FAILED TO ENROL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 8

FAILED TO ENROL

"UNWITTING" OFFENCE PHOTOGRAPHER FINED £5 A summons charge of having failed to apply for enrolment in the First Division of tne National Reserve was admitted by Clifton Reginald Firth, a photographer, when he appeared in the Police Court before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Sub-Inspector Pender said Firth had been divorced, a decree absolute having been given on September 10. He re-married on September 16. Firth came within the First Division of the National Reserve and he failed to enrol. On January 28 he was written to and requested to forward an enrolment form, but no reply was received. When interviewed by Sergeant Welch, defendant explained that he had not received a letter asking him to enrol.

"This offence was more unwitting than anything else," said Mr. G. P. Finlay. who represented Firth. The regulations came into force in January, 1940, when Firth was a married man. In the interval of six or seven days between his divorce and his re-marriage, defendant automatically became a member of the First Division of the Reserve. No letter ever reached him to draw his attention to the matter. "There had been no attempt by Firth to evade anything, in fact all the time he had been doing his best to join the forces. As soon as he found out that he should enrol he did so."

"It is the duty of every person liable to see that he is properly enrolled," remarked the magistrate in imposing a fine of £5.