LAST MAN TO BE EXECUTED IN THE TOWER OF LONDON

[old tanker]

"...3 out of the five members..." Usually just one with blanks or just one with a live round. Not that it'd matter. Anybody would know they fired a live round or a blank by the recoil or lack thereof.

Interestingly enough, the use of some blanks was part of the procedure for "Execution by Musketry" in DA Pam 27-4

[browningautorifle]

the use of some blanks was part of the procedure

Exactly, that's common knowledge. I seriously doubt a man would be able to tell you after if he had recoil or not for sure.

[Paul S.]

Exactly, that's common knowledge. I seriously doubt a man would be able to tell you after if he had recoil or not for sure.

Agreed.

Each of the firing party will have already fixed in his mind (emotionally and psychologically) that he either fired a blank, missed on purpose, or shot to kill. The mind is wonderous thing. It has in-built mechanisms to protect itself. One of those is the ability to lie to itself if it needs to. Another, is submitting to confusion (sensory overload and shutting down the thought processes) in high stress situations.

[Gil Boyd]

Old Tanker,
One has to assume the Musketry pages that came from #11 above, are dated, but nevertheless still relevant in 1941.
It was a strange decison one might think, after the trial of Herr Jakob, that hanging was not the favoured choice of the time. One has to assume therefore, because he was found guilty of being a Spy for a foreign power in War time, that he should be despatched by a bullet.......or two??
Interesting case in many ways, when one knows now that the Tower of London was expressly off the target list, made by Adolf Hitler himself, as he believed that all high ranking German captured officers were being held at the tower.
Thereafter, one bomb did land in the grounds of the Tower of London and knocked a Guards contingent off their feet with no injuries, whilst conducting the Ceremony of the Keys. The German pilot responsible history has it, was treated seriously by Hitler himself, and therafter, nomore bombs fell on the historic castle.
Quite interesting twists and turns this case had alround.

[old tanker]

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WHEN BREAKER MORANT WAS SHOT BY FIRING-SQUAD

Still prefer the legend...

[Gil Boyd]

Nothing wrong with holding hands, great film

[old tanker]

Old Tanker,
One has to assume the Musketry pages that came from #11 above, are dated, but nevertheless still relevant in 1941.
It was a strange decison one might think, after the trial of Herr Jakob, that hanging was not the favoured choice of the time. One has to assume therefore, because he was found guilty of being a Spy for a foreign power in War time, that he should be despatched by a bullet.......or two??
Interesting case in many ways, when one knows now that the Tower of London was expressly off the target list, made by Adolf Hitler himself, as he believed that all high ranking German captured officers were being held at the tower.
Thereafter, one bomb did land in the grounds of the Tower of London and knocked a Guards contingent off their feet with no injuries, whilst conducting the Ceremony of the Keys. The German pilot responsible history has it, was treated seriously by Hitler himself, and therafter, nomore bombs fell on the historic castle.
Quite interesting twists and turns this case had alround.

Interesting how history works. I wonder how procedures for executions were handled in that case? Was it a military exercise? Who issues the governing regulations?

The particular reference I quoted (Department of the Army Pamphlet 27-4) is from 1947. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, until recently, hanging had been the 'official' method of execution. Whether, a matter of convenience or tradition, the method of execution chosen was sometimes based on the nature of the crime. Broadly, offenses that were generally criminal, such as rape and murder execution was by hanging, as befits a dishonorable miscreant.

Crimes that were somehow considered military in nature, desertion, espionage, compelling surrender, or mutiny a firing squad was often the chosen method.

The US Army has not hanged a prisoner since Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas, convicted of raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old Austrian girl. The execution order was signed by President Eisenhower, as required by the UCMJ.

Attachment 97869Attachment 97870Attachment 97871

[Gil Boyd]

Yes appears to be nothing recorded as to who made the decision to execute by firing squad. Tough call, when the man hadn't even got on plot to spy and send anything back to Germany!!

This whole story has always fascinated me because he spilled the beans very quickly as to his mission in full detail, but as the war was only in its infancy, I suppose he thought, he would surrender and he would be repatriated or some other life saving method where he would live for years!!
Not so my Nazi friend.

[fjruple]

I would imagine he was shot as the Brits probably believe he was a German soldier in civilian clothes.

[Paul S.]

The article explains why he was shot rather than hanged. Simply, the Treason Act stipulated mandatory trial and penalty requirements - civil court and hanging for non-military, and court-martial and firing squad for military.