Sandie Seward
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Pardon sought for First World War soldiers.The Ministry of Defence is to seek pardons for more than 300 soldiers who were shot for military offences during World War I.
Defence Secretary Des Browne said he would be seeking a group pardon, approved by Parliament, for the men.
It is thought 306 British soldiers were shot for cowardice, desertion or other offences in the 1914-1918 war.
Among them was Private Harry Farr, shot for cowardice in 1916 aged 25. His family said they were "overwhelmed".
They have been campaigning for years for him to be pardoned, arguing that he was suffering from shell-shock and should not have been sent back to the trenches.
He was no coward, he was a very brave soldier and he fought for his country and he died fighting for his country .
Mr Browne said: "Although this is a historical matter, I am conscious of how the families of these men feel today. They have had to endure a stigma for decades.
"That makes this a moral issue too, and having reviewed it, I believe it is appropriate to seek a statutory pardon."
Mr Browne said: "I hope we can take the earliest opportunity to achieve this by introducing a suitable amendment to the current Armed Forces Bill.
"I believe a group pardon, approved by Parliament, is the best way to deal with this. After 90 years, the evidence just doesn't exist to assess all the cases individually."
'Victims of war'
It is now thought that many of those shot for cowardice were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after enduring months of artillery bombardment in the trenches.
Their relatives have been attempting to obtain pardons since 1990 when Public Record Office files outlining the cases against the men were declassified.
Mr Browne said: "I do not want to second-guess the decisions made by commanders in the field, who were doing their best to apply the rules and standards of the time.
"But the circumstances were terrible and I believe it is better to acknowledge that injustices were clearly done in some cases, even if we cannot say which - and to acknowledge that all these men were victims of war."
Pte Farr's family have previously tried and failed to secure a full, posthumous pardon for the soldier through the courts.
After 90 years, the evidence just doesn't exist to assess all the cases individually .
However, they were given hope in May 2005 when a judge said there was "room for argument" that they had been wrongly refused a conditional posthumous pardon.
A further hearing scheduled for October was delayed for the then Defence Secretary, John Reid, to reconsider the case.
After Tuesday's announcement, Pte Farr's daughter Gertrude Harris, now 93, told BBC News: "Well to be truthful, I'm overwhelmed. I prayed that it would happen in my lifetime but I never realised really that it would. It's come really as a shock today.
"We were determined for my mother' sake because she always said he was no coward, he was a very brave soldier and he fought for his country and he died fighting for his country."
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