Motion: Centenary of First Scottish Soldier Shot for Desertion

Centenary of First Scottish Soldier Shot for Desertion

Lodged by Elaine Murray Standard Motion 28 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament notes that 6 February 2015 marks the centenary of the death of Joseph Byers of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, the first Scottish soldier to be shot at dawn for desertion in World War I; notes that Private Byers disappeared after being sent to collect coal; notes that the 306 British Army and Commonwealth soldiers executed for desertion or cowardice in World War 1 are commemorated at the Shot at Dawn Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire; notes that, in 1997, the names of "deserters" who were shot were added to the lists of the fallen at the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle and that, in 2007, they were given a Government pardon; welcomes the greater understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the last one hundred years but believes that too many soldiers and veterans still experience undiagnosed or untreated PTSD leading to serious mental health conditions, and further believes that public understanding of the condition needs to be improved.

Supporters (28)