ARMY DESERTERS

Evening Star, Issue 25593, 20 September 1945, Page 6

ARMY DESERTERS

HIDE-OUTS AND DISGUISES TEN " WANTED " MEN IN SOUTH ISLAND Ten deserters from the Army are still " wanted " by the Southern Military District. One man has been posted as a deserter since November, 1939, and the warrant for the arrest of the tenth was issued last December. All the warrants were issued after the soldiers had been absent without leave for more than 21 days. Extensive searches have been made for all deserters, the provosts working in conjunction with the Police Department. Some of the men who were captured had been missing for between two and three years. The most difficuk country into which the searchers have gone was the deer country of South Westland, where it is believed some men are still in hiding. One of the most elaborate hide-outs was that built in the lupines towards; North Beach by a soldier. He made a dugout about two miles off any* road. It was timbered and completely equipEed 1 , even to a chimney. When the ide-out was raided, its location was not discernible®2syds away. The act of a girl friend in carrying food to the soldier gave him away. The disappearance of a soldier mystified the provosts until the mother of the soldier gave a clue. It was noticed that she was buying a larger amount of rationed goods than she required for herself. The soldier was found in the attic of his home.

One deserter perfected his disguise, even dyeing his hair. He changed his identity so successfully that one night he? walked past, provosts and police watching the steamer express, and stood talking on the gangway only a short distance away from them. His audacity enabled him to escape on that occasion, but he was captured soon after. ,

Another soldier masqueraded as an officer for some time, evading the military police and! the civilian police. The provosts caught him on the Christ-church-Dunedin express when he was still wearing an officer's uniform. Not f even when venturing . into hazardous country or in search of a man who might have been suspected of ability to put up a stern fight did the provosts carry arms. They had some hard fights and some stern chases, but only two men who persisted in struggling after being caught, had to be handcuffed'.