Shot At Dawn

Discussion in 'Prewar' started by Drew5233, Sep 20, 2009.

  1. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It would help surely if those sitting in judgment had seen the ferocity of action. And experienced all that continuous battle can do. I have seen at first hand the effects of war on brave young men. When they succumb, it is a complete mental breakdown where the victims nature changes......

    My best mate suffered battle fatigue...I am not surprised, he had seen some quite shocking action. even the bloodiest square mile in Normandy...The Chateau de la londe. By the time we reached Holland the strain was enough. a very brave young man.......He was a total stranger after...

    The night we had to cross the Escaut canal was a near suicide mission. Mortars, shelling, dive bombing, and machine gun fire down the canal and we had to cross in canvas boats. Little wonder that men succumb.. Dantes Inferno had nothing on this nights frontal assault.......And it cost us....That was the straw that broke my mates back.... he succumbed...
     
  2. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    It would help surely if those sitting in judgment had seen the ferocity of action. And experienced all that continuous battle can do

    They had, Brian. The 3 Officers who presided on a FGCM would be drawn from other Battalions of the Regiment on Active Service or from within the Infantry Brigade the accused was attached to. They would be of differing rank with the most senior acting as President.

    E.G

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Given what has been said about Haig, the Court Marshall process was just probably to go through the motions, the decisions already made higher up that the accussed were guilty.

    Or am I just a cynic?

    Regards
    Tom
     
  4. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

    Given what has been said about Haig, the Court Marshall process was just probably to go through the motions, the decisions already made higher up that the accussed were guilty.

    Or am I just a cynic?

    Regards
    Tom

    Depends on who is saying what about Haig, Tom and if people can be bothered to actually look at some of the statistics.

    Approximately 240,000 Courts Martial
    3080 death sentences
    346 executions
    2734 sentences commuted.

    All capital sentences had to be confirmed by the C in C, be it Haig or Sir John French. By my dodgy maths the above would show that only around 10% of those sentenced to 'death by being shot' actually were.

    On the verdict of guilty the sentence was reviewed for recommendation by (in order) the Battalion C.O, Brigade Commander, Divisional Commander, Corps Commander, Army Commander and finally by C in C.
     
  5. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It was nothing more than a frightener, to keep the others in-line and able to face certain death in the face of the enemy
     
  6. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Law cannot of course be driven by emotion but by procedure:



    Our God and soldier, we alike adore;
    Even at the brink of danger, not before;
    After deliverance, both alike requited;
    Our gods forgotten, and our soldiers slighted.
    by Francis Quarles (1632)
     
  7. Thunderbox

    Thunderbox Member

    They had, Brian. The 3 Officers who presided on a FGCM would be drawn from other Battalions of the Regiment on Active Service or from within the Infantry Brigade the accused was attached to. They would be of differing rank with the most senior acting as President.

    E.G

    [​IMG]



    Indeed. In fact one of the misunderstood facts about Courts Martial is that the Board - being serving regimental officers - tend to be sympathetic and understanding of the defendants. Junior soldiers of course tend to be given the most leeway, SNCOs and officers less so - as you'd expect. The composition of the Board also ensures that the defendant is being examined by his Divisional peers with first-hand knowledge of the context of the charges.
     

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