Unlawfull

[j.sabourn]

Looking at the other side of the coin Lord Kitchener threw tens of thousands of British Lives away in a slaughter of unparalled killing. For which he received all sorts of medals including Knighthoods. Wonder if he ever slept peacefully at night. JS

[Harry Nicholson]

I remember those nurses that were marched into the surf and machine gunned by Japanese soldiers in the last war. Only came to the outside world's attention as one of those nurses though badly wounded actually survived to tell that tale.
So many of these conflicts go back centuries. Human nature just doesn't seem to get it. So many lives wasted for what? Politicians own some of the responsibility as they send these people into those places we have no right to be.
I feel for the majority of the other soldiers who will end up being tarred by the same brush yet be innocent of the crimes.
They had it right in ancient times. Both opposing sides lining up against each other. Someone shouts " charge" and they go to it in some field with the population not getting involved.

The nurses were on SS Vyner Brooke escaping Singapore Feb 1942. The uncle of a friend of mine was 2nd mate. It was bombed. Many of the Australian nurses got ashore on Banka Island just as the most brutal regiment in the Jap army was moving in (The units that murdered their way through the hospitals of Hong Kong). He had an incredible escape and made it to Fremantle after an arduous journey through East Indies. He wrote it up in 1952. His original manuscript 'One Jump Ahead' was passed to me by his nephew, so I've published the story as "One Jump Ahead" under his name A J Mann. Two children were on his liferaft for a while but then were lost from his knowledge. I discovered this year that those children are still alive and living quietly. I've now lodged the original manuscript of Lt Mann with the Australian Memorial archives - it is still an important story for many Australians. Lt Mann went on to be a beachmaster at the Anzio landings - he died in 1959.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

One way to stop many wars is for any soldier who is accused and sentenced to death for war crimes, to pick a politician to be shot with him , as the only reason he was in that position was through political action.
Des

[j.sabourn]

#23 I seem to remember that whoever was President of the USA at the time saying no American soldier would be charged by the law of anyone pointing the finger at them for unnecesary killing, or words to that effect It was an attempt no doubt as a moral booster for those forces going into ground action against a foe with no moral standards. A bit out of context Des you being out here a lot longer than me, Do the RAAF have an RAAF regiment like the RAF once or still have ? I dont want to appear too ignorant when among those who served. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

The Nurenburg Trials were held by civilian lawyers.
No soldier can be charged with murder by an army court, murder is a civilian crime.
If you charged a soldier with murder half the army would be in prison.
He can be court marshalled and booted out but that is all.

But as Des puts it, the ones who send them to war walk away free.

[Doc Vernon]

Wont argue the toss here John but a Soldier can be tried for any crime in a Military Court. It is depends a lot on the circumstances and the place . Dont know about here in Aussie, but a lot of other places, the Military Courts handle all the cases that involve Military Personel.

If you read some Articles on Military Law and Trials you will see that this is correct!
Cheers

End of my Rant LOL

[Des Taff Jenkins]

It was a military court that tried and shot Breaker Morant and his off sider in South Africa for shooting a wounded prisoner. I recently read a book that there was a piece of paper floating around that Kitchener had written TOP on, take no prisoners, and he desperately wanted it back, don't know how much truth there was in it.

I am not sure but I don't recall ever hearing of RAAF regiment, maybe don't have enough to form one.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Vernon, you are correct about being tried in a military court.

But for example if a soldier shot dead the major on the parade ground he would be charged with murder, but that is a civil matter so would be tried in a civil court.

[William Kean]

If your lawyers are like ours, unscrupulous then the squaddies are in for a rough ride.
Some UK solicitors were paying local tribesmen to make false allegations about UK servicemen.
The solicitors never give up, they hound the squaddies force numerous investigations claiming that they have uncovered new evidence.
Every time our troops go into action maybe they should second one or two of the ambulance chasing lawyers to the front line.
Vic

The problem with asymmetric warfare is shoot somebody with a gun in his/her hand is OK and you are a good lad/lass, shoot somebody who had a gun in his/her hand at the time the shot was taken but the weaponn is removed by the time the body is located and you have just killed a civilian. There is no excuse for brutality by the military in a court of law, however you may see it differently if somebody has been doing their best to kill you in some far off unpleasant part of the world.

[Alan Briggs]

And the so called commanders get off scot free, apparently the closest they got to Afghanistan was the Emirates, and they got a medal for it.
Difficult to fight a war when one side has rules of engagement and the other side has none.