Private Henry MacDonald will finally be honoured by his home town tomorrow.

The soldier's name will be added to Keighley's roll of honour, 82 years after he was executed for desertion. The updated roll will be unveiled for Harry MacDonald, the soldier's grandson, during a ceremony at the war memorial in town hall square.

It is the end of a 12-year campaign by Mr MacDonald, who lives in Hampshire, to see his grandfather honoured. It is also the first step towards seeing the soldier officially pardoned by the government.

"I am looking forward to the ceremony because it marks the first milestone after 82 years of injustice," says Mr MacDonald. "I am just sorry my own father did not live to have seen this as well. Once again I am very grateful to everyone in Keighley for supporting this campaign."

Pte MacDonald was executed in November 1916 for deserting his unit on the Somme. He had tried to return to Britain without permission to see his pregnant wife at their Wellington Street home.

Bradford council - which is responsible for the roll in the town's reference library - decided to add the soldier's name to the list following a campaign led by the Keighley News and local historians.

"The council's decision marks a watershed," says Alan Smith, who first brought the soldier's case to the public's attention. "We must now push for a full pardon."

For £70, Pte MacDonald's name has been engraved on fine vellum by leading calligrapher Gilly Hazeldean and inserted into the roll of honour in the library. The council decided not to alter the original roll produced by Britain's finest calligrapher Edward John-ston in 1924 because of the work's importance.

As Keighley belatedly honours Pte MacDonald, the government has finally released his death notice, issued by British Army commander General Sir Douglas Haig in November 1916, which remained classified until last year. The terse document, which is too faint to be reproduced in its original form here, 'could have come straight out of Black Adder', says Mr Smith.

The order states: "Private H MacDonald, 12th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, was tried by Field General Court-Martial on the following charge: when on active service deserting His Majesty's Service. The sentence of the Court was 'to suffer death by being shot'. The sentence was duly carried out at 6.33am on November 4 1916."

The notice closes: 'A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'.

Tomorrow's ceremony begins at 10.30am, and Mr MacDonald will be joined by Keighley News editor Malcolm Hoddy, Cllr Thorne and Mr Smith. Members of the public are welcome.

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