AN OLD soldier from Salisbury who served in the Second World War is adding his voice to the campaign for pardons to be given to the 306 First World War men who were shot as deserters.

John Mallen (82), of Rambridge Crescent, laid a wreath of poppies at the war memorial in Salisbury on Remem-brance Sunday in their memory and says it is now time that these soldiers - many of whom were teenagers - were forgiven.

He says a small proportion might have been genuine deserters but the vast majority were not.

"After long periods of constant shell fire and living in appalling conditions in the trenches, their minds snapped and they became almost like zombies," he said.

"They were certainly not responsible for their actions.

"For deserting their posts, they were arrested and court-martialled, found guilty of cowardice and shot by firing squad at dawn."