Editing Execution by firing squad (section)

===United Kingdom===
{{Main|Capital punishment in the United Kingdom}}
The standard method of execution in the United Kingdom was [[hanging]]. Execution by firing squad was limited to times of war, armed [[insurrection]] and in the [[military]], although it is now outlawed in all circumstances, along with all other forms of capital punishment.[[File:Chair in which Josef Jakobs sat when he was executed by firing squat August 15, 1941.jpg|thumb|Chair in which [[Josef Jakobs]] sat when he was executed by firing squad 15 August 1941]]

The [[Tower of London]] was used during both World Wars for executions. During World War I, eleven captured German spies were shot between 1914 and 1916: nine on the Tower's rifle range and two in the Tower Ditch, all of whom were buried in [[East London Cemetery]], in [[Plaistow, Newham|Plaistow]], London.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwi_spying.htm |title=5 vulnerabilities to eliminate to protect your home from burglars |access-date=2010-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412093020/http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwi_spying.htm |archive-date=2010-04-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 15 August 1941, the last execution at the Tower was that of German Cpl. [[Josef Jakobs]], shot for espionage during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Field |first=Becca |date=2021-08-14 |title=German spy and last person to be executed in Tower of London's ties to Cambs |url=https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/history/german-spy-last-person-executed-21286110 |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=CambridgeshireLive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Josef Jakobs |url=http://www.rafupwood.co.uk/Josefjakobs.html |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=www.rafupwood.co.uk}}</ref>

Since the 1960s, there has been some controversy concerning the 346 British and [[British Empire|Imperial]] troops—including 25 Canadians, 22 Irish and 5 New Zealanders—shot for desertion, murder, cowardice and other offences during World War I, some of whom are now thought to have been suffering from [[combat stress reaction]] or [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] ("shell-shock", as it was then known). This led to organisations such as the Shot at Dawn Campaign being set up in later years to try to uncover just why these soldiers were executed.<ref name="shot" /><ref name="telegraph" /> The [[Shot at Dawn Memorial]] was erected at [[Staffordshire]] to honour these soldiers. In August 2006 it was announced that 306 of these soldiers would receive posthumous pardons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1526437/Pardoned-the-306-soldiers-shot-at-dawn-for-cowardice.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1526437/Pardoned-the-306-soldiers-shot-at-dawn-for-cowardice.html |archive-date=2022-01-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Pardoned: the 306 soldiers shot at dawn for 'cowardice'|website=The Telegraph|date=16 August 2006 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>