firing squad

britainsHILL

The executions of 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers took place in WW1. Such executions, for crimes such as desertion and cowardice, remain a source of controversy with some believing that many of those executed should be pardoned as they were suffering from what is now called shell shock. The executions, primarily of non-commissioned ranks, included 25 Canadians, 22 Irishmen and 5 New Zealanders.Between 1914 and 1918, the British Army identified 80,000 men with what would now be defined as the symptoms of shellshock. There were those who suffered from severe shell shock. They could not stand the thought of being on the front line any longer and deserted. Once caught, they received a court martial and, if sentenced to death, shot by a twelve man firing squad
“We went up into the front line near Arras, through sodden and devastated countryside. As we were moving up to our sector along the communication trenches, a shell burst ahead of me and one of my platoon dropped. He was the first man I ever saw killed. Both his legs were blown off and the whole of his body and face was peppered with shrapnel. The sight turned my stomach. I was sick and terrified but even more frightened of showing it.” Victor Sylvestor
Execution by firing squad is distinct from other forms of execution by firearms, such as a single shot from a handgun to the back of the head or neck. However, the single shot (coup de grâce) is sometimes incorporated in a firing squad execution, particularly if the initial volley turns out not to be immediately fatalThe method is also the supreme punishment or disciplinary means employed by courts martial for crimes such as cowardice, desertion or mutiny.The method is also the supreme punishment or disciplinary means employed by courts martial for crimes such as cowardice, desertion or mutiny. .
 One such execution was that of Private Eddie Slovik by the U.S. Army in 1945. Slovik was the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the American Civil War. It has also been applied for violent crimes carried out by soldiers, such as murder or rape. Also notably, Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry was executed by firing squad for his participation in the assassination attempt on French President Charles de Gaulle.
Execution by firing squad in the United Kingdom was limited to times of war, armed insurrection, and within the military, although is now outlawed in all circumstances, along with all other forms of capital punishment.Within the military, Admiral John Byng was one of the most senior officers and the last of his rank to be executed in this fashion. He was shot on March 14, 1757 at Portsmouth, for "failing to do his utmost" in an encounter with the French fleet during the Seven Years' War.
Australian soldiers Harry "Breaker" Morant and Peter Handcock were shot by a British firing squad on February 27, 1902, for alleged war crimes during the Boer War; many questions have since been raised as to whether they received a fair trial.
Morant's  final words were "Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!". The Australian Imperial Force which served throughout World War I had provision for (but never utilised) execution by firing squad.
 This was despite strong pressure brought upon the Australian Government to do so by the British High Command. The reason proposed for withholding this punishment was that since the AIF was an all-volunteer force, it did not warrant its application.