Tags
Dundee, Fife, Newport-on-Tay, Peter Black, Remembrance Day, Shell-shock, The Somme, Ther Black Watch, War Memorial, World War One
Just before dawn on the 18th of September 1916, Peter Black ‘an incorrigible and worthless solder’ of the 4th Black Watch ‘scum of Dundee’ was executed at La Creche, on the French/Belgium border. His crime? Deserting from the Somme area for the second time. A former resident of the Fife town of Newport-On-Tay. Peter was roughly twenty one. 
It was what a lot of young men were doing, many without realizing just what they were signing up for. And who wanted to be handed a white feather in the street, after all? 
The problem really wasn’t what to do about these men during the war…. No, that was very clear from the numbers who were branded cowards and shot. The problem was what to do about them after. One town was very clear. The community’s sons had gone to war together and now that same community would refuse a memorial unless all its dead ‘came home’ …together.
. Lest anyone think this was an idle threat…. 
And so, a town sticking to its guns, bucked a nation’s dilemma. Peter Black’s name was on the memorial when it was unveiled. 
At the going down of the sun indeed. This has been a different post today, I know. So, I’m going to leave you with this one last fact. 
shehanne moore 
