Canadian Soldier – born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. A member of the 1st Western Ontario Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division, Private John Maurice Higgins was one of twenty-three Canadian volunteer soldiers (and 306 Commonwealth soldiers) who were executed by the British Command in France / Belgium during World War One for desertion or cowardice. Court-martials for men accused of these crimes were often completed in a manner of minutes, with the accused having no legal counsel of any kind, and no means of appeal. Sentences were typically carried out the morning after conviction (often by a firing squad drawn from the convicted mans' own unit, to drive home the lesson of obedience and the consequences of defying orders) – hence the phrase "shot at dawn". In recent years the British government and military establishment came under intense criticism for the lack of compassion and cruel punishment exhibited toward these men, many of whom were obvious victims of what was known at the time as "Shellshock" (now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). On Aug. 16, 2006, British Defence Secretary Des Browne announced that the government would issue full pardons for all 306 Commonwealth soldiers (including the twenty-three Canadians) who were executed under these circumstances during World War One.
Canadian Soldier – born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. A member of the 1st Western Ontario Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division, Private John Maurice Higgins was one of twenty-three Canadian volunteer soldiers (and 306 Commonwealth soldiers) who were executed by the British Command in France / Belgium during World War One for desertion or cowardice. Court-martials for men accused of these crimes were often completed in a manner of minutes, with the accused having no legal counsel of any kind, and no means of appeal. Sentences were typically carried out the morning after conviction (often by a firing squad drawn from the convicted mans' own unit, to drive home the lesson of obedience and the consequences of defying orders) – hence the phrase "shot at dawn". In recent years the British government and military establishment came under intense criticism for the lack of compassion and cruel punishment exhibited toward these men, many of whom were obvious victims of what was known at the time as "Shellshock" (now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). On Aug. 16, 2006, British Defence Secretary Des Browne announced that the government would issue full pardons for all 306 Commonwealth soldiers (including the twenty-three Canadians) who were executed under these circumstances during World War One.
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