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Re: Breaker Morant - An Alternative View

From: Barry Caligari
Date: 2/6/2002
Time: 5:53:27 PM
Remote Name: 203.220.189.27

Comments

Steve, Regret delay but work is now interfering with my leisure.

Looking back over our correspondence we seem to have adequately covered and agree to disagree on Morant’s obsession with the Viljoen commando, Hall’s knowledge of events before receiving the report from “the 15” and absence from the trials which drew adverse criticism from the Judge Advocate’s Office and Kitchener’s alleged infamous order.

I agree Heese was British, that’s why I put German in quotes. But a telegram from Kitchener to the Secretary of State for War on 21 Feb 2002, a week after the trials, indicates Kitchener still believed Heese was a German.

I agree Lenehan’s involvement was pretty straightforward. On return to Australia he was reinstated and later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel – his version of events was accepted over the objections of General Hutton, G.O.C.

The court accepted Hunt’s rebuke of Morant as a reprimand and it certainly sounds like a reprimand to me. I guess we agree to disagree.

I misunderstood your point on the SS and agree with your comment.

I am surprised you find Kitchener’s telegram “badly worded” considering the resources at his disposal. It must be remembered he was writing to The Secretary of State for War on a critical subject concerning summary executions and reprisal. If you are correct then one can only wonder what other “badly worded” orders Kitchener issued to lesser beings.

Your belief that “a badly worded telegram by Kitchener, some comments by officers and soldiers…” isn’t worthy of consideration will come as a surprise to historians.

In general I guess we agree to disagree.

I have just received Bill Woolmore’s book The Bushveldt Carbineers and the Pietersburg Light Horse and am looking forward to studying it. Nick Bleszynski’s book Shoot Straight you Bastards, will be released on the centenary of the executions. Both works involve extensive research and will shed more light on this century old intriguing controversy. Regards BJC

Steve, Regret delay but work is now interfering with my leisure.

Looking back over our correspondence we seem to have adequately covered and agree to disagree on Morant’s obsession with the Viljoen commando, Hall’s knowledge of events before receiving the report from “the 15” and absence from the trials which drew adverse criticism from the Judge Advocate’s Office and Kitchener’s alleged infamous order.

I agree Heese was British, that’s why I put German in quotes. But a telegram from Kitchener to the Secretary of State for War on 21 Feb 2002, a week after the trials, indicates Kitchener still believed Heese was a German.

I agree Lenehan’s involvement was pretty straightforward. On return to Australia he was reinstated and later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel – his version of events was accepted over the objections of General Hutton, G.O.C.

The court accepted Hunt’s rebuke of Morant as a reprimand and it certainly sounds like a reprimand to me. I guess we agree to disagree.

I misunderstood your point on the SS and agree with your comment.

I am surprised you find Kitchener’s telegram “badly worded” considering the resources at his disposal. It must be remembered he was writing to The Secretary of State for War on a critical subject concerning summary executions and reprisal. If you are correct then one can only wonder what other “badly worded” orders Kitchener issued to lesser beings.

Your belief that “a badly worded telegram by Kitchener, some comments by officers and soldiers…” isn’t worthy of consideration will come as a surprise to historians.

In general I guess we agree to disagree.

I have just received Bill Woolmore’s book The Bushveldt Carbineers and the Pietersburg Light Horse and am looking forward to studying it. Nick Bleszynski’s book Shoot Straight you Bastards, will be released on the centenary of the executions. Both works involve extensive research and will shed more light on this century old intriguing controversy. Regards BJC


Last changed: February 06, 2002