MILITARY DESERTER

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1946, Page 3

MILITARY DESERTER

For Years in South Westland Bush RIGID CONDITIONS IN SOUTH WESTLAND CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 12. For more than three years Private Joseph Driscoll lived in the South Westland bush after deserting from the Army. His only food was venison, damper and black coffee and he suffered severely from .toothache. This morning Driscoll pleaded guilty to acharge at desertion before a court martial at Burham. His counsel, Mr R. Twyneham, told the court that he had asked Driscoll how he had managed to live under such harsh conditions. Driscoll had replied: “I had freedom.” Driscoll was charged with deserting in that at Wingatui on November 11, 1942, when a member of the forces, he absented himself without leave from a recruit training depot until arrested by the civil police at Haast on August 26 of this year. He pleaded guilty to the charge, and guilty ’ also to a charge of losing equipment and clothing valued at £5 10s lid. The court’s sentence will be promulgated. When he went on leave Driscoll had his travel warrant made out to Mahitahi (South Westland), said Mr Twyneham. He obtained a rifle and ammunition, flour, coffee, a small tent and an axe, and, in his own words, “headed for the tall timber”. For about three years he lived about the headwaters of the Moeraki River. His food consisted only of venison, a few ducks, damper and coffee. He met hardly anybody, and did not come out of the bush as he knew the police were looking for him. At one time he suffered from pneumonia. On one occasion he was washed down the Moeraki River, losing his pack, and was saved only by catching- at a tree that had fallen across the stream. . Mr Twyneham asked for leniency for Driscoll because of his unusual character, the punishment he had already undergone, and the cumulative effect of his experiences'.