There is a smart new bench situated at the Shot at Dawn memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum. It is dedicated to “John Hipkin 1926-2016. Leader of the campaign to bring pardons to those soldiers before you, proudly achieved 16/08/2006.”
The memorial is one of over 300 in the UK’s centre for remembrance near Litchfield, Staffordshire. The name on the bench belongs to my uncle who led the campaign to pardon 306 British soldiers who were executed by their own superiors for cowardice or desertion during the First World War.
When official records were released in 1990 my uncle John, a retired teacher from Newcastle upon Tyne, decided to take up the fight for these soldiers who were either underage, suffering mental illness or where there was doubtful or illegal Courts Martial. Some of the harrowing records included Private Thomas Highgate (aged 17) who fled from the Battle of Mons and hid in a barn. He was undefended at his trial because his comrades from the Royal West Kents had been killed, injured or captured. Private Herbert Burden (16) lied about his age to join the Northumberland Fusiliers. Ten months later he was executed for fleeing after seeing his friends die at the Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge.
The stories of these young boys were of particular interest to my uncle because of his own experience during World War II. Aged 14 he joined the Merchant Navy only for his ship to be captured by the German battleship, Scharnhorst. He became Britain’s youngest Prisoner of War and was eventually released at the age of 19 at the end of the war. It’s little wonder he found an affinity with the young, frightened soldiers of earlier conflicts.
John, along with relatives of some of the executed men, urged successive governments to pardon these men. He wanted them to recognise that the soldiers had been suffering from shell shock or had been given little or no legal support before being condemned to death at the hands of their fellow soldiers who had to pull the trigger. Despite a number of setbacks my uncle persevered; an elderly man silently holding a placard at remembrance ceremonies across the country, occasionally being arrested for doing so.
In 1999 a documentary, ‘Conviction’, was broadcast on the BBC’s Everyman programme. Its focus was the tireless efforts of my uncle and the Shot at Dawn campaign. Watching the programme was a sculptor, Andy DeComyn, who was so inspired by the documentary that he made enquiries of the BBC and offered John his help. The following year he created a memorial for the forgotten men of World War I and in 2001 his sculpture was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum. The slight figure of a blindfolded boy was modelled on Private Burden. With his hands tied behind his back he stands in front of 306 posts, bearing the names of the executed men. Six fir trees are planted opposite, representing the firing squad.
Andy DeComyn funded the statue himself, with donations covering the cost of the posts and landscaping. The memorial generated a great deal of media interest and was instrumental in paving the way for the government to eventually grant pardons in 2006.
In November I visited the National Memorial Arboretum and was overwhelmed by the emotion which is triggered when seeing so many extraordinary tributes to those who have lost their lives. One of the highlights is the Armed Forces Memorial which has just undergone a year’s renovation. It’s a magnificent monument, listing the names of all Service personnel killed in operations since World War II. What is striking about the design is that at 11 am on the 11th November, the sun shines through the slim gap between two walls.
There are so many moving testaments to groups such as the Showmen’s Guild and those killed on the Burma Railway. Land Army girls are represented, so too are the Salvation Army and the Women’s Institute. The arboretum, with over 150 acres of beautifully kept gardens, meadows and woodland, is quite beautiful and I can’t praise it enough. It is free to enter, though donations are gratefully received. It has a beautiful chapel and a brand new state-of-the-art visitors centre with an excellent café/restaurant. A whole day spent here is highly recommended.
Of course, the Shot at Dawn memorial was the focus of my visit and, having attended my uncle’s funeral in July, after he died at the age of 90, I wanted to see the bench which had been dedicated to him.
On the plaque are the following words:
“What we do for ourselves alone dies with us, What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
You must be so proud of your Uncle. What a beautiful phrase on his bench. I really like that sentiment. Happy 2017 to you and yours by the way, I cannot wait to catch up! 🙂 x
I love the sentiment – it really made me think and he certainly made his mark.
See you very soon, my dear friend xx
So interesting to have family history like that! What an amazing story! Your family must be so proud! #FarawayFiles
It’s quite an incredible story. We have always been so proud of him. Sadly in his later years he suffered from dementia, which began soon after the pardons were granted.
Beautiful post Trish. I have to confess I have been wondering where the national memorials are in Britain as they don’t seem as widely known as the Australian war tributes. In Melbourne the Shrine of Remembrance dominates the southern part of the city as an example. We visited the Australian war memorial in France in 2015 and it was also incredibly moving. More so due to our family connections so your words really resonated with me. What a special man your uncle was. I am so glad there is a fitting memorial. Lest we forget.
