DRAWS TWO PENSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1938, Page 10

DRAWS TWO PENSIONS

FROAI FRENCH & GERA'IAN GOVTS. LONDON. Alarch 26. During the war Jules Wajter fought alternatively for the French and Germans. Ever since he has drawn a pension from both sides, his name appearing on the roll of honour of each country. Walter is of Alsatian origin, his father being German'and his mother French. Mobilised by the Germans at the outbreak of war, he fought against Franco for nearly a year, then he deserted to the French. Walter turned up in the German lines with the story that he had been taken prisoner and had made his escape. He s.Qryed witji the Germans ■ until the middle of 1918 when there was a return of the maternal influence and lie again deserted to the French. ‘He was suffering from shell shock, and the French military authorities passed )iim. for a 75 per cent, disability pension. After the Armistice he returned to Germany with a batch of released prisoners of war and was qble to convince The authorities that he had been taken prisoner. His case was examined’ by a German medical board, which passed him for a disability pension. Recently, the French authorities investigating remittances reaching eei’tain parts of Alsace, became suspicious about a payment to Walter, who was questioned. Then the whole story came out. Walter’s stoiw is that he had a dual personality and had to obey the one that was uppermost at the time.