Thomas Highgate
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Private Thomas James Highgate (13 May 1895 – 8 September 1914) was a British soldier 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 ...
and the first British soldier to be convicted of
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 ...
and
executed by firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French , rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are usually re ...
on the Western Front. He was born in
Shoreham, Kent Shoreham is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located 5.2 miles north of Sevenoaks. The probable derivation of the name is ''estate at the foot of a steep slope''. Steep slo ...
, and worked as a farm labourer before joining the army in 1913 as a seaman. When the First World War began, he fought with the First Battalion of the
Royal West Kents The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Queen' ...
. Highgate was executed 35 days into the war, on 8 September 1914, after being found hiding in a farmhouse wearing civilian clothes. His death was made as public as possible and used as an example to other soldiers. Highgate's name was not included on the war memorial at Shoreham; from the late 1990s onwards, some local residents fought for his name to be added whilst others disagreed. Posthumous
pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
s for soldiers who had been executed, including Highgate, were announced in 2006.


Early life

Thomas Highgate was born on 13 May 1895 in
Shoreham, Kent Shoreham is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located 5.2 miles north of Sevenoaks. The probable derivation of the name is ''estate at the foot of a steep slope''. Steep slo ...
. He was one of five sons to his mother, Alice Highgate. He also had two sisters, Alice and Emily. ref c. williamson, family His family lived in poverty and travelled between Shoreham and the outskirts of London. Highgate is recorded as having worked as a farm labourer. On 4 February 1913, aged 17, he joined the army and served as a seaman. Whilst at sea, Highgate suffered a fall, was in two shipwrecks, and contracted yellow fever in Africa. Captain Tate, a medical officer at
Richmond Barracks Richmond Barracks was a British Army barracks in Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland. It is now a cultural centre. History The barracks, which were named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, were completed in 1810 and first occupied by the Brit ...
, produced a memorandum in June 1914 regarding Highgate's health. He wrote that Highgate had a "peculiar" disposition and that his illness and injury may have accounted for issues with memory loss. Highgate was recorded as being absent from the army before the First World War broke out; he did not attend
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...
on 7 September 1913 or 1 July 1914, and he deserted the army from 28 February to 4 May 1914. He was caught and imprisoned for 42 days when he tried to enlist with a different unit at
Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...
in order to be closer to his brother. Despite his absences, Highgate was described as a "good worker" in his army records.


First World War


Desertion

During the First World War, Highgate was in the First Battalion of the
Royal West Kents The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Queen' ...
, one of the first battalions to enter combat. The battalion arrived in France on 15 August 1914 and fought in the
Battle of Mons The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force (World War I), British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies of World W ...
. By September 1914, the British Expeditionary Force were in retreat. Forty-thousand British soldiers fought in the battle, and 7,800 were killed. Early on the morning of 6 September 1914, Highgate left the frontline, saying he needed to "ease himself", and hid in a farmhouse. He was found by a gamekeeper, who was both English and a former soldier, while wearing civilian clothes and without his rifle. His army uniform was discovered nearby. Historian
Julian Putkowski Julian Putkowski (born 1947) is a British university teacher, military historian, researcher, and broadcaster. He has written extensively on military executions in World War I. Life Putkowski graduated from the University of Essex in 1976. He ha ...
wrote that the total time of Highgate's desertion was likely "no more than an hour or two". Highgate reportedly found the fighting too overwhelming; he is recorded as having said to the gamekeeper, "I want to get out of it and this is how I am doing it". He was arrested by the
gendarmes A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...
and taken into custody by Captain Milward. Highgate told Milward that he did not remember having done anything except leave his
bivouac shelter A bivouac shelter or bivvy (alternately ''bivy'', ''bivi'', ''bivvi'') is any of a variety of improvised camp site or shelter that is usually of a temporary nature, used especially by soldiers or people engaged in backpacking, bikepacking, sco ...
. In court, Highgate said that he remembered walking around, entering the farm, lying down in a civilian house, and putting on civilian clothes but did not recall much else. Highgate was not the only soldier to act dishonourably during the retreat from Mons; two officers attempted to surrender their battalions to the enemy. They were discharged and did not face the death penalty. There were other instances of soldiers looting and travelling with civilians, as well as one allegation of rape. As a result, there were concerns about discipline throughout the British Expeditionary Force.


