Harry Farr
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Private Harry T. Farr (1891 – 18 October 1916) was a British soldier who was
executed by firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...
during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
for
cowardice Cowardice is a trait wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumbs to cowa ...
at the age of 25. Before the war, he lived in Kensington,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and joined the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
in 1908. He served until 1912 and remained in the reserves until the outbreak of World War I. During the war, Farr served with the
West Yorkshire Regiment ) , march = ''Ça Ira'' , battles = Namur FontenoyFalkirk Culloden Brandywine , anniversaries = Imphal (22 June) The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) wa ...
on the Western Front. In 1915 and 1916 he was hospitalised multiple times for
shell shock Shell shock is a term coined in World War I by the British psychologist Charles Samuel Myers to describe the type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) many soldiers were afflicted with during the war (before PTSD was termed). It is a react ...
, the longest period being for five months. On 17 September 1916, Farr did not comply with an order to return to the front line, and was subsequently arrested and charged with cowardice. Unrepresented at his
court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
, Farr was found guilty under section 4(7) of the
Army Act 1881 Until 1689, mutiny was regulated in England by Articles of War instituted by the monarch and effective only in a period of war. This abuse of the crown's prerogative (the crown's right to make and enforce rules for the military) caused Parliamen ...
and was sentenced to death. He was executed on 18 October 1916. Farr's family initially suffered from shame and financial hardship following his execution. After discovering details regarding the circumstance of his death—particularly that he suffered from shell shock and did not have a fair trial—his family began a campaign in 1992 to have him posthumously pardoned. They brought a legal case against the Ministry of Defence, which led the government to grant posthumous pardons via the
Armed Forces Act 2006 The Armed Forces Act 2006 (c 52) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It came into force on 31 October 2006. It replaces the three separate Service Discipline Acts (the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 and the Naval Discip ...
, not only to Farr, but to 305 other men who were executed for cowardice, desertion and similar crimes in World War I.


Early life

Harry T. Farr was born in 1891. He was not highly educated and lived in poverty. Before World War I, Farr lived in Kensington. He had joined the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
on 8 May 1908, aged 17, and served until 1912. He remained in the reserves and worked as a scaffolder. Farr and his wife, Gertrude, had a daughter also named Gertrude or "Gertie", who was a young child when Farr left to fight in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.


World War I

At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Farr was mobilized with the 2nd Battalion
West Yorkshire Regiment ) , march = ''Ça Ira'' , battles = Namur FontenoyFalkirk Culloden Brandywine , anniversaries = Imphal (22 June) The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) wa ...
. During his time serving in the war, Farr was hospitalised multiple times for
shell shock Shell shock is a term coined in World War I by the British psychologist Charles Samuel Myers to describe the type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) many soldiers were afflicted with during the war (before PTSD was termed). It is a react ...
and related symptoms. On 9 May 1915, shortly after Farr's battalion fought in the
Battle of Aubers Ridge The Battle of Aubers (Battle of Aubers Ridge) was a British offensive on the Western Front on 9 May 1915 during the First World War. The battle was part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive in ...
, he was removed from his position at
Houplines Houplines (; nl, Opline) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Adjoining the communal (village) cemetery is the Houplines Communal Cemetery Extension, a Commonwealth War Grav ...
and spent five months in hospital in Boulogne to recover from shell shock. His wife Gertrude recalled that while he was in hospital, it was evident he was suffering and nurses had to write letters on his behalf:
He shook all the time. He couldn't stand the noise of the guns. We got a letter from him, but it was in a stranger's handwriting. He could write perfectly well, but couldn't hold the pen because his hand was shaking.
Farr was discharged from hospital and sent back to the front; he was transferred to the 1st Battalion in October. Farr reported himself to the medical station several times over the following months. In April 1916, he suffered a "nervous collapse" and was treated at a
dressing station A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
for a fortnight. On 22 July he spent the night at a medical station for the same complaint and was discharged for duty the next day.


Desertion

On 17 September 1916, Farr's battalion was due to move to the front line of the
Battle of Flers–Courcelette The Battle of Flers–Courcelette (, 15 to 22 September 1916) was fought during the Battle of the Somme in France, by the French Sixth Army and the British Fourth Army and Reserve Army, against the German 1st Army, during the First World War. ...
as part of an assault on the German 'Quadrilateral'—a fortified area of German soldiers. To reach this position, the battalion travelled through the so-called 'Chimpanzee Valley' near an ongoing British
artillery bombardment In military usage, a barrage is massed sustained artillery fire (shelling) aimed at a series of points along a line. In addition to attacking any enemy in the kill zone, a barrage intends to suppress enemy movements and deny access across tha ...
. On the morning of the 17th, Farr informed the
regimental sergeant major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australia ...
, RSM Hanking, that he was unwell and unable to fight. Farr was instructed to seek the help of a medical officer, but Farr did not appear to be physically wounded and the medical officer did not record anything wrong with him. Farr was ordered to report for duty with a ration party transporting goods to the front line at around 8 P.M., but went missing shortly afterwards. That evening, Farr was still not at the front line. Hanking discovered Farr at 11 P.M. that evening at the transport lines with a
brazier A brazier () is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel for cooking, heating or cultural rituals. It often takes the form of a metal box or bowl with feet. Its elevation helps circulate air, feeding oxygen to the fire. Braziers ...
. He was ordered to join his battalion but said he "could not stand it". Hanking is recorded to have said in response "You are a fucking coward and you will go to the trenches. I give fuck all for my life and I give fuck all for yours and I'll get you fucking well shot". Hanking also threatened to shoot Farr if he did not follow orders, saying "I will blow your fucking brains out if you don't go". Hanking arranged an escort and a
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
to try and force Farr to return to the front. A physical confrontation between the men ensued and Farr escaped, running back to the transport line where he was later discovered.


