KILLED BY SENTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1939, Page 3

KILLED BY SENTRY

AUSTRALIAN MILITIAMAN.

SYDNEY, October 19

Robert Hunter, a 21-year-old militiaman, was bayoneted and killed by a fellow-member of a. guard on sentry duty a.t an oil depot in Newcastle. He suffered a large wound in the chest and died about half an hour after be-i Ing admitted to hospital. I An official police report states that Private Robert Hunter had been relieved of his appointments earlier in the day.because he was drunk. The corpora.l who relieved him told Hunter that he would recommend to the officer of the guard that he should be. placed ".nder arrest. Hunter is thought to have .‘.’one to his tent, to sleep. it is believed that Hunter awoke •jb<.:it. 9.30 p.m., and, wearing uniform, walked to where Private John William King. IS, was on duty. What transpired then has not. been made clear, ij.it it is believed that there was a M: ugyle, ami Hunter, who was much toiler thou King and more powerful, fell wounded. King immediately secured help and sent, for an ambulance. Hi- suffered so severely from shock that, he had to receive medical attention. After a military inquiry, the evidence v ill probably l;e laid before a ('o;"iit'.’)'is imiuiry. There is some however, as to the position of liic Coroner in the case of the death e:' a. man who. enlisting for home e.eI'.me, i". killed on active service in limo of war.

A non-commissiom-d officer of the Armv Ordnance Corps was bayoneted in a camp near Sydney by a sentry from his own unit, but was only

Mightlv injured. He had refused to answer the sentry's challenge satisfactorily, The bayonet pierced his greatcoat a.nd jacket, and gashde his abdomen.

The bayoneting occurred through a, misunderstanding. The n.e.o did not know th -t sentries had been posted that night. Whim challenged, he was searching, with the aid of a torch, for a. pair of his socks, which had blown off n clothes line. He thought it was a joke, and did not reply. To the second challenge, he replied: “It's Peter, the pumpkin-eater." The sentry thou hinged with his bayoneted rifle- He called for aid immediately he know that the n.e.o. had been injur-