TRAIN ROBBERIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 136, 11 June 1945, Page 6

TRAIN ROBBERIES

RAIDS BY A.W.L. SOLDIERS

O.C. . SYDNEY, June-5. Civil and military police are hunting bands of soldiers who have gone absent without .leave, and are hiding in the bush around Kempsey and Dungog, on the north coast of New South Wales, whence they sally forth to rob troop trains bringing men on leave to; Sydney from northern battle stations. The thieves board trains, and while soldier passengers are asleep throw their packs and kitbags to accomplices beside the track. The pillagers are reported to have stolen millions of cigarettes and great quantities of tobacco from the trains.

The thieves, who have deserted from camps in northern New South Wales, and are hiding in shacks and rough shelters, enter the trains posing as passengers from the north, dressed in uniforms, but without hats. Soldiers who have been robbed have informed the military authorities that their trains were boarded at Kempsey while the trains were stationary. The pillaging of packs became so bad that the soldiers appointed pickets for duty on troops trains, but it is thought that the pickets fell asleep. Before leaving northern battle stations a soldier is able to buy at least 1000 cigarettes. The pillagers generally take cigarettes and tobacco from packs and kit-bags. Some men from New Guinea, planning to take university courses after discharge, have lost valuable text books which they had been using.

Almost a whole train was pillaged on the way to Brisbane. Later 12 kitbags were returned to the station, but many things were missing from them.