Pardon Great War deserters urge MSPs

BY JASON ALLARDYCE SCOTTISH POLITICAL REPORTER

MEMBERS of the Scottish Parliament pressed yesterday for a pardon for the 300 British soldiers who were executed during the First World War.

The MSPs have been unable to clear the names of 39 Scots court-martialled and executed between 1914 and 1918 because defence comes under the control of Westminster. But Tom McCabe, the Scottish Minister for Parliament, confirmed he would relay the Holyrood debate to the Ministry of Defence, which has so far resisted pressure for a posthumous pardon.

The cross-party appeal was moved yesterday by Elaine Murray, Labour MSP for Dumfries, who said it was not too late to restore the reputations of the executed soldiers. The soldiers, who served mainly on the Western Front, had been convicted of charges that included desertion, cowardice, sleeping at posts, disobedience, throwing down weapons and striking an officer. Dr Murray said the "vast majority of the 307 executed were as patriotic and brave as their million other compatriots who perished in the conflict."

Her motion noted that the Army had revised its attitude to soldiers suffering under extreme conditions, so much so that not one serviceman was executed on similar charges during the Second World War. She urged Westminster to recommend a posthumous pardon and "bring to a close a deeply unhappy and controversial chapter in the history of the Great War."

Dr John Reid, now the Scottish Secretary, had said last year, when he was Armed Forces Minister in Westminster, that with the passage of time there would be greater understanding of the traumatic conditions the men faced.

Mike Rumbles, a Liberal Democrat MSP and former army major, in strongly backing the motion, said: "Although this is a reserved matter for Westminster, we in the Scottish Parliament can and should send a clear message to the MoD. John Reid, while Minister for the Armed Forces, refused to grant these men a pardon on the ground that it was too late to go over each individual case.

"That does not mean that there were no grounds for pardon, and the whole point of this motion is not to go into each individual case but give a posthumous pardon to all 307 men."

He added: "I know from my 15 years in the Army that attitudes have changed and that these men would not have executed in today's Army.

Campaigners who have lobbied for years to clear the names of the executed soldiers believe most were young men suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome after fighting in the trenches and enduring endless artillery bombardment.

Many of them were sentenced to execution after a court-martial lasting less than 30 minutes.

A pardon for the 307 soldiers was promised by Labour while in Opposition, but last year Dr Reid ruled that there was insufficient evidence to justify such a move. Two years ago Westminster MPs rejected a motion to pardon the soldiers by 203 votes to 129.

MSPs marked the 11th of the 11th day of the 11th month yesterday with a two-minute silence.

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