Thomas Highgate

Thomas Highgate

Private Thomas James Highgate (13 May 1895 - 8 September 1914) was an British soldier during the early days of the First World War, and the first British soldier to be convicted of desertion and executed during that war. Posthumous pardons for over 300 such soldiers were announced in August 2006, including Highgate.

Background

Born the only son of a farm labourer at Oxbourne Farm in the Kent village of Shoreham, [ [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34375&mode=threaded Great War Forum entry by Andrew Marshall, 27 June 2005] ] Highgate was himself a farm labourer before joining the 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment on 4 February 1913, aged 17 years and nine months. Before mobilisation, his battalion was based in Dublin's Richmond Barracks. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Mons.

Trial and execution

His alleged offence, trial by court martial (convened at Chateau Combreaux, near Tournan-en-Brie in northern France) and confirmation of death sentence all took place on 6 September 1914. Highgate was undefended and called no witnesses in his defence, but claimed that he was a 'straggler' trying to find his way back to rejoin his regiment having got separated from his comrades.

Highgate's execution was almost as hasty as his trial, and senior officers insisted that he be executed "At once, as publicly as possible." Highgate was informed of his fate at 6.22am on 8 September in the presence of a Church of England clergyman. An officer then ordered a burial party and a firing squad to prepare, and Highgate was shot, aged 19, at 7.07am in front of men from the First Battalion Dorset Regiment and First Battalion Cheshire Regiment. News of his fate was also distributed to the remainder of the British Expeditionary Force via Army Routine Orders.

Memorial

No grave is known for Private Highgate, though his name is shown on the British military memorial at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne.

In 2000, Shoreham Parish Council voted not to include his name on its war memorial. [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article284604.ece Royal British Legion refuses to honour executed deserter, Independent, 15 March 2000] ] However, after a posthumous pardon in 2006, it was considered that his name might be added. [cite news
author=
title=Shot at dawn, pardoned 90 years on
date=2006-08-16
work=BBC News
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4798025.stm
accessdate=2008-08-08] [ [http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.1098633.0.appealing_to_honour_soldier_on_memorial.php Appealing to honour soldier on memorial] ] [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/17/npardon17.xml Tears for the families who lived with shame, Daily Telegraph, 17 August 2006] ]

References

* [http://www.association14-18.org/version%20anglaise/documents-gb/coursbrit-gb/highgate-gb.htm A Straggler's Fate: No. 10061 Private Thomas James Highgate, by Julian Putkowski]
* fr Soldat fusillé pour l'exemple


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