From Shame To Honour
In 1981, as he lay dying, Jack Barker revealed a secret he had kept for over sixty years - that his cousin, William Wilfred “Ted” Roberts, serving in the Royal Fusiliers, had been shot during the First World War for stealing the rum ration. Until that moment, no one in the family had even heard Ted’s name.
Official documents were embargoed and information was scant, making the family search into what happened on the front line difficult. Drawing on official war records, family memories, and newly accessible archives, this book uncovers the real story of Ted Roberts, the family’s search for answers and the long campaign that resulted in the posthumous pardons of the 306 British soldiers executed by their own army.
A century after Ted’s death, his story reminds us of the human cost of war, the burden of silence, and the enduring power of truth.
Della Judd
- 238 pages
- Paperback
- Archive images
- Archive extracts
- Embargoed documents
