Shot At Dawn - a podcast by Paul Reed

More than 300 British and Commonwealth soldiers were executed 'for the sake of example' during the First World War, for crimes from desertion to striking a superior officer. In this episode, we look at the background to military discipline, the process of Field General Courts-Martial, and what was involved when a soldier was executed by firing squad. And we discover how the inscription on an executed soldier's grave - 'Shot At Dawn' - remains as powerful as when his father chose it in the 1920s. 

Support the show

Further episodes of The Old Front Line

Further podcasts by Paul Reed

Website of Paul Reed