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Why is the fine town of Bathurst honouring for perpetuity a convicted war criminal, who among other atrocities shot a fellow soldier thought to be a potential whistleblower and gunned down unarmed prisoners, a pastor and two Boer children?
I refer to Lieutenant Peter Handcock who in February 1902 was executed with Lieutenant Harry “Breaker” Morant, after being court-martialled and convicted of committing murder while on active duty.
An undated photo shows officers involved in the Breaker Morant case: left to right: Lieutenant Handcock, Lieutenant Morant, Surgeon Johnson, Captains Hunt, Taylor and Picton.
As one whose latest book is
Breaker Morant, I was stunned last month when one of my researchers, passing through Handcock’s hometown, sent me a photo of Bathurst’s South African War Memorial, devoted to the honour of local men who served in the 1899-1902 South African War.
Peter Handcock: Disgraced soldier deserves no war memorial honour smh.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from smh.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.