Breaker Morant
Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant (* 1864 in England ; † February 27, 1902 in Pietersburg , South Africa ) was an Anglo-Australian cattle dealer, author and soldier . He was executed as a convicted war criminal .
Life
Morant had immigrated to Australia from the UK. His reputation as an experienced trainer earned him the nickname Breaker . In his youth he had received a good education. He wrote poetry for magazines.
During the Boer War , in which he took part on the side of the British with the Bushveldt Carbineers , he gave the order to execute several prisoners of war , with which he negotiated a controversial charge in a military court. He was found guilty, sentenced to death, and executed on February 27, 1902. The execution authorization was personally signed by Lord Kitchener , the British Commander in Chief in South Africa.
After his death, Morant became a folk hero in Australia . His story has been covered in several books and in 1979 his life was filmed by the director Bruce Beresford in the work Breaker Morant .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Morant, breaker |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Morant, Harry Harbord |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Australian cattle dealer, horseman, author and soldier |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1864 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | England |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 27, 1902 |
| Place of death | Pietersburg |