one such was private thomas highgate from the royal west kemp. on the afternoon of the sixth of september, the day the french launched a massive counteroffensive which drove back the germans from the gatess of pear an english gamekeeper surprised highgate in the shed. the soldier made a personal decision that the glories were not for him and was wearing stolen civilian clothes which damned hilt. highgate was shot by firing squad on the 8th of september, ceremony watched by two companies of comrades following an order from the commander. that over said he wanted the execution to have the maximum deterrent effect and specified that highgate should be killed, quote, as publicly as possible, and so he was. today, such punishments are thought to have been barbaric, and victims received posthumous pardons from the british government to me this is a touch of moral conceit to pretend we can retrospectively impose on our forefathers the hugh -- humane values of the 21 independent -- 21st century. what is forgotten is that men run away in wars deserve our