PARDONED BY KING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23079, 2 July 1938, Page 12

PARDONED BY KING

ROYAL AIR FORCE PILOT STRUCK SUPERIOR OFFICERS [FBOH OCR owx correspondent] SYDNEY, June 24 it is announced that Pilot-Officer F. R. Maguire, formerly of Sydney, who was dismissed from the Royal Aii Force in February for striking superioj officers, has been pardoned by the King. His commission in the Royal Air Force has been restored to him. This was announced by Dr. F. A. Maguire, who has just returned to Sydney by air from England, where he investigated the circumstances of his son's dismissal. Pilot-Officer Maguire flew to England from Australia in 1935, and later joined the Royal Air Force. He was attached to No. 114 (Bomber) Squadron. Dr. Maguire said that, after going into the facts of his son's dismissal, it had been decided to petition the King. This petition had proved successful. In the evidence given against young Maguire in February, it was stated that at an inter-squadron guest night on December 9, 1937, mess games were played, including cock-fighting, in which officers lay our the floor and attempted to turn each other over with their legs. Squadron feeling developed, and Pilot-Officer Maguire twice struck Flight-Lieutenant Ash, and struck Squadron-Leader W. L. Free body, commanding No. 114 Squadron. The squadron-leader told Maguire to go to • Ins room, and then placed him under arrest. Maguire, in his defence, said he had I been a boxer. He apologised for strikI ing the officers, and said he rememI bered little about it. He had become dizzy at dinner time.