TWO great-grandchildren of a soldier who features on the city's CBD Boer War Memorial were in Bathurst recently for a medal ceremony.
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Michael Handcock and Richard Williams are the descendants of Lieutenant Peter Handcock, who has been at the centre of a tug-of-war in recent years over his service and legacy.
Author and Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons said in a piece published on Anzac Day in 2021 that Lieutenant Handcock - whose name is on the Kings Parade memorial - was a "convicted war criminal, who, among other atrocities, shot a fellow soldier thought to be a potential whistleblower and gunned down unarmed prisoners, a pastor and at least two Boer children".
![Author and lawyer James Unkles. File picture Author and lawyer James Unkles. File picture](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/7PapGKjYPrPEgYfvAPt3Wq/d856be5d-0914-444f-8d11-088a4a0a7c1e.jpg/r0_0_2500_1739_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Lawyer and author James Unkles, however - who wrote Ready Aim Fire. Major James Francis Thomas: The Fourth Victim in the Execution of Lieutenant Harry "Breaker" Morant - has been a strong critic of the treatment of Lieutenant Handcock.
"While FitzSimons is entitled to express a version of history about the Boer War and these men, his conclusion that Morant and Handcock got what they deserved overlooks a fatal injustice at the hands of their British superiors," Mr Unkles told the Western Advocate in 2021.
"It is an injustice that has drawn support for an independent inquiry from leading senior judicial figures, politicians and respected community leaders."
Mr Unkles gave an address at a recent ceremony held at the Kings Parade memorial where replica medals were presented to the Handcock family.
Medals were also presented to descendants of Lieutenant Handcock's legal counsel, Major James Thomas.
The ceremony was conducted by the Bathurst RSL Sub-Branch and attended by federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee, among others.
"It is a privilege to be here today to honour Lieutenant Peter Handcock for his loyal service with the Colonial Contingent, 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles and later with the British Contingent, the Bushveldt Carbineers," Mr Unkles said in his address.
"In celebrating Peter's service, his name was added to the Bathurst Boer War Memorial in 1964 in recognition of his history in Bathurst.
"The memorial was dedicated 'To the honour of the Bathurst men who served in the South African War between 1899 to 27 February 1902'."
Lieutenant Morant and Lieutenant Handcock were executed by a British firing squad on February 27, 1902.
Mr Unkles said they had been tried and sentenced along with two other Australians, Harry "Breaker" Morant and George Witton, for shooting Boer prisoners under orders of their British superiors.
"This matter has been the subject of protests over 121 years, the allegation being these men were not arrested, tried and sentenced according to military and common law of 1902," Mr Unkles said in his address.
"Under the direction of Commander, Lord Kitchener, these men were dealt with in utmost secrecy that prevented the Australian Government and the men's relatives from interfering in the process.
"The secrecy prevented any hope of appeal to the King for mercy and ensured the Australian Government could not intercede on behalf of the men.
"The Australian PM, Edmund Barton, was not informed of the matter until April 1902.
![Memorial hosts Boer War veteran descendants for medal ceremony Memorial hosts Boer War veteran descendants for medal ceremony](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/7PapGKjYPrPEgYfvAPt3Wq/f04e83b1-1305-4cd4-8dc3-419f72da2011.JPG/r0_305_3264_2140_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"The denial of appeal, petition for mercy to the King or to state a military redress of grievance through their lawyer Major Thomas was an appalling injustice that amounted to a perversion of the course of justice by Lord Kitchener.
"The passing of time and the fact that Morant, Handcock and Witton are deceased does not diminish the errors and these injustices must be addressed to demonstrate respect for the rule of law.
"The issue is not whether Morant and Handcock shot Boer prisoners, which they admitted to, but whether they were properly represented, military law correctly and evenly applied by a trial process that was fair and in accordance with the existing law of 1902."
![Bathurst war historian Denis Chamberlain with a photo of Peter Handcock in 2018. Picture by Bradley Jurd Bathurst war historian Denis Chamberlain with a photo of Peter Handcock in 2018. Picture by Bradley Jurd](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/7PapGKjYPrPEgYfvAPt3Wq/a8336c66-3c6e-4b79-a65f-942cd5bef26e.jpg/r0_236_4608_2837_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sub-branch's say
The Bathurst RSL Sub Branch wrote to Bathurst Regional Council in 2021 in regards to whether Lieutenant Handcock's name should stay on the Kings Parade Boer War Memorial.
"Our history is not, of course, an unbroken string of successes," the sub branch wrote. "But our failures are recognisable only as exceptions, and the proper way to think about resolving them is by drawing on our past, not by abandoning it."
The sub branch said war memorials "honour those who have paid the supreme sacrifice, commemorate the service and sacrifice of all servicemen and women as well as acknowledging the contribution of others during times of war".
"Service is not always of a positive nature, however we need to note all service and learn from our history, not ignore, delete or, worse still, rewrite it," the letter said.
The sub branch said it was not in the business of rewriting history, so at its general meeting the previous month it had passed a unanimous motion that it "does not support the removal of names from the Boer War Memorial, or any other memorial, in the Bathurst Regional Council area".