Shot at Dawn Memorial
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The Shot at Dawn Memorial is a British Monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, UK in memory of the 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for cowardice and desertion during World War I. The real usual cause for their offences has been re-attributed in modern times to post-traumatic stress syndrome and combat stress reaction.
The memorial portrays a young British soldier blindfolded and tied to a stake ready to be shot by a firing squad. The memorial was modelled on the likeness of 17-year-old Private Herbert Burden, who lied about his age to enlist in the armed forces and was later shot for desertion. It is surrounded by a semicircle of stakes on which are listed the names of every soldier executed in this fashion. These included: Harry Farr, Thomas Highgate, Eric Poole, Lance Corporal Peter Goggins and Victor Spencer.
The memorial was created by the artist Andy De Comyn and was unveiled by Mrs. Gertrude Harris, daughter of Private Farr, in June 2001. Mrs. Marina Brewis, the great niece of Lance Corporal Goggins, also attended the service.
