CURATE'S VANITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

CURATE'S VANITY.

POSED AS WAR VETERAN

The ridiculous and undignified situations which vanity will get a man into were never more blatantly typified than by a case heard by Mr. Broderick at the SouthWestern Police Court, London.

A curate, the Rev. Samuel Lynn Thomas, of St. Mary's Church, Balham, was summoned for unlawfully wearing the 1915 Star and an Italian decoration.

Mr. Thomas, it was stated, had carried out his duties in church on several occasions wearing the ribbons of the 1915 Star, the British "General Reserve medal, the Victory medal and the Italian decoration. The object of this display was to lend colour to a story which he told that he served in France in 1914 and was badly wounded, and that he was on the General Staff in Italy.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Thomas' career as a soldier had been singularly peaceful. After being called up in 1917 he obtained a commission in the Labour Corps. He then went to Salonika, where he served as an education officer. And that, apparently, wa3 all.

There was no record that he ever saw a shot fired in anger. The only excitement he took part in was when he was courtmar tialled for being drunk and was reprimanded. '"He is not entitled to the 1915 Star or the Italian decoration," said the prosecuting counsel. "It is not a serious criminal offence, bat it is most improper that people who are entitled to wear these ribbons should have their reputations besmirched." For the defence it was pointed out_that there was no question or suggestion of Mr. Thomas having tried to obtain any financial gain out oi the matter. The fact was that he had worn the decoration on the spur of the moment, and had to continue doing so. The magistrate said that it was prooaoly due to vanity on the part of Mr, Thomas that he wore the medals, and hs would not on that score impose as heaVy a penalty as he otherwise would have done. He would be fined £10 and five guineas costs. It will be quite obvious that a man might, on a silly impulse, indulge in a masquerade—if that term can be applied—o: this kind without realising he was committing himself to it indefinitely. The case seems to be one in which, though it is hard to feel sympathy with the man involved, the notoriety and. ridicule brought on fciT" is out of all proportion to the gravity of the offence. But, of course, the nrivilees of the men who do have a right to wear honourable decorations must be jealously safeguarded.