Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal.
Etymology
The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...
Peter Goggins (1894 – 18 January 1917) was a British soldier who was executed for
desertion
Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...
during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. His case later became a well publicised example of the injustices of British military discipline during the war, and he was pardoned in 2006.
Biography
Born in
South Moor,
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England
**County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States
Durham may also refer to:
Places
...
, Goggins was a
miner
A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face (mining), face; cutt ...
who joined the 19th Battalion,
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and ...
as a volunteer, although his occupation exempted him from
conscription
Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
.
Prior to serving overseas he had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant but was subsequently demoted after going absent without leave.
On 26 November 1916, Goggins was commanding a position near
Arras
Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
on the
Western Front with L/Cpl John McDonald. Whilst sheltering from a bombardment two British soldiers, fleeing a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
raid, ran past their position shouting "Run for your lives; the Huns are on top of you!". Goggins, McDonald and others retreated to a reserve
trench
A trench is a type of digging, excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale (landform), swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or trapping ...
some away. The two men who ran past were probably L/Cpl Hopkinson and Pte Harding. Despite being in charge Goggins subsequently admitted at his trial that he had failed to visit the front line sentries before withdrawing.
Both men were subsequently charged with deserting their posts, they were convicted at
court martial
A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...
on 28 December and sentenced to death.
Another NCO, L/Sgt Stones, was sentenced to death at a separate court martial several days later for casting away his rifle in the same incident. The sentences were supported by
Brigadier-General Henry O'Donnell, who wrote that he had doubts about the quality of the evidence, but felt that the executions were necessary to set an example to other men in the battalion.
All three men were executed on 18 January. The chaplain who prayed with them before their deaths remarked that he had never met three braver men.
Goggins' execution had a devastating effect on his family. His wife of six months disappeared soon afterwards, and his mother had a
nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
.
He was seldom mentioned by his family, who saw his conviction as a source of shame, and his niece, Marina Brewis, who had simply been told that he died in the war, only learned his true fate years later from a television documentary.
On learning the truth she began a campaign for her uncle to be pardoned.
Goggins' case became a well-publicised example of the injustices of the First World War due to the efforts of Marina Brewis, the fact that he had apparently been following orders, and the fact that the triple execution was unique.
In 2006, Goggins was finally pardoned along with the other 305 British and British Empire soldiers executed for cowardice during the First World War, under the terms of the
Armed Forces Act 2006
The Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
It came into force on 31 October 2009. It replaces the three separate Service Discipline Acts (the Army Act 1955 (3 & 4 Eliz. 2. c. 18), ...
.
His case had been one of those discussed in
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
during the passage of the Act.
See also
*
Harry Farr
*
Shot at Dawn Memorial
The Shot at Dawn Memorial is a monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, England. It commemorates the 306 British Army and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for desertio ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goggins, Peter
1894 births
1917 deaths
Durham Light Infantry soldiers
British Army personnel executed during World War I
Recipients of British royal pardons
Deaths by firearm in France
People from South Moor
Military personnel from County Durham
People executed for desertion
People who have received posthumous pardons