Quote:
Originally posted by Jon Skagfeld
A former Editor of a local Toronto newspaper, the Toronto Sun, called "Breaker Morant" one of the most perfect productions that he had ever seen.
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You'll have to send him a copy of "Year of the carrier" to change his opinion.
Keith, the South Australian connection with "The Breaker" also comes from his pre-Boer war work in the SA Riverina as a horse Breaker, where he got his nickname.
In accordance with Military custom of the time, executed soldiers did not appear on the Roll of Honour. When Lord Kitchener visited Bathurst, NSW in 1907 (For an Imperial Defence conference that led to the establishment of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, but that's another story), he was abused and covered with rotten tomatoes in a very public scene by the Widow of Lt Peter Handcock, the other officer executed with Morant. As it was seen as poor sport to prosecute a widow, Kitchener backed down and Handcock's name was placed on the Bathurst War Memorial. This did not really set a precedent, as following the furore over the executions, the Australians took away the power from the British to execute an Australian soldier in in a British force in wartime and no more executions have taken place. NZ did not have the benefit of this learning experience and I believe some 5 Kiwis were shot by the Brits in WW1 for Desertion or Mutiny. It is only in the last 5 years that they have been pardoned and had their names placed on rolls of War Dead.