100 years on, war widow’s story is finally being told in National Theatre of Scotland production

GERTRUDE FARR was 99 when she died and for most of her years she kept a shocking secret from even her closest family.

Her husband, Harry, was executed for cowardice during the First World War.

Now Gertrude’s struggle in the aftermath is being played out on stage in a new National Theatre of Scotland production.

And her granddaughter, Janet Booth, who successfully fought to have shell shock sufferer Harry pardoned 90 years later, had a front row seat to see her family’s history being dramatised.

The family secret was revealed to Janet around 30 years ago, while she was researching her family tree. She asked where in France her grandfather was buried but discovered there was no marker, because he was shot for cowardice in 1916.

Gertrude was only 21 and had a little girl to look after, yet her widow’s pension was stopped.

Janet, from Surrey, attended the premiere with her daughter, Rachel, who lives near Glasgow, in Perth over the weekend.

Her family’s story is one of three told in The 306 trilogy.

Last year’s first part, Dawn, focused on the soldiers who were killed, while Day is based on the accounts of three women left behind in the wake of the executions.

Janet says her grandmother and mum would have been so proud and, after she was unable to attend last year’s play, she was excited to see the new show in person.

Of seeing her family’s history re-enacted on stage, the 75-year-old admitted to being nervous beforehand – especially since she is also being portrayed in the show.

But the gran-of-four insists it’s important a new generation learns what happened, while the rest of us must ensure we never forget.

The 306: Dawn’s run at the Station Hotel, Perth, continues until Saturday before visiting Cove, Glasgow, Clydebank, Galashiels, Wigtown, Lockerbie, Dundee, Aberdeen, Nairn, Fort Augustus, Ballachulish and Arrochar.