Court martial

The following morning, 18 September 1916, Farr was arrested for disobeying orders and was charged with cowardice. Farr later testified that he could not recall any of the events which followed him struggling against the escort and corporal until after he was put under guard. He was taken to
Ville-sur-Ancre Ville-sur-Ancre (; pcd, Ville-su-Inke) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. See also *Communes of the Somme department The following is a list of the 772 communes of the Somme department of France. ...
on 25 September where his
court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
was arranged a week later, on 2 October. He was formally accused of 'misbehaving before the enemy in such a manner as to show cowardice'. Farr underwent a medical examination, and was reported to have "satisfactory" physical and mental faculties. The court martial was presided over by
Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...
Frederick Spring Brigadier-General Frederick Gordon Spring, (25 July 1878 – 24 September 1963) was a senior British Army officer. Early life Spring was born in 1878 in Bombay, India, the son of Colonel Frederick William Spring, a Royal Artillery officer. ...
, the Commanding Officer of the 11th (Service) Battalion of the
Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
. Farr was unable to call a witness; the medical officer who had previously attended to him was injured and unavailable at the time of the trial. Farr also did not have a "prisoner's friend", so he defended himself. The timeline and details of Farr's desertion was recounted by four soldiers, including Hanking, and Farr did not deny their account. Acting Sergeant Andrews spoke in support of Farr, recounting his past medical complaints of nervousness. Farr was asked why he had not sought any further medical attention since he was arrested; Farr responded that he felt better when he was away from shellfire. Farr's military history prior to his desertion was almost entirely faultless. His company commander wrote that, even though Farr did not perform well under fire, "his conduct and character are very good". The court martial found Farr guilty of cowardice under section 4(7) of the
Army Act 1881 Until 1689, mutiny was regulated in England by Articles of War instituted by the monarch and effective only in a period of war. This abuse of the crown's prerogative (the crown's right to make and enforce rules for the military) caused Parliamen ...
and sentenced him to death. From August 1914 to October 1918, the death sentence did not always result in an execution: only 11% of death sentences during this time resulted in an actual execution, and the proportion was even lower for those found guilty of cowardice (3.3%). At the time of Farr's guilty sentence, however, there was scepticism of the army's moral conduct and professionalism from figures like
General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
Sir Douglas Haig; from 1916 onwards, Kitchener's Army brought an influx of conscripts into the army, and senior military professionals were not certain how these men would fare on the front line. They believed that firm discipline was necessary to ensure the new conscripts would persist. Furthermore, the psychiatrist
Simon Wessely Sir Simon Charles Wessely (born 23 December 1956) is a British psychiatrist. He is Regius Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and head of its department of psychological medicine, vice dean for academi ...
writes that the four soldiers who testified against Farr at his trial had fought in the particularly brutal Battle of Flers–Courcelette on 17 September (the day on which Farr had deserted the front line), and were likely influenced by a sense of "honour"—feeling disappointed that a fellow soldier had let them down. The combination of military honour and the need for discipline may have led to Farr's ultimate death. As Farr's guilty sentence was passed up the chain of command for approval, his sentence did not change. Haig, as the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force subsequently confirmed the execution order. The transcript of the court martial, consisting largely of military terminology, runs to 1,353 words; of these, Farr spoke 445. The whole trial lasted 20 minutes.


Execution

At 6.00 A.M on 18 October 1916, Farr was shot at
Carnoy Carnoy () is a former commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Carnoy-Mametz.firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are ...
made up of 12 men from his own regiment. He is reported to have died immediately. Farr was offered a blindfold but did not wear it, as he wished to look the firing squad in the eye when he was shot. The
army chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term '' ch ...
who also attended said that Farr had died with dignity. The chaplain later wrote to Farr's widow, saying "A finer soldier never lived". The location of Farr's grave is unknown, but his name is included on the
Thiepval Memorial The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is a war memorial to 72,337 missing British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918, with no known grave. It is near the ...
to the Missing.


