Heavy Penalties For Harbouring Deserters

Northern Advocate, 22 February 1943, Page 2

Heavy Penalties For Harbouring Deserters

So much trouble has been given the military authorities in New Zealand by a number of cases of desertion or absenteeism, that it is felt desirable to make known to civilians the fact that heavy penalties are provided, in the case of conviction, for assisting soldiers, sailors or airmen to escape their obligations. In some cases it has been found that men of the services absent without leave have been materially assisted by civilians to escape detection. The Harbouring of Deserters Emergency Regulations, 1942, provide a penalty of three months’ imprisonment, or a fine of £25, on conviction, for assisting or harbouring men of His Majesty’s Forces to escape their obligations. If the offence is a continuing one offenders may be fined £5 a day in respect to each day when the man is illegally absent. It is an offence to procure, or assist in procuring, the desertion or absenting of a man from duty.

It is also an offence knowingly to aid, or assist, or counsel any man to desert, or to be absent without leave, and, of course, the actual harbouring of an offender, or assisting in the harbouring, such as allowing a man to sleep or hide on premises, comes within the scope of the regulations.