AIR CASUALTIES

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 108, 6 February 1942, Page 7

AIR CASUALTIES

The following casualties are notified by Air Headquarters, Wellington:— BROWN, Hugh S., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., missing on air operations. Mr. H. A. Brown. “Birnay,” D unsan del, Canterbury (f) GRUT, Harvey J., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., missing on air operations. Mr. C.Grut, C/o J “Wilton,’’ -44 Khyber Pass, Auckland (f) HAMILTON, Robert A., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., - missing on air operations. Mrs. M. Hamilton, Waipara R.M.D., Canterbury (m)STRANG, Robert H.. Acting Flight Lieu tenant, R.A.F., missing on air operations. Mr. R. M. Strang, 23 Lewis St.. Invercargill (f) • SYKES, Allen J., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., seriously injured in aircraft; accident. Mrs. V. G. Sykes, 17 Premier Ave., Pt. Chevalier,'Auckland (m) - < RECLASSIFICATIONS. _ KING, Eric, Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., previously reported seriously ill, removed from seriously ill list. Mr. A. E. King, Woodlands. Lower Hutt (f) FRASER, Allan H. L., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., previously reported missing -on. air operations in April, 1941, death now officially presumed. Mrs. A. M. Fraser, C/o Nurses’ Home, Public Hospital, Napier (w) ■ ' GOUGH, Douglas W., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., previously reported missing, believed killed. March, 1941; death now officially presumed. Mrs. V. Gough. 28 Lyndhurst St.'! Palmerston North (m) . ' - ■ WEBB, Thomas G., Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F., previously reported missing believed killed on air operations, March, 1941; death now officially, presumed. Mr. J. H. Webb. 4 Richardson Rd., Mt. Albert, Auckland (f).

were charged before a district courtmartial, their names being Trooper Stanley Henry Bowden, Trooper Russell Lloyd Cecil Thomas, and Trooper Angus Donaldson Welsn, all of the 3rd N.Z. Army ' Tank Battalion, 2nd N.Z.E.F. . The court comprised Major H. A. Purcell (president), Captain R. J. Rutherford, and Captain S. J. Wright (members). Major A. B. Sievwright, E.D., N.Z. Army Legal Department, was judge-advocate. Captain H. S. T. Weston was prosecutor and Second •Lieutenant D. J. Sumpter, defending officer. ■ . The charges were: (1) Disobeying in a manner showing a wilful defiance of authority a lawful command in that or] the Waiouru-Taihape road on December 28, 1941, . when personally ordered by Lieutenant R. J. Harrison to return to camp with an Army truck, in their possession, they did not do so, but instead drove toward Taupo at a high speed, from time to time swerving across the road to prevent . interception ; (2) disobeying a lawful command; (3) conduct to the prejudice of good order and . discipline in being improperly in possession, of an Army truck; (4) breaking, out of camp; (5) damaging public property, a cell in the Taupo police station wherein they had been placed for safe custody, to the extent of £2/16/-. Accused pleaded not guilty to the first charge, and to the second, which was an alternative, and guilty to the last three charges. ; / ' 1 Lieutenant R. J. Harrison said he was returning from Taihape after recovering another vehicle removed from the camp without authority, when ht stopped a truck leaving the camp. No one but he had authority to allow the use of thisr vehicle. The driver, Welsh, said “the quartermaster - gave the authority. He (witness), knew this would not be the case. He ordered the driver to return to the camp, saying he would follow. The driver , turned the truck toward camp, but instead of entering •it In 1 proceeded straight along Desert ' Road. Witness sounded the horn of his vehicle and continued doing so right to the top of the. Waitangi. He tried to pass , the truck several times, but its speed and Unswerving;' prevented him. He ; gathered from the swerving that they were determined, not to allow him to pass. Lieutenant A. V. Williams, a passenger in Lieutenant Harrison’s vehicle, detailing the-attempts to. stop the truck in which the three accused were travelling, said he checked the speed several times it averaged between 40 and, at times, 60 miles an hour. ‘ For the defence, Lieutenant J. B. Me. Math said that'up to the incident com plained of, the' behaviour of accused left nothing .to- be desired, and they-, were very reliable soldiers. They had been doing particularly well in their training. Accused were found guilty on the first and: last three charges, and ; not guilty on the second. Besides being sentenced to jail they were ordered to be put under stoppages of pay till each had made good IS/8 toward; the damage done to th“ prison’ cell. • '