For some years recently, a campaign has been organized on a worldwide basis by John Hipkin of Newcastle-upon-Tyne to clear the names of those innocent men and he is seeking a full pardon for them.
John who was born in 1927 was at the age of 14 Britain’s youngest prisoner of war in the Second World War. He was serving as a cabin boy on a merchant navy ship; ‘The Lustos’, which was sunk by the German battleship ‘Scharnhorst’ in February 1941, he was captured and put into a prisoner of war camp in Germany. After a few months in the camp, he witnessed a German soldier shoot dead a teenage prisoner over a bowl of soup.
In October of 2000 John Hipkin as the guest of the Mid-Ulster branch of the Friends of the Somme gave a lecture in the Royal Hotel, Cookstown, on the subject of his work in seeking a pardon for the men "Shot at Dawn".
The campaign led by John Hipkin, a retired teacher, still attracts attention in the media. His group has sought the help of the Irish Government to have pardoned the 26 Irishmen who were court-martialed and executed by the British army during the First World War.
Irish, Scottish & North of England soldiers made up 50% of soldiers shot at dawn; their fate was kept secret for 75 years. Perhaps the Irish & Scottish Parliaments along with the Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies could unilaterally pardon their own nations. (John Hipkin)
British Soldiers of Irish ethnicity Shot at Dawn were:-
1. Patrick Joseph Downey, Limerick. Monday 27th December 1915.
2. Stephan Byrne, Dublin. Sunday 28th October; 1917.
3. Thomas Murphy/Hogan, Kerry, Monday 14thMay, 1917.
4. Joseph Carey, Dublin, Friday 15th September 1916.
5. Thomas Cummings, Belfast, Thursday 28thJanuary, 1915.
6. Albert Smythe, Ireland, Thursday 28th January 1915.
7. Thomas Hope, Westmeath, Tuesday 2nd March 1915.
8. Thomas Davis, Clare, Friday 2nd July 1915.
9. Peter Sands, Belfast, Wednesday 15th September 1915.
10. James Graham, Cork, Tuesday 21st December 1915.
11. James Crozier, Belfast, Sunday 27thFebruary, 1916.
12. James Templeton, Belfast. Sunday March 19th 1916.
13. J.F. McCracken, Belfast, Sunday March 19th 1916.
14. James H. Wilson, Limerick, Sunday 9th July 1916.
15. James Cassidy, Ireland, Sunday 23rd July 1916.
16. Albert Rickman, Naas, Friday 15th September 1916.
17. James Mullany, Ireland, Tuesday 3rd October 1916.
18. Bernard McGeehan, Derry, Thursday 2nd November 1916.
19. Samual McBride, Ireland, Thursday 7th December 1916.
20. Arthur Hamilton, Belfast, Tuesday 27th March 1917.
21. J. Wishart, Omagh, Tuesday 5th June 1917.
22. Robert Hepple(Hope), Ireland, Thursday 5th July 1917.
23. George Hanna, Belfast, Tuesday, 6th November 1917.
24. John Seymour, Ireland. Thursday 24th January 1918.
25. Benjamin O’Connell, Wexford, Thursday 8th August 1918.
26. Patrick Murphy, Dublin, Thursday 12th September 1918.
May those who died + Rest In Peace + Never to be Forgotten.
John who was born in 1927 was at the age of 14 Britain’s youngest prisoner of war in the Second World War. He was serving as a cabin boy on a merchant navy ship; ‘The Lustos’, which was sunk by the German battleship ‘Scharnhorst’ in February 1941, he was captured and put into a prisoner of war camp in Germany. After a few months in the camp, he witnessed a German soldier shoot dead a teenage prisoner over a bowl of soup.
In October of 2000 John Hipkin as the guest of the Mid-Ulster branch of the Friends of the Somme gave a lecture in the Royal Hotel, Cookstown, on the subject of his work in seeking a pardon for the men "Shot at Dawn".
The campaign led by John Hipkin, a retired teacher, still attracts attention in the media. His group has sought the help of the Irish Government to have pardoned the 26 Irishmen who were court-martialed and executed by the British army during the First World War.
Irish, Scottish & North of England soldiers made up 50% of soldiers shot at dawn; their fate was kept secret for 75 years. Perhaps the Irish & Scottish Parliaments along with the Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies could unilaterally pardon their own nations. (John Hipkin)
British Soldiers of Irish ethnicity Shot at Dawn were:-
1. Patrick Joseph Downey, Limerick. Monday 27th December 1915.
2. Stephan Byrne, Dublin. Sunday 28th October; 1917.
3. Thomas Murphy/Hogan, Kerry, Monday 14thMay, 1917.
4. Joseph Carey, Dublin, Friday 15th September 1916.
5. Thomas Cummings, Belfast, Thursday 28thJanuary, 1915.
6. Albert Smythe, Ireland, Thursday 28th January 1915.
7. Thomas Hope, Westmeath, Tuesday 2nd March 1915.
8. Thomas Davis, Clare, Friday 2nd July 1915.
9. Peter Sands, Belfast, Wednesday 15th September 1915.
10. James Graham, Cork, Tuesday 21st December 1915.
11. James Crozier, Belfast, Sunday 27thFebruary, 1916.
12. James Templeton, Belfast. Sunday March 19th 1916.
13. J.F. McCracken, Belfast, Sunday March 19th 1916.
14. James H. Wilson, Limerick, Sunday 9th July 1916.
15. James Cassidy, Ireland, Sunday 23rd July 1916.
16. Albert Rickman, Naas, Friday 15th September 1916.
17. James Mullany, Ireland, Tuesday 3rd October 1916.
18. Bernard McGeehan, Derry, Thursday 2nd November 1916.
19. Samual McBride, Ireland, Thursday 7th December 1916.
20. Arthur Hamilton, Belfast, Tuesday 27th March 1917.
21. J. Wishart, Omagh, Tuesday 5th June 1917.
22. Robert Hepple(Hope), Ireland, Thursday 5th July 1917.
23. George Hanna, Belfast, Tuesday, 6th November 1917.
24. John Seymour, Ireland. Thursday 24th January 1918.
25. Benjamin O’Connell, Wexford, Thursday 8th August 1918.
26. Patrick Murphy, Dublin, Thursday 12th September 1918.
May those who died + Rest In Peace + Never to be Forgotten.
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