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More on the Death Penalty

From: Nick.
Date: 11/22/2001
Time: 9:09:05 PM
Remote Name: 203.185.218.229

Comments

I know I promised but..... It turns out that Gen Haig pressured Prime minister Hughes not once, but several times, to change the policy during WW1. A sentence of the Death Penalty needed to be ratified by the Aust. Gov. Gen. Emerson, the GG, received the comminiques from British HQ requesting that th Australians be brought under British Army control vis a vis instituting British Army Regs. Birdwood agreed! Hughes, facing the conscription debate chose not to accede to the request. Murdoch, ie Keith who caused the British no end of trouble over Gallipoli, advised Hughes to bury the soldiers vote (a slight win in favour of coscription because the men figured that if their were more of them, they had a greater chance of survival.) included in their State of origin vote. Therefore, the soldier's views had little impact on the conscription debate. This is happening around the Pozieres and Fromelles debacles, so politics even had a bearing on the identity the Australians fought under.

OK OK I'll mention the Lighthorse. Was it the 13th who were called "the Devil's own?" And apart from the 8/13th (?) based at Wangaratta, are there any other units of LH or derivatives operating in the Australian Army? ie. Armoured Cavalry etc or will we see the SAS on horseback?

N.


Last changed: November 22, 2001