General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien said that he "should be killed as publicly as possible". Men from the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment and 1st Battalion, Dorset Regiment witnessed the execution in person.
General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien expressed his desire for a high-profile execution. Members of the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment and 1st Battalion, Dorset Regiment were in attendance to observe the event personally.