Execution

Highgate was accused of desertion, and a field general
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 arme ...
was arranged a few hours after he was discovered in the farm house. He was unable to call members of his battalion as witnesses as they had all been killed, captured or injured during the Battle of Mons. He also did not have an officer to speak in his defence (a "prisoner's friend"), despite that being his right. Two days later, on 8 September, he was executed by a firing squad consisting of men from the 1st Battalion,
Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the World War ...
in the 15th Brigade. Highgate died at 7:07, 45 minutes after he himself found out about his guilty verdict. Aged 19, Highgate was the first British soldier to be executed for desertion on the Western Front, 35 days after the war began. Putkowski said that there may have been a "crisis of confidence" amongst senior army offficers, who at the time of Highgate's trial had seen the deaths of 20,000 men from the British Expeditionary Force and many others wounded or missing. Highgate's death was used as a disciplinary tool for the army. General Sir
Horace Smith-Dorrien General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien, (26 May 1858 – 12 August 1930) was a British Army General. One of the few British survivors of the Battle of Isandlwana as a young officer, he also distinguished himself in the Second Boer War. Smit ...
said that he "should be killed as publicly as possible". Men from the 1st Battalion,
Cheshire Regiment The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence ...
and 1st Battalion,
Dorset Regiment The Dorset Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, being the List of British Army regiments (1881), county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951, it was formally called the Dorsetshire Regiment, although ...
witnessed the execution in person. Highgate's death was also publicised in the army ''Routine Orders''. According to the diary of General Smith-Dorrien, two men were executed on 7 September, one for
plundering Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting ...
and another for desertion. Putkowski writes that the date must be a mistake on Smith-Dorrien's part, as the recorded execution was most likely Highgate, and there is no evidence of a man being shot for plundering on that day. Historians Cathryn Corns and John Hughes-Wilson noted that there was 'little doubt that he intended to desert' and being found in civilian clothing whilst his regiment was due to advance constituted proof that he intended 'to permanently avoid a military duty'. A notice in the ''Sidcup and District Times'' on 23 June 1916 reported that Highgate had been killed in 1915 and had fought with the
East Surrey Regiment The East Surrey Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot, the 70th ( ...
. Michael Hankins, a local historian in Sidcup, speculated that this report was incorrect because Highgate's family were attempting to change the story. In ''Soldiers Died in the Great War'' (1921), Highgate is listed as having died of his wounds—Putkowski notes that this is unusual, as soldiers who had been executed by firing squad were not usually included in these volumes.


Memorial

Highgate was commemorated by the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...
on the
La Ferté-sous-Jouarre memorial The La Ferté-sous-Jouarre memorial is a World War I war memorial, memorial in France, located on the south bank of the river Marne (river), Marne, on the outskirts of the Communes of France, commune of La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, 66 kilometres east of ...
with other British soldiers who have no known grave. Also known as the Memorial to the Missing of the Marne, it was erected in 1928. The names of soldiers executed for crimes including cowardice and desertion were not likely to appear on local war memorials, and the memorial in Shoreham, Highgate's home village, did not bear his name when it was erected. In 1999, some people in the village—including the vicar and padre, Reverend Barry Simmons—argued that his name should be included. The proposal was opposed by the
Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. Membership Service in th ...
. A vote was held among members of the British Legion; the result was split at 14 for, 14 against, and two abstains. In March 2000, the British Legion was in the process of restoring the memorial, which provided an opportunity to add Highgate's name. Reverend Simmons believed the villagers should decide, so a vote was held for the 1,700 residents of Shoreham to decide whether Highgate's name would be added to the memorial. 79% of people were in favour (170 voted for, 46 against), but the local councillors voted 43 against the decision. The council wanted to wait to see if the government pardoned men who were shot for desertion before adding Highgate's name. A gap was left on the memorial in case his name should be added at a later date. Reverend Simmons expressed unhappiness with the conclusion, saying that Highgate had served his country by dying as a deterrent, but other villagers welcomed the council's decision. The result of the council's decision led to Simmons leaving his position at the parish for another in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
. In 2006, the government granted posthumous pardons to men who were shot for cowardice and other crimes during the First World War, but Highgate's name remained missing from the memorial. Highgate's great nephew, Terence Highgate, was still campaigning for his name to be added in 2014. During the campaign to have Highgate's name added to the memorial, a local historian discovered that his name already appeared on another memorial in
Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley and Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich. It was ...
. The Sidcup memorial lists Thomas Highgate and two brothers: L/Cpl Robert Highgate, killed in France on 3 January 1915 aged 24, and Pte Joseph Highgate, who died of his wounds on 6 June 1916 aged 19. Highgate's name is also shown on the British memorial to the missing at
La Ferté-sous-Jouarre La Ferté-sous-Jouarre () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located approximately east of Paris. It is located at a crossing point over the river Marne between Meaux an ...
and the Roll of Honour of the Royal West Kent Regiment. He may have ended up on multiple memorials due to his lifestyle, travelling around as a farm labourer. File:War Memorial, Shoreham - geograph.org.uk - 2774552.jpg, Thomas Highgate's name was not added to the war memorial in Shoreham. File:Sidcupwm02.jpg, alt=Close-up of names on a war memorial., Thomas Highgate and his brothers' names were included on a war memorial in Sidcup.


See also

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Capital punishment in the United Kingdom Capital punishment in the United Kingdom predates the formation of the UK, having been used in Britain and Ireland from ancient times until the second half of the 20th century. The last executions in the United Kingdom were by hanging, and took ...
* 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


Bibliography

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External links


A Straggler's Fate: No. 10061 Private Thomas James Highgate, by Julian Putkowski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Highgate, Thomas 1895 births 1914 deaths Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment soldiers British Army personnel executed during World War I People from Shoreham, Kent Executed people from Kent Deaths by firearm in France People executed for desertion People who have received posthumous pardons Military personnel from Kent