NEW GUINEA EXPEDITION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 112, 13 May 1915, Page 7

NEW GUINEA EXPEDITION

ALLEGED LOOTING. AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS HONOURABLY QUITTED. SYDNEY, 12th May. The court-martial to try several 'officers and men of the New Guinea Expeditionary Force, on charges of alleged looting has opened. Colonel Patton was charged on six counts witli stealing and receiving goods from the captui'ed German vessel Komet, consisting of a quantity of plated-ware and other table furnishings. Three of the charges were withdrawn. Colonel Patton pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Counsel assisting in the prosecution admitted that Colonel Patton had been perfectly frank and had given every assistance in the investigating of the matter. The value of the articles involved, which had been handed over to the Commonwealth Government, was 10a. Colonel Holmes, commander of the Expeditionary Force, gave evidence that he issued instructions to the officers that great care was to be taken to Gafeguard private property. He described Colonel Patton. and said that a finer soldier or more honourable man never existed. Colenel Paitton gave( evidenqe that he was in charge of the expedition which captured the Komet. After returning from Rabaul the paymastei asked him if he would like a memento of the expedition. He said, ho would be delighted. Later, the articles forming the ba-sis of the charges were sent to his room. He made no secret of having them. He understood it was the invariable practice of soldiers to take away some little souvenir. The Court found Colonel Patton not ¦guilty and honourably acquitted him. In the case against Sergeant Anderson, the prosecutor said he had no evidence to offer in support of the charges. Sergeant Anderson was honourably acquitted.