Harry Farr and the Limits of Understanding Shell Shock in the First World War

In September 1916, Harry Farr, a private soldier in the British Army, was executed by firing squad for desertion on the Western Front. His case is among the most thoroughly documented of those later associated with the term “Shot at Dawn” and has become central to discussions about how psychological trauma was understood and acted upon during the First World War.

Service and Medical History

Harry Farr enlisted in 1914 and served on the Western Front during a period characterised by sustained artillery bombardment and heavy casualties. Surviving medical and military records show that during his service he was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions suffering from what doctors described at the time as “nervous collapse”.

By 1915, the term shell shock was already in circulation, though its causes, severity, and long-term effects were not well understood. Symptoms such as tremors, anxiety, paralysis, and an inability to function under fire were increasingly recognised, but there was no consistent agreement on whether these constituted illness, weakness, or a temporary failure of nerve.

In Farr’s case, his symptoms were formally recorded and treated. After periods of hospitalisation, he was returned to active service.

The Court Martial

In September 1916, during preparations for an attack, Farr refused to advance. He was arrested and charged with cowardice. His case was heard by a Field General Court Martial.

As was typical of such proceedings, the trial was brief. Farr had no legal representation. Medical evidence relating to his previous hospital admissions was noted but did not prevent the confirmation of a death sentence. The emphasis of the proceedings was on discipline and obedience under fire rather than on medical interpretation of his condition.

Within days, the sentence was confirmed.

On 18 October 1916, Harry Farr was executed by firing squad.

Family Notification and the Aftermath

The consequences of execution extended far beyond the battlefield. In late 1916, Farr’s wife received a telegram informing her of his death. It read:

“We regret to inform you that Harry Thomas Farr of the First West Yorkshire Regiment has been shot for cowardice in the face of the enemy.”— He Was No Coward: The Harry Farr Story

According to later family accounts, Farr’s widow was acutely aware of the stigma attached to such a notification. She concealed the telegram inside her blouse and resolved not to tell anyone. It is likely that this silence would have continued for much longer had circumstances not intervened.

Several months later, when attending the Post Office to collect her Separation Allowance, she was informed that there was “no money for you today”. This reflected government policy at the time: war widows’ pensions were not paid where a soldier had been executed for a military offence.

Faced with the sudden loss of income, she was left with no choice but to turn to her family for financial support and to explain the reason for it. In this way, the execution continued to shape the family’s experience long after the event itself.

Reassessment and Pardon

Harry Farr’s case later became central to campaigns calling for a reassessment of the executions carried out during the First World War, particularly where medical evidence of psychological trauma existed.

In 2006, under the Armed Forces Act, Farr was among 306 soldiers granted a posthumous pardon. The decision acknowledged that many of those executed were suffering from conditions that were not properly understood or treated at the time, and that the convictions should no longer stand.

The decision was welcomed by surviving family members. Farr’s daughter, Gertrude Harris, then aged 93, said:

“I am so relieved that this ordeal is now over and I can be content knowing that my father’s memory is intact.”— He Was No Coward: The Harry Farr Story

About This Research

I am currently researching a number of First World War execution cases using court martial records, medical files, war diaries, and family archives, including the case of my own ancestor. Further case studies and research updates are shared through the SynJon website.