Thomas Highgate | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas James Highgate |
| Born | 13 May 1895 Shoreham, Kent, England |
| Died | 8 September 1914 (aged 19) Boissy-le-Châtel, Seine-et-Marne, France |
| Cause of death | Execution (gunshot) |
| Buried | No known grave |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1913–1914 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment |
| Battles / wars |
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Private Thomas James Highgate (13 May 1895 – 8 September 1914) was a British soldier during the First World War and the first British soldier to be convicted of desertion and executed by firing squad on the Western Front. He was born in Shoreham, Kent, and worked as a farm labourer before joining the army in 1913 as a seaman. When the First World War began, he fought with the First Battalion of the Royal West Kents. Highgate was executed 35 days into the war, on 8 September 1914, after being found hiding in a farmhouse wearing civilian clothes. His death was made as public as possible and used as an example to other soldiers. Highgate's name was not included on the war memorial at Shoreham; from the late 1990s onwards, some local residents fought for his name to be added whilst others disagreed. Posthumous pardons for soldiers who had been executed, including Highgate, were announced in 2006.