Number of points DtG

1: This whole thing started because it was claimed by some on this forum in WWI threads going back over two years now that Summary executions were carried out - Note that WERE carried out, no maybe, might have, could possibly have - definite statement summary executions WERE carried out.

2: In response to that Keith A, myself and others requested some sort of substantiation to back the accusation up - which I think is perfectly reasonable. I know I spent some considerable time checking through material and inquiring at the RMP Museum if there had ever been any such executions. My searches and inquiries resulted in no such instance of any summary executions being found.

3: By way of substantiation we got second-hand, hearsay accounts by people who we later found had actually witnessed nothing at all. We got stories of special squads of Military Police, Battlefield Police, none of whom, according to the RMP Museum ever executed anybody in the manner described on this forum. Isn't it odd that not one single name of any victim of such an act can be produced.

4: "As to there being no bodies, dates etc. I can only say that there were too many remains that were unidentified to make that a categorical statement." - WHAT? The claim is that these men were shot on the firing step of a trench in front of their comrades. The other claim is that they were shot as they wandered about BEHIND the British Lines. The remains that were unidentified and unidentifiable would be mainly in "No Mans Land", behind our lines in areas subjected to German artillery fire (Where cause of death and damage to the surrounding area would be unmistakable), or in enemy positions themselves killed in German counterattacks.

5: I find it rather strange and demonstrative of a particular bias that you say that it is wrong of me make a definite statement that it never happened, yet it would appear to be perfectly in order for your pals to state that it definitely did without one whit of evidence to substantiate the charge. What they are doing in laying these accusations and portraying them as being indisputable facts is blackening the reputations of people who are now no longer in a position to defend themselves. The funny thing is if those coming out with these statements about summary executions were charged with something and convicted on the strength of the scant and unreliable "evidence" they've produced to support the accusation that summary executions took place, they'd all be squealing like stuck pigs at the injustice of it all.

6: Could it possibly happen? It most certainly did in the French, Russian and Italian Armies and there is evidence to support that it did. The same cannot be said for the British, Commonwealth & Empire Armies, so the balance of probability is that it did not happen and to state categorically that it did is a barefaced lie. But there again those levelling the accusation and alleging that summary executions were common practice are people who have a track record of making idiotic and baseless, unsubstantiated accusations on this forum.

7: For "the sake of peace" I am not prepared to countenance or lend any sort of tacit credence to their outrageous lies.