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From:
Date: 2/20/2002
Time: 10:31:32 PM
Remote Name: 211.28.148.12
For the benefit of those in other states and far away lands who may not have read the Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper today (Wednesday, 20 February 2002) you may, or may not be, interested in the following: (I hope there are no spelling mistakes!)
"Wednesday, 27 February marks the centenary of the execution by a British military firing squad of Lieutenants Harry 'The Breaker' Morant and Peter Handcock at Pretoria in 1902 during the South African Boer War, Both men were commissioned officers in the Bush Veldt Carbineers after initially serving with Australian mounted contingents. Harry Harbord Morant had previously served in the Second South Australian Mounted Rifles contingent and was listed on the unit's nominal roll as regimental number 37, Lance-Corporal Henry Morrant. Peter Joseph Handcock, from Bathurst, had served in the 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles attaining the rank of Farrier Sergeant. Morant and Handcock were found guilty of murdering Boer prisoners, court martialled and sentenced to death. Were these men Australia's first war criminals? It shall be interesting to see how the events of one hundred years ago are to be commemorated on 27 February and what the RSL's view shall be".