CHARGE OF DESERTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 195, 19 July 1941, Page 6

CHARGE OF DESERTION.

SOLDIER COURT-MAIITIALLED. BOMBED IN CRETE. (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, July 18. Accidentally locked in a padded cell in a New Zealand hospital ship, upon which he luid stowed away. Private Robert Hope Martin was. discovered soon after the ship had left a port in Egypt. To-day he was charged before a District Court-Martial with deserting from His Majesty’s service, in that, in Egypt, on or about June 7. lie absented himself without leave from the 18th Battalion, N.Z. Division, Second N.Z.E.F., until apprehended concealed in No. 1 N.Z. Hospital Ship at sea, on Juno 11, dressed in civilian clothes. Martin said that, after being bombed and machine-gunned in Crete, he decided, because of the state of his health, and nerves, to get back to New Zealand. He donned civilian clothes to board the ship as a member of the crew, but he never intended to desert. He pleaded not guilty. Captain Powlcs. for the prosecution, said that Martin s contention that he was not a deserter almost amounted to a question of law. The prosecution submitted il a man left one branch of the service intending to go to another he committed the crime of desertion. Martin’s story scented to ring fairly true. His state of mind was that he was going to get out of Egypt sorneAt the conclusion a record of the procodings was iorwardod. to the officer convening the court-martial, Brigadier N. W. Weir, N.Z.S.C.