THE "RED CAPS."

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 5

THE "RED CAPS."

VICTIMISATION ALLEGED

At a meeting of the Returned Soldiers' .Association last week, a member brought forward a motion that a qualified man —one well up in military law —be appointed by the association to defend all returned soldiers at courts-martial and inquiries. The mover expressed the opinion that the time had* come when someone should be appointed to appear for these men at courtsmartial. A good- number of men would be returning shortly, and there might be trouble with the military police. Speaking with some warmth, he said he had had some experience of. the "Red Cape," and if members knew exactly the power of these men as contained in a warrant they carried with them, they would unhesitatingly pass the motion before the meeting. The "Red Caps" were able, if they had a "set" on a man, to bring a charge against him. There were generally two or three of them together, and what one said the others would swear to. He asserted that Lance-corporal Boreham, D.C.M., had been sentenced to seven days' detention at the Central Battery for no other offence than that of having his hand in his pocket when walking along Princes street. The fact was that he had his hand in his pocket to relieve the strain on his shoulder, which had three shrapnel wounds. ' < „ »

Mr Andrews said it was a downright disgrace , for men like Lance-corporal Boreham to be treated in that way. It was time the members looked after their returned comrades, so far as this kind of thing was concerned. He seconded the motion.

A member alleged that returned 'men' were . treated badly by the ,r ßed Caps," while another stated that men were arrested on the most trivial charges. Mr Jones said Lance-corporal Boreham was arrested last Saturday, and kept in detention at the Central Battery until Tuesday morning without being able to see a doctor. He was an out-patient at. the Dunedin Hospital, and therefore had no right to be tried or sentenced. The procedure was most irregular. He spoke as a representative of the members of the association. The officer commanding the R.N.Z.A. had said to him, "I can't imagine a man like Boreham being in this position." Then there was the case of Driver Dawson, who was arrested by the military police on a, charge of smoking a cigarette while talking to a Territorial officer, notwithstanding the fact that the officer had granted him permission to smoke.

The motion was adopted, after several members had expressed their opinion somewhat forcibly of certain "Red Caps" in particular, and the Military Police generally. , Mr Woods moved that the Minister of Defence be requested to give effect to the Defence Commission's recommendation that all military policemen who were not returned soldiers be discharged, and returned men put in their place. Mr Andrews seconded the motion, which was carried.

Mr Murray moved—" That the attention of the Minister of Defence be drawn to the evident injustice being done to returned soldiers. It has come under the notice of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association that Lance-corporal H. Bfireham, D.C.M., an out-patient at the Dunedin Hospital, was arrested on .December 14, at or about 5.15 p.m., by the Military Police, on a charge of disobeying an order of the Military Police. Lance-corporal Boreham at the time of his arrest, had his hand in his pocket when in the street. Lancecorporal IJoreham is suffering from shrapnel wounds in the shoulder, and was carrying his hand in his pocket to relieve the weight of it from the shoulder. Lance-corporal Boreham was taken before Major Moller, of Dunedin, and sentenced to seven days' detention, which we submit under paragraph 1100, King's Regulations, is a serious miscarriage of justice. The prisoner was in detention for three days, and on December 17 was discharged from custody as medically unfit to undergo detention. Also, on December 11, at 3.40 p.m., Driver Dawson, of the R.N.Z.A., a returned soldier, was 'crimed' under sections 40 and 41 of tho Army Act by the Military Police for smoking when speaking to an officer, although the officer (Lieutenant Bracks) had given him permission to 4 smoke. This man 'is now under arrest awaiting trial. It is noticeable that, almost, invariably the Military Police interested in -these cases are Corporal A. Latimer and Private G. S. Geddes. This meeting of returned soldiers respectfully requests that these matters be inquired into."—This motion was carried unanimously. The following motion was also adopted: "That the Minister of Defence be requested to state the reasons for the transfer of Sergeant-major Crowther, of the Military Police, from Wellington to Christehurch, and from Christchurch to Dunedin, and that he bo requested to state whether this officer was transferred for irregular conduct, and at whose instigation the transfer was effected,"

Mr Andrews placed before the association ! a grievance he had against the "Red • Caps." He said that he was once a memI bor of the force, and one night while on guard duty he had been taken ill. He sat down in the shelter, and was accused of being asleep at his post. Shortly after wards he was granted leave, without pay for two months, being informed that at the expiration of that period the weather would be warmer and he would be able "to resume. He had not been asked to resume.—This matter was referred to the committee for investigation and report.