Shot at Dawn Memorial

The Shot at Dawn Memorial is a British Monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, UK. It memorialises the 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for cowardice or desertion during World War I.

The memorial was created by the British public artist Andy De Comyn. It was commissioned in 2000 and unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum by Mrs. Gertrude Harris, daughter of Private Farr, in June 2001. Mrs. Marina Brewis, the great niece of Lance Corporal Goggins, also attended the service.

The real usual cause for their offences has been re-attributed in modern times to post-traumatic stress syndrome and combat stress reaction. Soldiers accused of cowardice were often not given fair trials; they were often not properly defended, and some were under age.

Another perspective is that the decisions to execute were taken in the heat of war when the commander's job was to keep the army together and fighting.

The families of these victims often carried the stigma of the label of "coward". Another side to this form of "justice" is the lasting emotional pain caused to those who were in the firing squads, shooting the "deserters".

Britain was one of the last countries to still dishonour these victims of shell shock and, to this date, none of their names appear on any British war memorial. John Major emphasised this in 1993 when he told the Commons that pardoning the 'deserters' would be an insult to those who died honourably on the battlefield and that everyone was tried fairly. However, in 2007, the Armed Forces Act 2006 was passed allowing the soldiers to be pardoned posthomously, although section 359(4) of the act states that the pardon "does not affect any conviction or sentence."

The memorial portrays a young British soldier blindfolded and tied to a stake ready to be shot by a firing squad. The memorial was modelled on the likeness of 17-year-old Private Herbert Burden, who lied about his age to enlist in the armed forces and was later shot for desertion. It is surrounded by a semicircle of stakes on which are listed the names of every soldier executed in this fashion. These included: Harry Farr, Thomas Highgate, Second Lieutenant Eric Poole, Lance Corporal Peter Goggins, Victor Spencer, Pte. Albert Ingham 18/Manchester Regiment (Attd. 90th Coy. MGC), Pte. Herbert Chase of 2/Lancashire Fusiliers, Private Joseph Bateman 2/South Staffs Regt., Lance Corporal James Holland, 10th Cheshire Regiment, Private Thomas Brigham, 1/10th Bn. Manchester Regt., Rifleman James Crozier. 9th Bn, The Royal Irish Rifles, Private Albert Botfield of the 9th South Staffordshire Regiment, Private Thomas Downey, 6th Leinster Regiment, SERGEANT JOHN ROBINS, 5TH WILTSHIRE REGIMENT, Private James Archibald, 17th Royal Scots, James Archibald of 17/Royal Scots, Private William Bowerman of 1/East Surrey Regiment, Private William Hunter, 1/Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Private Thomas Downing, 6th South Lancashire Regiment, Private Robert Burton, 6th South Lancashire Regiment, Pte. William Hunt 18/Manchester Regiment, John Abigail, 8/Norfolk Regiment, Sapper Robert Bell, 123 Field Company Royal Engineers, Private Alfred Longshaw 18/Manchester Regiment.

Additional Notes

 * BBC News item
 * Entry in UK National Inventory of War Memorials