Private Peaceful

World War I, fought from 1914 to 1918, ushered in an era of intense conflict and brutality that forever altered the course of history. As nations engaged in a global struggle, countless soldiers were thrust onto the battlefield. The total number of casualties, both military and civilian, is estimated at 40 million (Reperes, 2011).

Young and inexperienced soldiers endured the relentless horror of industrial warfare daily. The prevalence of what was then known as “shell shock,” now recognized as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), further underscores the psychological toll of the war. The condition manifests as debilitating anxiety, persistent nightmares, physical afflictions, and erratic behavior. Despite an emerging understanding of the condition, a lack of formal medical examination often led to convictions for crimes of “cowardice” and desertion instead of appropriate treatment. One of the earliest cases of execution for desertion occurred just 35 days into the war (Johnson, David. Executed at Dawn: British Firing Squads on the Western Front, 1914-1918. The History Press, 2015).

The historical incident assumes a pivotal role in propelling the narrative of Private Peaceful forward, as Charlie Peaceful ultimately faces his execution for disobeying an order from his superior, Sergeant Hanley. Charlie endures a swift and harsh trial in a similar fashion as the soldiers did during the war. Thomas’s journey also bears remarkable parallels to the tragic fate of the first British soldier executed during World War I. At the age of 17, Private Thomas Highgate faced the dawn firing squad for desertion, having sought refuge in a barn (Johnson, Executed at Dawn). Thomas Peaceful, sharing the same name and age as Private Highgate, finds himself in a similar place while awaiting his brother’s execution.

The executions provoked controversy as the war raged on. Michael Morpurgo advocated for a posthumous pardon to the soldiers. One of his notable contributions to the campaign was a letter that he wrote to Cherie Blair, the wife of then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, as part of a broader effort to raise awareness around the issue. In 2006, the Armed Forces Act offered a mass pardon to the 306 British soldiers who were executed for cowardice or desertion during World War I. Morpurgo refers to this context in Private Peaceful’s Postscript, which has been updated throughout the years to reflect the ongoing changes around the incident.