Can you survive being shot by a firing squad?
If the firing squad in question are utterly inept, then yes.
It has happened at least once that I know about.
In 1976, there was a civil war in Angola. The FNLA faction recruited British and American mercenaries. 13 were captured by the victorious MPLA faction and put on trial. Four were sentenced to death by firing squad.
Of the four pictured, Andy McKenzie died straight away. Costas ‘Colonel Callan’ Georgiu fell to the ground and lay immobile with his eyes open for several minutes before dying. Daniel Gerhart was hit in the upper chest and screamed out in pain for some time before being shot again.
So none of those really survived.
John ‘Brummie’ Barker appeared to die straight away. He was shot and hit the ground, covered in blood. Then, as the bodies were being carried onto the truck in stretchers, he sat bolt upright and asked what had happened, at which point, he was then shot, dead this time.
What probably happened was that he fainted as the shots rang out and was covered in the other mercenaries’ blood. Had he come around a bit less dramatically, he might well have managed to escape.
So yes, he did survive a firing squad, but not for long.
If you can get your hands on this book (mine isn't for sale), you'll be able to read the whole story.
Cold Steel and the Underground Boneyard
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