CHANGED HIS NAME

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 165, 15 July 1942, Page 6

CHANGED HIS NAME

SEAMAN SENT TO GAOL

"You deliberately changed your name, no doubt to evade your military duties," said Mr. J. Morling, S.M., to William Arthur Charles Tonks, a seamon of 28, who appeared in the Police Court to-day.

Tonks pleaded guilty to a charge of assuming the name of William Jones on February 11, but he denied a further charge of failing to report for military service on December 2, 1941.

Sub-Inspector Macnamara said Tonks first arrived in New Zealand in 1937, but left in 1939 as a member of the crew of an overseas ship. He returned in 1941 and remained ashore for a time, after registering with the Social Security Department. Later Tonks went to sea again, only to return in February last. He said he took the name of Jones, as he had previously been in trouble and did not, want to come under the notice of the authorities.

Jones had nothing to say to the magistrate, but after he had been sentenced to two months' imprisonment on each charge, the terms to be concurrent, he walked to the front of the Court and addressed Mr. Morling. "I don't have to go in the army when I come out of gaol, do I?" he said. "I won't go in the army!" A constable showed Tonks the way into the prisoners' room.