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Private Thomas James HIGHGATE, L/10061, 1st Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died of wounds, Flanders France, 8th September 1914, age 19. Born Shoreham. Kent, enlisted Guildford, Surrey, resided Catford. Commemorated at La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, France.
Private Thomas Highgate, of the Royal West Kent Regiment, was the first British soldier to be executed for desertion during World War I - just 35 days into the war. His offence, trial, sentencing and execution all took place on the same day - 8 September 1914. Aged 17, he had been unable to bear the carnage of the Battle of Mons, and had fled and hidden in a barn. Pte Highgate was undefended at his court martial because all his regimental comrades had been killed, injured or captured. In 2000, the parish council in his home village of Shoreham, Kent, voted not to include his name on its war memorial. Phil Hobson, who was council chairman at the time, said: "We had the opportunity of putting the name on it because we were replacing the plaque with all the names on - after nearly 100 years it was very worn. "We took what we thought to be the best compromise position in that a space was left for his name should people want it to be added at a later date." Stuart Gendall, of the Royal British Legion, said Pte Highgate's name should be on the memorial: "I think it would be most appropriate and certainly very poignant in this year - the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme."
Wednesday, 16 August 2006 Shot at dawn, pardoned 90 years on. More than 300 British soldiers who were shot during World War I for military offences are to receive formal pardons, Defence Secretary Des Browne has announced. Mr Browne said he would be seeking a parliamentary group pardon for the men, executed for offences such as cowardice and desertion. It is believed 306 British soldiers were shot during the war from 1914-1918.
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