospective pardon to those shot for 'cowardice'? Presumably no such pardon was offered to those executed for other offences?

Can anyone help?

Tom

[Sandie Hayes]

The Independent, 16.08.2006

Des Browne, Minister of Defence, said all 306 soldiers executed during the First World War for cowardice and military offences would be issued a group pardon.

Not sure of the situation with individual memorials. We were at a cemetery on the Somme in September 2011 and met a family still campaigning to have their relative added to the war memorial in his home town in the Home Counties.

[John_Hartley]

The government did retro "pardon" all those executed for military offences but not for the "ordinary" offences such as murder.

The wording of the Act of Parliament was specifically such that it accepted that the whole of the original process had been proper.

This now puts the executed men in the same legal status as the many hundreds more who were also convicted and sentenced but on whom sentence was not carried out. Think of it less as a retro. pardon and more as a retro. commutation of sentence and you'll be about there with the legal position.

As to adding a name to a memorial, this is something I'm generally not in favour of - whether about the executed men or anyone else. There were many reasons why a man's name doesnt appear on a memorial - some which were family choice. Is there any evidence that this guy's was submitted for inclusion and refused?

[roughdiamond]

I want them to get involved in a campaign to add Charlie Peaceful's name to the Iddesleigh war memorial - they'll write letters and attend a public meeting etc

Tom

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Private Peaceful a fictional character? Surely the inclusion of a character dreamed up in the mind of a childrens author on a War memorial is some kind of joke?

Sam

[salesie]

Tom

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Private Peaceful a fictional character? Surely the inclusion of a character dreamed up in the mind of a childrens author on a War memorial is some kind of joke?

Sam

If a serious campaign then a joke it would undoubtedly be. One hopes that:

1) This is a hypothetical campaign; nothing more than a school exercise.

And

2) This novel is part of an English Literature curriculum not a history one - and, therefore, that the one-dimensional, almost pantomime, characters involved in the storyline are highlighted by teacher.

Cheers-salesie.

[Alan Tucker]

If you look at any SAD file the front page has a statement from Des Brown, then Sec of State for Defence....

"The pardon stands as recognition that he was one of the many victims of the First World War and that execution was not a fate he deserved"

[Kate Wills]

I seem to remember there was some kind of bar on discussion of this topic at one time so I hope I'm not transgressing any rules here!

... I want them to get involved in a campaign to add Charlie Peaceful's name to the Iddesleigh war memorial ...

No problem Tom, you are not transgessing any rules, which is more than can be said of a work of fiction.

I haven't read Private Peaceful, because I find fact more interesting than fiction. Is Pte Peaceful's name excluded from the village war memorial in the story?

If so, I fear Mr Morpurgo is using it as a dramatic device, rather than researching the actuality of inclusion of SAD names on local memorials.

[Tom Kilkenny]

Thanks John for explaining the situation and to everyone for their responses.

I have taught 'Private Peaceful' for a few years now. The book follows a couple of brothers, the narrator Tommo and his brother Charlie from their childhood in the village of Iddesleigh through to Charlie's execution for cowardice on the Western Front in 1916. It is fiction, of course, but there is a postscript in the edition we have which refers to the execution of men by firing squad for desertion and cowardice and says that the government "continues to refuse to grant posthumous pardons". Hence my question.

I always try and avoid reading the postscript and my classes always insist on reading it! So, Charlie Peaceful is a fictional character I use to inspire a variety of responses from my classes to get them writing and talking. It's only occurred to me now, of course, that there might very well be a war memorial in Iddesleigh (which I understand is where the book's author, Michael Morpurgo, lives). It's certainly not my intention to get Charlie's name added to that memorial!

As for the book itself, I must admit that when I first read it I thought it obvious and even derivative. It is, however, a children's book and, having read it with classes I don't know how many times, I have to say it is wonderful. They are always enthralled and moved by what happens to the characters. For someone with an interest in the Great War it is a treat to teach and I like to imagine that some of the children who read it will be inspired by what happens to the fictional characters to pursue an interest in their real life counterparts.

If you've not read it, give it a go!

Tom