[naturalman1975]

Speaking as a retired officer of the Australian Defence Force and as a trained military historian, I am personally of the opinion that Lieutenant Harry 'Breaker' Morant was guilty of murder, and that under the laws in place at the time, the sentence imposed on him was justified. A mythology has developed around him, aided and abetted by the very fine film about the case, but what it comes down to is that he took prisoners of war, and then had them shot in violation of both the international laws and customs of war at the time, which gave POWs protections, and of Queen's Regulations of the British Army in which he was serving. His defence at his trial primarily revolved around claiming he had orders to shoot prisoners - even if this is true (and it is likely but has never actually been conclusively proven) he knew the orders were unlawful, and should not have been obeyed.

I have more sympathy for Lieutenant Peter Handcock and Lieutenant George Witton. Both of them were poorly educated men, commissioned from the ranks who were very possibly not aware of Queen's Regulations or the niceties of international law. Morant himself, attempted to take all responsibility on himself at the trial on this basis. Witton wound up having his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment because of his youth, and ultimately served only two years. Handcock was shot by firing squad alongside Morant.

Having said all that, this 'appeal' is not primarily based on whether or not Morant nor Handcock were guilty of the crimes for which they were executed. It is based on technical legal arguments about whether or not they received a fair trial in which all their rights as British subjects, British officers, and British soldiers were treated properly. If they did not receive a fair trial, then I hope the appeal succeeds - the right to a fair trial is exceedingly important. Especially in a case like this, where part of the case against them was that they had not afforded their prisoners a fair trial.

Also, none of the above, diminishes the case that Morant and Handcock were treated as scapegoats. It is well known that a number of other officers who committed similar crimes - officers from Britain, rather than colonial units - were simply dismissed from the service and sent home. Morant and Handcock were shot when others were treated much more leniently. They were scapegoats in a very real sense.

[Tax-chick]

Once you've had Edward Woodward playing the role, boring historical facts take a back seat. My goodness, he was a cutie-pie! Que mucho hombre! as we say in Spanglish.

That said, as an amateur student of the Boer War, I think you're right on the basic facts, and the technicalities of British Army vs. colonial auxiliary court martial procedure are a smokescreen for a Policial Statement. But whatever, everyone who's dead will still be dead, no matter what.

[naturalman1975]

Breaker Morant was a reasonably well known and successful Australian poet before the Boer War. He wasn't one of the greats of Australian literature, but he was good enough that his work appeared in The Bulletin alongside such figures as Henry Lawson, and Banjo Patterson.

The night before he was executed, he wrote his final poem. It is, in my view, a wonderful poem, which I will share at any opportunity.

Butchered to make a Dutchman's Holiday

In prison cell I sadly sit
A dammed crestfallen chappie
And own to you I feel a bit-
A little bit — unhappy.

It really ain't the place nor time
To reel off rhyming diction
But yet we'll write a final rhyme
While waiting crucifixion.

No matter what end they decide
Quick-lime? or b'iling ile? sir
We'll do our best when crucified
To finish off in style, sir!

But we bequeath a parting tip
For sound advice of such men
Who come across in transport ship
To polish off the Dutchmen.

If you encounter any Boers
You really must not loot 'em
And, if you wish to leave these shores
For pity’s sake, don’t shoot 'em.

And if you’d earn a D.S.O.
Why every British sinner
Should know the proper way to go
Is: Ask the Boer to dinner.

Let’s toss a bumper down our throat
Before we pass to heaven
And toast: "The trim-set petticoat
We leave behind in Devon."

[JoeProBono]

[muawiyah]

All sounds nice and tight except the British government was, itself, involved in active genocide against Boer women and children.

No surprise at all you would have these guys shooting prisoners.

In short, we don't need to see the orders to know what was going on.

[Charlespg]

how much a part did Kitchener play though ?

movie aside

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Both of them were poorly educated men, commissioned from the ranks who were very possibly not aware of Queen's Regulations or the niceties of international law.

I would question how educated you would have to be to know that killing prisoners is wrong.

Guards in prisons were also very poorly educated at the time and yet they knew that killing prisoners was wrong otherwise no one would have walked out alive.

The argument that they were treated differently then others who did the same thing is a good point. If it was not so long ago I would vote for rounding up the guys that got off and putting them on trial and having them shot.

In other words I do not find the Morant sentence too harsh, I find the punishment meted out to the others too light.

However it is much too late to do something like that. A pity really.

[Flag_This]

"...but what it comes down to is that he took prisoners of war, and then had them shot in violation of both the international laws and customs of war at the time..."

"As to rules and regulations, we had no Red Book, and knew nothing about them. We were out fighting the Boers, not sitting comfortably behind barb-wire entanglements; we got them and shot them under Rule 303"

[Intolerant in NJ]

And a man’s enemies shall be those of his own household.....

[nkycincinnatikid]

Tut, tut, and all that rot.

Victoria Itself should have faced a firing squad for the MURDERS of the tens of thousands of innocent children, women and their defenders.

SHE/WE ranks only behind Mao and Stalin I believe in modern mass slaughter.

[pgobrien]

Tremendous movie and a sad slice of military justice.
Thanks for the link.

[2banana]

Nearly all armies of the world and through-out history up to WWII have shot person involved in fighting who were not in uniform as spies or saboteurs.

Including all of American history up to the American army in Germany in WWII (google how captured "werewolf's were treated).

It is only a very modern PC policy to give the same protection to in war to soldiers that become POWs to any fool who picks up a rifle and starts shooting.

[dfwgator]

Now you’ve done it, made me want to go and watch that movie again.

“Shoot straight you bastards, don’t make a mess of it.”

[Vide]

An abject lesson in the fog of colonial war.

What do you do with a Boer taken in looted khaki?

What do you do with a holocaust survivor struggling up a Palestinian beach?

What do you do with an Iraqi driving an over-loaded pickup?