Legacy


Farr's family after his execution

The historian William Philpott describes Farr's death as "Britain's most notorious military execution". After Farr was executed, his widow Gertrude received a telegraph notifying her of his death. It read "Dear Madam, we regret to inform you that your husband has died. He was sentenced for cowardice and was shot at dawn on 18th October". Gertrude and her daughter Gertie could no longer receive a military pension and they were made homeless. They were able to find employment with the family of a lord in their hometown of Hampstead. Gertrude remarried; her second husband was killed during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. She suffered from shame at the reason for Farr's execution and she did not reveal the circumstance of his death for decades. She claimed she had hidden the telegraph informing her of his death due to the embarrassment. Farr's father was so ashamed that he refused to say his son's name for the rest of his life. When Gertrude did reveal the truth to Gertie in 1985, Gertie was in her 40s. They both continued to keep the circumstance's of Farr's death a secret from others. It was only when Janet Booth—Farr's granddaughter—began researching her family tree that Gertrude told her the story of how he had died.


Posthumous pardon


Campaign and legal case

After learning about his execution, Booth and other members of Harry Farr's family began a campaign in 1992 to have him pardoned. They had discovered that some documents were being released by the government, and when they got hold of the court martial papers, they learned that Farr had been sent back to the front when he instead appeared to have needed urgent medical treatment. They, and the lawyers supporting Farr's case, believed that he had been suffering from shell shock or another related mental illness like
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...
at the time of his trial. In 1993, the government refused a posthumous pardon for soldiers like Farr who had been shot for crimes including cowardice and desertion. However, in 2005 a High Court judge
Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
Stanley Burnton—said he believed that the family may have been incorrectly denied a pardon for Farr. The family brought a legal case against the Ministry of Defence in May 2006. Gertie Harris, Farr's daughter, was invited to speak to Tom Watson, the Minister for Veteran's Affairs at the Ministry of Defence. He was so moved by the story of her father, he committed to finding a solution for the family. In August 2006, Harris was notified by the
Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...
, Des Browne, that the
Armed Forces Bill Armed Forces Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in India, Malaysia and the United Kingdom relating to armed forces. The bill for an act with this short title will usually have been known as an Armed Forces Bill du ...
currently going through parliamentary scrutiny would bring about pardons for WWI soldiers. At the time, Harris was 93. The
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
MP Andrew MacKinlay, who had been a campaigner for posthumous pardons, said that it was likely that the government recognised they were going to lose the Farr case, and therefore decided to pardon all soldiers who were executed for cowardice, desertion and related crimes. An official pardon for 306 WWI soldiers was announced by Browne on 16 August. Farr's legal status following his pardon was changed to reflect that he had been a "victim of war". Farr's pardon, along with the 305 other men, were not universally welcomed. The son of Haig, George Haig, upheld that some of the men were true criminals who "had to be made an example of".


Shell shock

Speaking after the announcement of Farr's pardon, Gertie Harris expressed relief in knowing that her father had been recognised as a victim of the war, rather than a coward. She maintained that he was likely to have been suffering from shell shock at the time of his arrest and execution, saying "From the time he went out until he was executed was two years. I don't think most people could stand a weekend of it - all that death around you. The noise got to him in the end. He was a victim of shell shock who was never given a fair trial". The general understanding of shell shock at the time of World War I and Farr's death was that it was a weakness of the soldier and could spread between men; following Farr's trial, his commanding officer had written something to his effect, saying Farr was "likely to cause a panic". At his court martial, shell shock was not treated any differently than cowardice. Wessely writes that Farr was very likely experiencing "intense fear" on 17 September 1916, and was probably suffering from an illness like
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
or post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, neurological research since the beginning of the 21st century has suggested that explosions can lead to brain injury, suggesting that Farr might have been suffering from injury and was not fit to fight. Contemporary understandings of shell shock contributed to the posthumous pardons of WWI soldiers executed for crimes including cowardice and desertion, including Farr, although it is not possible to prove that all 306 men were suffering from the condition.


Art and popular culture

In June 2001, Farr's daughter Gertie Harris was invited to the opening of the
Shot at Dawn Memorial The Shot at Dawn Memorial is a monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, UK. It commemorates the 306 British Army and Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for desertion and other capital offenc ...
in Staffordshire, which was built to commemorate the WWI soldiers executed by firing squad. From February to June 2014, the National Portrait Gallery in London held an exhibition of portraits of people from WWI. The curator, Paul Moorhouse, chose to include a portrait of Farr to resemble one of the many human experiences of the war, calling Farr "a courageous man". The book ''Shell'' ''Shock'' by Steve Stahl is in part inspired by the story of Harry Farr.


See also

* Thomas Highgate – the first British soldier to be executed by firing squad in WWI * Lucien Bersot – a French soldier executed by the French Army


References


Notes


Citations


Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farr, Harry 1891 births 1916 deaths People from Kensington West Yorkshire Regiment soldiers British Army personnel executed during World War I British Army personnel of World War I British Army personnel who were court-martialled Deaths by firearm in France People executed by the United Kingdom by firing squad Military personnel from London