COURT – MARTIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1940, Page 11

COURT - MARTIAL.

SERIOUS CHARGES. OFFICER ALLEGEDLY STRUCK. Serious charges were brought against two soldiers and a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force at a courtmartial at Papakura camp to-day as a result of incidents alleged to have occurred while the accused were in the isolation hospital at the camp on August 15. The accused were Aircraftsman (First Class) R. G. Walker, R.N.Z.A.F., Gunner J. Croft, 9th Heavy Regiment, N.Z.A., and Private A. F. Johnson, 24th Auckland Battalion. Major J. G. C. Wales, M.C., presided over the court-martial and Lieutenant-Colonel F. L. G. West, V.D., was judge advocate. The men were charged jointly with using violence to their superior officer, creating disorder to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, striking a person in whose custody they were placed, and committing a civil offence, assault. In addition, Walker was charged separately with wilfully damaging public property by setting a coal box alight, and Johnson was charged with using ii.subordinate language to a superior officer. After the decision of the court-martial has been confirmed and promulgated it will be posted in routine orders. NOT YET KNOWN. DATE OF MOBILISATION. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. No information is yet available when the Fourth Reinforcements will be called up to enter mobilisation camps for training. This will depend on the duration of the measles epidemic, which has affected military camps as well as a section of the civil population.—(Press Aesn.)