EVASION OF SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24633, 14 June 1941, Page 10

EVASION OF SERVICE

BROTHER IMPERSONATED BOTH SENT TO PRISON (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, June 13. When two brothers, Thomas Forde, aged 48, and Patrick Forde, aged 44. farmers, appeared before Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., to-day- for sentence for breaches of the National Service Regulations, to which they pleaded guilty, each was sent to prison for two months. The magistrate said: You, Thomas Fords, are charged with impersonating your brother so as to get him out of service in the forces. Patrick Forde, you are charged with counselling and procuring the offence committed by your brother. Your counsel stated that vou, Thomas, served in the last war. You, Patrick, were turned down 23 years ago, and Thomas got the idea to represent himself as Patrick, so as to get away again, and that your action was not designed to save Patrick from service, as you both thought he was unfit.. I should, like to have thought that was the truth. You suffer, Thomas Forde, from an old hernia. You know your age, and you know it is nractically impossible for an unfit man to get away for service. You are the unfit member of the party; your brother has been certified fit for service in New Zealand. This is not a case of a man giving a wrong age, but a case of impersonation. This is serious in these days when the service of everv fit man is required, not in prison unless he is a shirker, but outside if he has a touch of British blood in his veins. On Wednesday Thomas Forde oleaded guilty to deceiving a medical board by representing himself as Patrick Forde, Ayho had been called up in the ballot. Patrick Forde , pleaded guilty as a party to the offence. FAILURE TO ENROL FINE OF £2O IMPOSED (P.A.) ASHBURTON, June 13. lan Alexander, aged 26, of Rakaia, was fined £2O at Ashburton when he pleaded guilty to failure to enrol in the first division of the military reserve. The police said the defendant did not register till last April. The defendant said he did not register because he had not registered under the social security scheme, and had paid no levies.