In the papers today a small item about a national serviceman who had caused an accident driving an army jeep, killing another soldier who was also a friend. It emerged later that he had protested to his sergeant that he had not the required driving licence, but was unable to disobey the direct order. The judge held a soldier need not obey a manifestly illegal order. The soldier was 20 at the time. Much public sympathy (he was given ten days; the sergeant’s case will be heard soon.) The papers report that the victim’s father told the other boy’s parents that he did not blame their son because he was just obeying an order. The last line of the report, which I found strangely moving, was: “Both fathers shook hands outside the court.”
Best of the Transparent Hummingbird