Rule 303 on the lefthand side the breaker morant movie poster on the right. Breaker morant at the turn of the twentieth century, three australian army lieutenants are courtmartialed for alleged war crimes committed while fighting in south africa. I always found the rule 303 scene from breaker morant, to be one of the best court scenes in a movie submitted. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian film about the court martial of breaker morant, directed by bruce beresford and starring british actor edward woodward as harry breaker morant and jack thompson as his attorney. Ringspun fabric softer and more durable for better washing and wearing.
Harry potter and the order of the phoenix, book 5 j. Moot appeal in victorian supreme court finds breaker morant did not receive fair trial duration. The graves of morant and handcock later became very popular with australian visitors, particularly after the 1980 release of bruce beresfords movie breaker morant. Although history suggests that the primary evidence against the officers came from their own men, disgusted at some of the actions they had been ordered to perform, the executions. Breaker morant and fellow executed officer were as guilty. Linkpage citation the title, of course, comes from the 1980 australian film breaker morant, in which as actually happened lieutenant harry. The rousing finale to breaker morant is a great case study in why storytelling liberties are often placed ahead of fidelity to fact. Rule 303 a quote supposedly said by harry breaker harbord morant at his court martial in 1902, he was found guilty and shot by firing squad on the 27 february 1902, 118 years ago this week. Full of action and set in 3 continents, it covers the entire range of the breakers activities. Harry breaker morant, as played by actor edward woodward in the. In south africa during the second boer war, australian army lieutenants harry breaker morant edward woodward, peter handcock bryan brown and george witton lewis fitzgerald stand accused of the murders of six boer prisoners and the assassination of a german missionary. Picton was cashiered, and lenehan was reprimanded and discharged. There was a breaker morant he was executed at pietersburg on 27 february 1902. The result is an entertaining read which over the years has gained renowned throughout the world.
As to rules and regulations, we had no red book, and knew nothing about them. Journal of the australian war memorial issue 34 henry. Morant and handcock were sentenced to death, and executed by firing squad less than 18 hours later. Rule 303 t shirt breaker morant movie boer lee enfield. Breaker morant executed national museum of australia. His best friend, captain percy hunt, had been killed in an illconceived attack and the breaker vowed revenge. Jun 21, 2016 the breaker was a bush poet of some quality, and he had a way of turning a phrase. The breaker by denton buy breaker morant book boer war book. With no time to prepare, an australian major, appointed as defense attorney, must prove that they were just following orders and are being made into political pawns by the. Harry breaker morant whose real name was ed murrant and his regiment, the bushveldt carbineers, had. Breaker morant movie rule 303 coffee mug custom velcro. Craig wilcox wrote on the breaker morant affair in his book australias boer war. Breaker morant and 4 related entities entities finder.
Breaker morant speech stories and quotes from the mind. This custom 11oz coffee mug features 2 images set on a british khaki background. Harry breaker harbord morant 1864 27 february 1902 was an angloaustralian drover, horseman, poet and soldier whose renowned skill with horses earned him the nickname the breaker. We were out fighting the boers, not sitting comfortably behind barbwire entanglements. This book had been written by kit denton and had been first published in. With edward woodward, jack thompson, john waters, bryan brown. When morant takes the witness stand and is grilled by bolton, he defends the shooting of visser by saying that he fought the boers as they fought him. Major thomas at the grave of breaker morant in 1902. Oct 09, 2019 this book that provides an historical assessment of the life of james francis thomas, the country lawyer from tenterfield, new south wales who was destined to represent three australians, lieutenants harry breaker morant, peter handcock and george witton has been. The 1902 courtmartial of breaker morant was a war crimes prosecution that brought to trial six officers lieutenants harry breaker morant, peter handcock, george witton, henry picton, captain alfred taylor and major robert lenehan of the bushveldt carbineers bvc, an irregular regiment of mounted rifles during the boer war. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian war drama film directed by bruce beresford, who cowrote. Witton was also sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life in prison by kitchener he was released by the british house of commons on 11 august 1904 and died in 1942. I always found the rule 303 scene from breaker morant.
The 1902 courtmartial of breaker morant was a war crimes prosecution that brought to trial six. One of the best dramas to emerge from australia in the 1980s, breaker morant won numerous awards and was nominated for several others. As this film was not an adaptation of this book, this published statement was. I always found the rule 303 scene from breaker morant, to. As to rules and sections, we had no red book, and knew nothing about them. A historical novel written by kit denton does more than recount the facts and the doubts surrounding breaker morant s life. The trial of breaker morant was no injustice he was guilty.
Three australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers. Breaker morant movie rule 303 printed on the front. Claiming that he and his fellow bushveldt carbineers were acting under orders all the way from the top in killing prisoners who were caught wearing british khaki, he said he executed them under the authority of rule. Breaker morant rule 303 a quote supposedly said by harry breaker harbord morant at his court martial in 1902, he was found guilty and shot by firing squad on the 27 february 1902, 118 years ago this week. Harry harbord the breaker morant commanded the unit of the bushveldt carbineers. George whitton lewis fitzgerald are hauled before a court martial to face charges of shooting a boer prisoner, along with a half dozen more boers and a german missionary, the reverend h. Evidence of orders not to take prisoners revealed at last. The breaker by denton buy breaker morant book boer war. Breaker morant and fellow executed officer were as guilty as sin. Ross 1978 play of the same name the film centres around the 1902 court martial of lieutenants harry morant, peter handcock, and george witton one of the first war crimes prosecutions in british military history. Jan 01, 1973 this classic story of the injustice and horror of war inspired the internationally acclaimed australian motion picture, breaker morant. Kit dentons 1973 book the breaker was not the source see ross litigation for details.
Dentons book preceded the movie, and some of the lines in the movie were also in the book, although not spoken by the same person. Articulate, intelligent and well educated, he was also a published poet and became one of the betterknown backblock bards of the 1890s, with the bulk of. The front side of the t shirt features a line from the movie where morant is being questioned about the rules of engagement he followed while fighting the boer commandos. Court martial of breaker morant military wiki fandom. Breaker morant, an oz soldier in the boer war, shot prisoners he had taken whilst on patrol way behind enemy lines because he could not hold them. He argued that, in the field, his men did not have the luxury of a.
British execute horseman, soldier and poet harry breaker morant. Harry breaker harbord morant 9 december 1864 27 february 1902 was an. Harry breaker harbord morant born edwin henry murrant, 9 december 1864 27 february 1902 was an angloaustralian drover, horseman, bush poet and military officer, who was convicted and executed for murder during the second angloboer war. Dec 04, 2016 breaker morant is a 1980 australian war and trial film directed by bruce beresford, who also cowrote based on kenneth g. Harry breaker morant edward woodward and two other officers of the bushveldt carbineers, lt. Sep 21, 2015 m idway through breaker morant, the titular character, a lieutenant for the bushveldt carbineers, springs to his feet inside of a courtroom, marches toward the prosecutors, and proclaims, with scorn, that we shot them under rule 303. Ross and is neither a sole nor joint filmed adaptation of the book the breaker by kit denton.
The lines ending with we shot them under rule 303 were spoken by handcock in the book rather than morant. Few americans have heard the phrase and fewer know what it means. Morant, played by edward woodward, is on trial to be courtmartialed for the execution of several boer. When asked which of the rules of engagement justifies shooting an unarmed prisoner, morant shouts, in reference to the calibre of his rifle, rule 303. That night, thomas angrily tells morant that he was the best witness the prosecution has yet had. The allaustralian supporting cast features bryan brown and lewis fitzgerald.
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