Introduction
This article
shows the use of Death Sentences by British Army Military courts-martials
during the period 1914 to 1924.
This page
shows the number of capital sentences passed, the offences that attracted
the ultimate punishment, the rank of those persons sentenced and its distribution
across the British Army.
It should
also be remembered that British Army courts-martials also tried German
Spies, and those people involved in the Irish
Easter 1916 Rebellion. These figures are included in the following
article.
Death Sentence
Offences
The following
table shows the offences which attracted death sentences. The percentage
show the percentage of death sentences actually carried out for each offence.
Offence
|
Sentences
|
Executed
|
Percent
|
|
Desertion
|
2,004
|
272
|
14%
|
|
Sleeping
at Post
|
449
|
2
|
0.5%
|
|
Cowardice
|
213
|
14
|
7%
|
|
Disobedience
|
120
|
4
|
3%
|
|
Murder
|
106
|
63
|
59%
|
|
Rebellion
(Ireland)
|
93
|
15
|
16%
|
|
Quitting
Post
|
82
|
6
|
7%
|
|
Striking
Superior Officer
|
49
|
4
|
8%
|
|
Mutiny
|
55
|
15
|
27%
|
|
Offence
against Inhabitant
|
22
|
3
|
14%
|
|
Espionage
|
18
|
10
|
56%
|
|
Treason
|
13
|
5
|
38%
|
|
Hostile
Act
|
13
|
3
|
23%
|
|
Violence
|
12
|
2
|
17%
|
|
Insubordination
|
12
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Absence
|
8
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Sedition
|
8
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Aiding
the Enemy
|
8
|
4
|
50%
|
|
Casting
Away Arms
|
6
|
2
|
33%
|
|
Possessing
Firearms
|
6
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Armed
Robbery
|
3
|
3
|
100%
|
|
Plundering
|
3
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Drunk
|
4
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Threatening
Senior Officer
|
2
|
1
|
50%
|
|
Offence
against Martial Law
|
2
|
2
|
100%
|
|
Conspiracy
|
2
|
2
|
100%
|
|
Robbery
|
2
|
1
|
50%
|
|
Theft
|
2
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Attempted
Assassination
|
1
|
1
|
100%
|
|
Attempted
Murder
|
4
|
3
|
75%
|
|
Attempted
Desertion
|
1
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Housebreaking
|
1
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Losing
Army
|
1
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Rape
|
1
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Pillaging
|
1
|
1
|
100%
|
|
Aiding
Enemy whilst POW
|
1
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Unspecified/Other
|
14
|
0
|
0%
|
TOTAL
|
3,342
|
438
|
13%
|
Death Sentences
per Regiment
The following
table shows the number of instances of death sentences for each regiment
in the British Army. The number of death sentences actually carried out
is shown as an absolute figure and as a percentage of that regiments total.
For details
of the Middlesex and Royal Engineers soldiers who were sentenced to death
and executed, please click on the appropriate regiment or corps name in
this table.
Regiment
|
Sentences
|
Executed
|
Percent
|
|
Cavalry
(all units)
|
26
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Royal
Artillery (all units)
|
104
|
13
|
13%
|
|
Royal
Engineers
|
13
|
5
|
38%
|
|
Coldstream
Guards
|
8
|
1
|
13%
|
|
Grenadier
Guards
|
12
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Scots
Guards
|
2
|
1
|
50%
|
|
Irish
Guards
|
7
|
3
|
43%
|
|
Welsh
Guards
|
4
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Royal
Scots
|
47
|
7
|
15%
|
|
Royal
West Surrey
|
29
|
3
|
10%
|
|
East
Kent
|
27
|
5
|
19%
|
|
Royal
Lancaster
|
41
|
5
|
12%
|
|
Northumberland
Fusiliers
|
66
|
8
|
12%
|
|
Royal
Warwickshire
|
51
|
5
|
10%
|
|
Royal
Fusiliers
|
64
|
8
|
13%
|
|
Liverpool
Regiment
|
62
|
6
|
10%
|
|
