PLANE STOWAWAY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 97, 20 January 1944, Page 6

PLANE STOWAWAY

Court-Martial On Soldier

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 19. The story of how a New Zealand soldier on active service in New Caledonia returned to New Zealand by stowing away on a plane was told at a court-martial held at Papakura Camp: Private Stephen Wingrove, aged 20, pleaded.not guilty to a charge that, when on active service in (New Caledonia, on December 4, he absented himself without leave till he surrendered himself at Auckland on December 13. ’ ' . ' , Major Matthews, district assistant provost officer, said Wingrove left foreverseas service in 1943. On December o witness received word from an air station to the ■ effect that two New Zealand ■soldiers, one of whom was Wingrove, had arrived by plane and could not be located. Search was made for the men without success. On December 12 Wingrove rang up witness and said he had been chased a bit too hard. He asked'what he should do, and was advised to surrender. He did so the following day. Accused made a statement to the effect that he left his unit with, a friend on December 4 and on the following morning they boarded a plane bound for New Zealand. No questions were asked, hut it was afterward noticed that there were more people aboard than was shown on the list. Accused then told an officer he had got on the plane without authority. Accused’s friend was then found on board the plane. On arrival both alighted and hid themselves in some scrub, later obtaining a ride to town. In a statement on behalf of accused, Major Murray submitted there was no evidence of any intention of accused to desert. Apparently he wag somewhat unstable and what he did was a natural thing to do in time of stress, when he was worried concerning his wife. - , Major Boyes said the desertion was different from the usual cases. Accused absented himself from the division on active service and returned to New Zealand. Major Boyes referred to the effect on other men overseas if the. offence was allowed to go unpunished. If there was any redeeming feature about the case, it was that accused had surrendered.

The Court’s finding will be promulgated. ' ,