Section 98.(Poem)

 
SECTION 98 
 
   No firing squads at dawn 
   for cowardice or desertion ... 
   alone among its allies, 
 
   Australia muddled through: 
   An act passed down in Melbourne 
   (Section 98) 
 
   held off the higher brass, 
   their need for "stern examples", 
   "encourager les autres". 
 
   Decisions were "deferred" 
   and correspondence filed. 
   Our GG's imprimatur 
 
   was needed for a death. 
   Each man had volunteered 
   and each day more were needed, 
 
   filling in the gaps. 
   The British Army Act, 
   mandating executions, 
 
   was found not to apply. 
   Haig and Birdwood, even 
   the great Monash himself, 
 
   were severally incensed. 
   George Pearce and Billy ...