CHARGES AGAINST YOUNG AIRMEN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25084, 16 January 1947, Page 3

CHARGES AGAINST YOUNG AIRMEN

THEFT OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT

MAGISTRATE’S COMMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON. January IS. In putting youths in charge of thousands of pounds worth of equipment the Air Force authorities were guilty of serious irresponsibility, said Mr A. M. Colliding. S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at. Lower Hutt to-day, when five young airmen appeared on charges of theft of military equipment. The Magistrate said: “There deos not seem much encouragement for parents to put their sons into the Air Force if they are to be faced with this kind of temptation.” He made his comment after questions by him to a witness and the accused, which revealed that young airmen had practically unsupervised access to great quantities of equipment. An Air Force officer said in evidence that the stolen equipment, which was taken from a store at Gracefield, was surplus material from islands in the Pacific. The accused were some of those engaged in making an inventory of the equipment. It is not right for the authorities to place youths in charge of valuable equipment,” said the Magistrate. “One feels that they are merely putting temptation in their way. That is no justification for crime, but it does disclose a ■ serious position.” All the. accused were admitted to probation for 12 months, and the Magistrste said he assumed they would be discharged from the service.