A COURT MARTIAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 84, 19 January 1938, Page 5

A COURT MARTIAL

OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY STRUCK.

AIR FORCE PILOT ACCUSED.

A GAME OF COCKFIGHTING.

(United Press Association—Copyright.) ■ (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) ' % LONDON, January 18.

Pilot-i Officer Frederick Robert McQuire, aged 23, of the 114th Bomber Squadron of the Royal Air Force, who stated that he, with a friend, flew from Australia to join up, pleaded not guilty, at a court-martial at Wyton Aerodrome, to charges of having struck superior officers. The prosecution alleged that during an inter-squadron guest night on December 9, the customary mess games, including cock-fighting, in which officers lay on the floor and attempted to overturn each with their legs , was played. Squadron feeling developed. McQuire tvfice struck Flight-Lieut. Ash, who asked him to play fair. He also struck Squadron-Leader Freebody, Commanding the 114th Squadron, who told McQuire to go to his roonl and then placed him under arrest. Squadron-Leader Freebody, giving evidence, said that cock-fighting was a common custom in the three services. He ordered the two biggest officers to guard McQuire’,s room when people wanted to beat him up. McQuire stated in evidence that he had been a boxer. He apologised for striking bis officers. He remembered little regarding the events as liis head got w'uzzy at dinner-time. < The defence urged that a man of such character should not be lost to the Air Force

The sentence will he promulgated