We visited a number of war memorials in France many years ago and it was a very emotional experience. In the UK I have often visited the Cambridge American Cemetery in Madingley, near Cambridge, which pays tribute to nearly 4000 American servicemen who died in World War II – with crosses very similar to the memorials in France. It is well worth visiting if you are in the area.
I agree, when you have a personal connection, it feels so much closer to home.
Such a powerful quote. The statue of the blindfolded boy is also particularly heartbreaking. #FarawayFiles
They were so young. To think, my own son is nearly 21 and I still think of him as just a boy. What those families must have gone through is unimaginable.
I am so moved by this post, Trish. What an extraordinary man to have as a relative. It must have been very emotional for you visiting this beautiful memorial. I find it genuinely shocking that it took so long for these poor boys to be pardoned after their tragic and unnecessary deaths. Thank goodness for the humanity and determination of people like your uncle. Thanks for sharing this inspiring post on #FarawayFiles
He was an extraordinary man. His own experience as a Prisoner of War obviously stayed with him. He picked up his education again and eventually became a history teacher. As a child he helped me a lot with extra lessons to help me pass my 11+ exams and I will always be grateful for that. But it’s what he did as in his retirement that is remarkable. He achieved something others had tried to do, even before the records were released. It’s quite amazing what small groups of people can do to make a government see things differently.
I have chills and shivers and a lump in my throat. What a lovely tribute to a lovely man. My father, his father, my father-in-law and his father, several uncles and friends have served in the military and we have always honored and respected Veteran’s Day. My son was born on 11/11/00 and turned 11 on 11/11/11. It is a special day for our family. This would be an amazing memorial to see. Thank you for sharing this story. #FarawayFiles
Thank you, Erin. I can see why this story would have resonated with you – your family’s military background and your son’s birth date. All the memorials in the arboretum are very moving and it’s heartening to know people do care to make sure their names are not forgotten.
How awful, those poor boys and men. I can’t think about it for too long without getting upset. What a truly terrible and terrifying experience to be placed in a war as a teenager and then killed by your own country for being afraid.
You must be so proud of your uncle and all that he achieved for them. Your post is written beautifully. #farawayfiles
It is a terrible thing – you just can’t contemplate young teenagers being in that position then being killed by their own side, never mind the enemy. I agree, it’s so upsetting to think about it but heartening to know some people did care. Thank you for reading, Kat.
What an incredibly moving place that must be – and what an achievement by your uncle. Someone who definitely deserves to be remembered. #farawayfiles
It’s sad that his memory started to fade just as soon as the pardons came through – it was as if the campaign kept his brain active. I know he was thrilled with the memorial, as that was erected some years before the pardons were agreed.
I have goosebumps, what an amazing man. Sounds like an incredible place to visit.
I was cross with myself for not having visited before. It’s a superb place and I think children would gain a lot from it too.
Your uncle was an incredible man to fight so long and hard for those poor boys. What a lovely post about him. The site looks well worth a visit.
I think he realised that the young ones didn’t have family to represent them so he always affectionately called them ‘my boys’. So many years, being disappointed with each new government saying no, but he wouldn’t give up.
What a beautiful post. Your grandfather was an incredible man. It’s terrible to think what those young boys went through – they must have been terrified.
I live only a few miles from the arboretum- it has been a few years since my last visit but I will go back soon.
It’s definitely worth popping back if you haven’t been for a while – the new centre is beautiful with excellent facilities and, of course, they keep adding new memorials to the gardens.
What an incredibly thought-provoking post & the statue of the blindfolded young soldier with the simple posts behind him is so moving. My youngest son is particularly interested in WW1 and especially the stories of the soldiers who were involved. He was talking only yesterday about the young boys who lost their lives when they ‘deserted’ and so this is very timely. Although I’ve never visited the Arboretum we have visited some of the Memorials in France and this summer my hubby & youngest are planning a cycle through Northern France & Belgium to visit some of the sites there & pay their respects. Thanks for sharing #FarawayFiles
I think it’s great that our children are being reminded of some of the terrible things that happened during wartime. The fact that these boys were so young has even more significance.
We have visited some of the memorials in France too – they are very moving and so beautifully kept. Thanks for reading, Julie.
What a special person your uncle was to campaign for the cause of people long gone. Thanks for sharing his touching story as well as those of the poor child soldiers, Trish.
He was indeed a special person, Ahila. We are very proud of him .