306 men were “shot at dawn” in WW1 and eventually pardoned in 2006. They are remembered in a special memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum. I am researching the Scottish men from Scottish regiments.
The circumstances of their Courts Martial are clear and reasonably well recorded, but there are a few that are proving a problem in terms of finding where they were born, who their parents were etc. Service Records are missing, so one avenue is to ask if anyone has direct knowledge of any of these men, who are –
Private James Archibald, Royal Scots, was employed as a Plumber before he enlisted on 8 June 1915. He named his next-of-kin as his sister, Mrs Elizabeth Gray, 9 Rosevale Place, Leith. Private James Archibald was sentenced, after trial by Field General Court Martial, to be shot for desertion and the sentence was duly carried out on 4 June 1916.
Private Peter Black, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), already had a suspended sentence of death for desertion when he went missing a second time just before going into action. His absence lasted for a month and, after Court Martial, he was shot on 18 September 1916 near the border between France and Belgium.
Private (William) Peter Cairnie, Royal Scots Fusiliers, died 28 December 1916
Private Thomas Docherty, King's Own Scottish Borderers, died 16 July 1915, age 20
Private Andrew Evans, Royal Scots Fusiliers, died on 6 February 1915
Corporal Charles Lewis, Highland Light Infantry, died 11 March 1916
Private John McQuade, Highland Light Infantry, died 6 November 1916
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Topic: Shot at Dawn (Read 10210 times)