There were 307 men executed by firing squad by the British High Command from 1914-1919. The final execution took place on 19th May 1919. The men from Britain, New Zealand, Canada and other parts of the Empire, were almost exclusively from the ranks, only two were officers. Many of these men had performed with extreme courage in the past under the most strenuous of circumstances, one man in particular a Sergeant W Stones - at 2.30am on Nov 26, 1916 (on the Somme), the British came under heavy mortar fire in thick mist. Stones went out on patrol with a lieutenant and came face to face with the enemy. The lieutenant was shot dead and Stones ran back to raise the alarm. He jammed his rifle across the trench to slow down the pursuing Germans - this cost his life. On return when it was discovered he had no weapon he was arrested with "shamefully casting away his arms". He was later tried and shot. Others were shot for insubordination, striking a officer offences that would probably got you a good bollocking or jankers 20 years later. What sickens me is that this was going on in conjuction with the biggest military mismangement in history under the glorious command of Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig. It strikes me that these men and boys, (two were 16 one of which was 15 when he commited his 'crime' they were both shot together) were shot not because they were guilty, but AS AN EXAMPLE. They should ALL be pardoned and the Haig fund should be renamed, that man should be shown for what he was a miltary clown who had no idea of static defensive warfare, attack or counter attack all Haig was good for was killing half armed, half starved tribesman. He was inept and completely out of his depth, but the irony he was the best the British had. flame