AIRMAN COURT-MARTIALLED

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 April 1943, Page 2

AIRMAN COURT-MARTIALLED

MT. COOK FLIGHT

CHRISTCHURCH, April 6. An accusation of conduct prejudicial to good-order and air force discipline by improperly obtaining access to information about the posting oipersonnel, made against Sergeant Thomas Rodgers Donaghy, was dismissed by a court-martial at a Royal New Zealand Air Force Station. Sergt. Donaghy„was also charged (1) that in a report he knowingly made a false statement to the effect that on January 27, 1943, having completed a flight authorised as a navigation flight, he entered in the Flight Authorisation Book initials to the effect that the duty as authorised had been carried out; and (2) that he disobeyed a lawful command given by a superior officer in that, when ordered by his flight commander to carry out a navigational flight, he did not do sb. Donaghy pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. The findings of the court on these two charges will be forv/arded to the convenor, Air Commodore R. B. Bannerman, for confirmation. ■ The prosecution, in the first charge of -misconduct, alleged that Sergt. Donaghy had broken into a cabinet of his Squadron Leader’s office and obtained information about the posting of personnel. In a statement placed before the court Sergt. Donaghy said that an airman, in sweeping'out the administrative office on the station, had come upon a rejected slip bearing notes which appeared to have been taken in a telephone conversation. Indications of postings were given, and’ this was where he had obtained his information. He had been celebrating at a passing-out dance, and he was not prepared to discuss anything he might haye said to others there. The prosecuting, officer said that his case rested mainly on Sergt. Donaghy’s admissions. Evidence about forcing of the cabinet was unsatisfactory. He would abandon the charge. However, Donaghy had no right to investigate papers found in an officer’s quarters. The charge was dismissed. Opening evidence on the other two charges, Flying Officer F. R. L. Bennett said he had taken a summary of evidence from Sergt. Donaghy, m which Donaghy admitted making an unauthorised flight over Mount Cook on January 27, and he also admitted that he initialled a form indicating that the prescribed flight had been carried out. Called again, Flying Officer Arkley reported a similar admission by accused at the passing-out dance. During subsequent argument, Flight Lieutenant R. C. Carr, for Sergt. Donaghy, asked if it would be proper for him to indicate that there was some looseness in the supervision of the records. Wing Commander S. L. Gilkison (the president): “It would not be a defence, but it might be a mitigation.”

Flight Lieutenant Agar cross-ex-amined witness about the practice on the station where the offence was alleged to have occurred. ‘‘Sergt.. Donaghy’s navigator, Sergt. E. R. Hope, said that the records of flights were often not checked. He knew of instances where certain assigned exercises had not been carried out, and the pilots had been instructed' to enter them as having been completed. i Flying Officer D. A. Young, who had ordered Sergt. Donaghy to make a cross-country flight, gave evidence of operations on his station. The accused had admitted making a flight over Mount Cook, said the defending officer, but he denied that any offence had been committed. The personnel on the station concerned had found that little interest was taken in their flights as they became advanced pupils, and it. appeared to them that the sole object was to build up flying time. The accused had covered the course that he was instructed to cover many times, and when he had encountered bad weather along the coast, he made a diversionary flight to Mount Cook. In a statement along these lines Sergt. Donaghy added that once, on a ferry flight between air stations, he had done 10 minutes instrument flying, he had been directed to enter the time as 30 minutes.