French VA Recommends Pardon for WW1 Soldiers Executed for Desertion

They weren't cowards but decent soldiers, report says

A report delivered to France's Ministry of Veteran Affairs on Tuesday has suggested the country officially review the history of First World War soldiers who refused to fight and were executed by the hundreds as an example for other troops.

As France prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of the "Great War" next year, the new text highlights the double injustice suffered by many soldiers who were killed by firing squad and went down in history books as "cowards".