by One of my favorite movies from the 1980s was Breaker Morant starring Edward Woodward as Lt. Harry “Breaker” Morant. The movie, set during the Boer War in South Africa, is told from an Australian perspective. Morant and his fellow Bushveldt Carbineers were engaged in brutal unconventional battle with the Boers where the niceties of civilized combat were discarded. Morant and fellow lieutenants Peter Handcock and George Witton were accused of war crimes for the shooting of Boer prisoners in reprisal for the killing of their commander Capt. Percy Hunt.
Morant, Handcock, and Witton were eventually arrested and tried for the murders of the Boer prisoners. Morant and Handcock were sentenced to death and executive while Witton was given life imprisonment. There is the famous scene in the movie in which Morant is asked under what rule he shot the prisoners.
The execution of Morant and Handcock was considered an injustice in Australia by many. This was to lead the Australian government to demand that no Australians be court-martialed by the British military during WW1.
On November 8th, it was announced that Morant, Handcock, and Witton would be posthumously awarded the service medals to which they were entitled. It only came 120 years after the fact and was due in large part to the efforts of retired military attorney James Unkles.
I am pleased to announce on behalf of the descendants of Morant, Handcock and Witton, medallic recognition that they rendered loyal and exemplary service to the Colonial Contingents during the Boer War.
Australian and British authorities no longer issue medals for service in the Boer War – however replica medals can be sourced for descendants once details of service are confirmed.
There is no legal impediment to such medals being issued to the descendants of these men.
A presentation was made to Brian Turley as a descendant of Lt. Witton. It recognized his service with the 4th Victorian Imperial Bushmen. Presentations will be made to descendants of Morant and Handcock at a later date.
To read more about the case, see this issue of Reconnaisance: The Newsletter of the Military History Society of NSW. It starts on page 7.