Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

see "Shot at Dawn, WW1 Army Executions"

Dear Mr Mackenzie Gregory

Today I visited your wonderful website on WWI. I was looking for some specific information about certain graves that are belonging to soldiers who were "Shot At Dawn". I was wondering whether it is really true that the markings SAD (or SBD?) that must have been present in the past have been removed afterwards. Could you please give me some more information
about this state of affairs or if possible sources that deal with this topic?

Thank you very much for your effort
Yours sincerely
Sterre Streekstra (the Netherlands)

Dear Sterre,

Terry Kearns has forwarded your note about graves of those unfortunates in WW1 who were Shot at Dawn.

I am aware of a grave headstone that carries Shot At Dawn on it.

example:

There is a tiny village in deep country near Arras called Bailleulmont. In low ground nearby is the municipal cemetery, with a handful of British war graves attached. The headstone of one of them, that of Private A Ingham of the Manchester Regiment, bears the unique inscription "Shot at Dawn / One of the First to Enlist / A Worthy Son of his Father". Private Ingham and the soldier buried next to him, Private Longshaw, were executed for desertion, probably in this dour little valley, on 1 December 1916.

But I do not think that such headstones ever carried a SAD note on them, unless requested by the next of kin as was the case for Private Inham.

Firstly to White House Cemetery on the edge of Ypres. We take photos of the men's graves and cemetery, and sign the book. Again there is a mixture of graves - A Victoria Cross winner and a man shot at dawn.  Men 'shot at dawn' receive the same respect in death as do all the other men. There is nothing on the grave or in the book to show how they died.

Here at this URL :
http://ww1cemeteries.com/othercemeteries/shotatdawnlist.htm is a list of cemeteries where those Shot At Dawn are buried.

Hope I have helped a little.

Regards,
Mackenzie Gregory.

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