MORANT AND HANDCOCK
| Born: Rank: LIEUT. Regiment: BUSHVELD CARBINEERS GPS: S25°44.789 E28°10.470 (THE AREA OF THE BRITISH WAR GRAVES) |
Reason for death: EXECUTION Place of death: PRETORIA Date of death: 1902/02/27 Memorial: PRETORIA – CHURCH STREET CEMETERY |
Note:
THE EXECUTION OF MORANT AND HANDCOCK HAS AROUSED MUCH CONTROVERSY. SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE WHOLE SAGA, AND THE EXTENSIVELY RESEARCHED BOOK BY CHARLES LEACH “THE LEGEND OF BREAKER MORANT IS DEAD AND BURIED” PRESENTS THE SOUTH AFRICAN VERSION OF THE EVENTS. LIEUTENANT HENRY HARBORD (HARRY) ‘THE BREAKER’ MORANT AND LIEUTENANT PETER JOSEPH HANDCOCK, TOGETHER WITH LIEUTENANT GEORGE RAMSDALE WITTON AND LIEUTENANT HARRY PICTON WERE CHARGED WITH THE MURDERS OF CIVILIANS. THEY WERE DEFENDED BY MAJOR JAMES FRANCIS THOMAS WHO HAD GRADUATED IN LAW FROM SYDNEY UNIVERSITY. MORANT AND HANDCOCK WERE FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO DEATH AND WERE EXECUTED BY A FIRING SQUAD COMPRISED OF A DETACHMENT OF CAMERON HIGHLANDERS. WITTON ALSO RECEIVED THE DEATH SENTENCE, BUT WHICH WAS COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT BY LORD KITCHENER. PICTON WAS CASHIERED.