Norfolk
Regiment
|
22
|
1
|
5%
|
|
Lincolnshire
Regiment
|
32
|
3
|
9%
|
|
Devonshire
Regiment
|
14
|
1
|
7%
|
|
Suffolk
|
16
|
1
|
6%
|
|
Somerset
Light Infantry
|
4
|
2
|
50%
|
|
West
Yorkshire
|
44
|
12
|
27%
|
|
East
Yorkshire
|
29
|
2
|
7%
|
|
Bedfordshire
|
22
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Leicestershire
|
34
|
2
|
6%
|
|
Royal
Irish
|
12
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Yorkshire
|
30
|
2
|
7%
|
|
Lancashire
Fusiliers
|
52
|
8
|
15%
|
|
Royal
Scots Fusiliers
|
48
|
5
|
10%
|
|
Cheshire
|
25
|
6
|
24%
|
|
Royal
Welsh Fusiliers
|
27
|
4
|
15%
|
|
South
Wales Borderers
|
23
|
3
|
13%
|
|
King's
Own Scottish Borderers
|
15
|
2
|
13%
|
|
Scottish
Rifles
|
34
|
5
|
15%
|
|
Royal
Inniskilling Fusiliers
|
29
|
5
|
17%
|
|
Gloucestershire
|
26
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Worcestershire
|
47
|
8
|
17%
|
|
East
Lancashire
|
31
|
1
|
3%
|
|
East
Surrey
|
53
|
5
|
9%
|
|
Duke
of Cornwell's Light Infantry
|
18
|
1
|
6%
|
|
West
Riding
|
22
|
1
|
5%
|
|
Border
|
17
|
3
|
18%
|
|
Royal
Sussex
|
19
|
3
|
16%
|
|
Hampshire
|
14
|
1
|
7%
|
|
South
Staffordshire
|
33
|
4
|
12%
|
|
Dorsetshire
|
7
|
2
|
29%
|
|
South
Lancashire
|
25
|
6
|
24%
|
|
Welsh
|
34
|
6
|
18%
|
|
Royal
Highlanders
|
28
|
5
|
18%
|
|
Oxford & Bucks. Light Infantry
|
4
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Essex
|
39
|
3
|
8%
|
|
Notts. & Derbyshire
|
39
|
8
|
21%
|
|
Loyal
North Lancashire
|
31
|
5
|
16%
|
|
Northamptonshire
|
14
|
2
|
14%
|
|
Royal
Berkshire
|
26
|
3
|
12%
|
|
Royal
West Kent
|
15
|
2
|
13%
|
|
Yorkshire
Light Infantry
|
49
|
3
|
6%
|
|
Shropshire
Light Infantry
|
9
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Middlesex
Regiment
|
49
|
8
|
16%
|
|
King's
Royal Rifle Corps
|
57
|
11
|
19%
|
|
Wiltshire
|
15
|
3
|
20%
|
|
Manchester
|
63
|
7
|
11%
|
|
North
Staffordshire
|
49
|
2
|
4%
|
|
York & Lancaster
|
53
|
8
|
15%
|
|
Durham
Light Infantry
|
70
|
7
|
10%
|
|
Highland
Light Infantry
|
59
|
5
|
8%
|
|
Seaforth
Highlanders
|
16
|
1
|
6%
|
|
Gordon
Highlanders
|
17
|
3
|
18%
|
|
Cameron
Highlanders
|
10
|
3
|
30%
|
|
Royal
Irish Rifles
|
63
|
5
|
8%
|
|
Royal
Irish Fusiliers
|
29
|
2
|
7%
|
|
Connaught
Rangers
|
17
|
1
|
6%
|
|
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
|
34
|
1
|
3%
|
|
Leinster
|
23
|
3
|
13%
|
|
Royal
Munster Fusiliers
|
37
|
2
|
5%
|
|
Royal
Dublin Fusiliers
|
22
|
3
|
14%
|
|
Rifle
Brigade
|
50
|
3
|
6%
|
|
Honourable
Artillery Company
|
0
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Monmouthshire
Territorials
|
2
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Cambridgeshire
Territorials
|
1
|
0
|
0%
|
|
London
Territorials
|
63
|
5
|
8%
|
|
Herefordshire
Territorials
|
0
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Machine
Gun Corps
|
55
|
3
|
5%
|
|
Army
Service Corps
|
14
|
1
|
7%
|
|
Royal
Army Medical Corps
|
12
|
0
|
0%
|
|
D
A C
|
14
|
0
|
0%
|
|
Royal
Naval Division
|
7
|
1
|
14%
|
|
TOTAL
|
2,576
|
294
|
11%
|
Death Sentences
per Rank
The following
table list the death sentences passed and executed by rank. The percentage
figure is the percentage of death sentences passed and actually carried
out.
In
the following table the term "Privates" also includes Rifleman,
Gunner, Trooper, Driver, Sapper, Saddler, Able Seaman, Seaman, Sepoy,
Bugler and Pioneer.
In
the following table the term "NCOs" also includes Lance Corporal,
Corporal, Lance Sergeant, Sergeant and Bombardier.
|
Rank
|
Sentences
|
Executed
|
Percent
|
|
Privates
|
2,938
|
316
|
11%
|
|
NCOs
|
134
|
24
|
18%
|
|
2nd/Sub
Lieutenants
|
3
|
3
|
100%
|
|
Lieutenant
|
2
|
0
|
0%
|
TOTAL
|
3,077
|
343
|
11%
|
|