SHIP'S RUM VANISHES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 20, 24 January 1936, Page 7

SHIP'S RUM VANISHES

PETTY OFFICER DISRATED

Chief Petty-Officer William Thomat John Halloran, of H.M.S. Drake, pleaded not guilty at a court-martial at Devonport to eight charges arising out of the disappearance from two warships of a quantity of rum, meat, • and potatoes, says the "Daily Telegraph." The prosecution alleged that while acting as torpedo coxswain of H.M.S. Tenedos and later of H.M.S. Vidette, and while being in . charge of the victualling stores and accounts, he was negligent, whereby the. loss of. eightyone pints of spirit, 681b of meat, and 4231b of potatoes occurred. It was also alleged that he committed an act to the prejudice of good order and naval discipline by issuing spirit to members of the ships' companies below the rating of petty officer that had not been mixed with three parts of water. After deliberating for two hours the Court found six of the eight charges proved. They acquitted Halloran of charges of fraudulently disposing of eighty-one pints of spirit and failing to exercise proper supervision over the stores of H.M.S. Vidette, whereby there was a loss of 681b of meat and. 4231b of potatoes. It was stated that he joined the service in 1913 and from 1915 onwards his character had been "very good, superior." : He was sentenced to be disrated to leading seaman. Halloran said, in evidence, that the stores of both ships were really under the charge of a lieutenant and he had to act under his instructions. When the crew of the. Tenedos turned over to the Vidette he was for four or five days very busily engaged with the duties in connection with both ships. He made a requisition for 161 pints of spirit When they arrived he was particularly busy, and although he received a receipt, he found later that he had lost it.

Regarding the charges of issuing rawspirit to ratings, he said that it was a privilege granted on any destroyer when no officer was present, and he did not think he was wilfully doing wrong.