Court Martial Of Breaker Morant
The court-martial of six officers of the Bushveldt Carbineers (BVC), an irregular British force in the Boer War, was based on charges asserting that, between July and September 1901, a Lieutenant Harry Morant had incited the co-accused, Lts Handcock, Witton and others under his command to murder some twenty people, including the Boer commando Visser, a group of eight Boer POWs, Boer civilian adults and children, and the German missionary Heese.
The three main accused were Lieutenants Harry "Breaker" Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton. Other officers charged were Major Robert Lenehan, Captain Alfred Taylor and Lieutenant Henry Picton.
Morant and Handcock were acquitted of killing Heese, but were sentenced to death on the other two charges and executed within 18 hours of sentencing. Their death warrants were personally signed by Lord Kitchener.
Read more about Court Martial Of Breaker Morant: Overview of The Charges and The Trial, Visser Case, "Eight Boers" Case, Heese Case, "Take No Prisoners" Order, Attack On Pietersburg, Conviction and Sentencing, Aftermath
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