GAVE HIMSELF UP ON WEDDING DAY

Chronicle (Levin), 13 August 1946, Page 5

GAVE HIMSELF UP ON WEDDING DAY

-Press Association

ARMY DESERTER BEFORE COURT MARTIAL

By TelegrapTi-

CHR1STCH U±tL±l, Aug. m. On the day lixed for his wedding William Andrew Moriarty, alias Mii cliell, surrendered to the deputy as sistant Provost Marshal (Major G. II Andersonj to face a charge of deserting f roiii the 2nd N.Z.E.F. at Burnham. Before a district Court Martial at Burnham this morning, Moriarty, as Private William Andrew ALiteliell, the name under which he enlisted, pleaded guilly to deserting in that he absented himselt j without leave from the 10th Reinforce | uieuts on July 3, 1943, until he sur rendered on July 31, 194(5, in civilian , clothes._ The sentence of tlie Court wili | be proinulgated later. 1 Major Anderson, in evidence, said . that on July 30 the Provost Corps re- ' ceived iuforniation that Moriarty was : to be inarried the followiug day at St. . iMatthew's Cliurcli, Colombo Street 1 Xorth. Major Anderson went to the i vicarage, saw Rev. W. E. D. Davies, i and said that he would make an arrest | after the wedding and not on cliurcl. j propertv. During this conversation, j said JHajor Anderson, ..Moriarty tele ! phoned Rev. Davies saying t hat h I could not go ahead with the wedding i as "something dreadful had happened land he was verv upset'h "1 spoke to { Moriarty on the telepjione,, ' ' continued ! Major Anderson, "and persuaded him to surrender liimself as a Court Martial | would take that into accouut. Later i the same day Moriarty surrendered Jsaviiig the Provost Corps mueh ' trouble. ' ' j In a statement. read to tlie Court, ! Moriarty said that he went absenl i without leave when he discovered timi ; liis draft was to go to the European jtheatre of war. He was of opinion l that the Japanese were the real menace i to this couiitry. Had he thought the idraft was going to the Japanese front Ihe would have gone willinglv. "I con sidered that I would be more nse in defonding this country against invasiou tlian fighting an enemy in Europe, " contined Moriarty. "At the conclusion of the European war T intended to ro tuni to Burnham with Ihe object of going overseas against the Japanese but tlie Government delayed so long in making a statement of their intentions as to what was the part to be playod by the Division in the Pacilie, that l re ntained where I was. By this time there was a rumour of the .Japanese eaving iii so I wajted to see the result," cohcdud^l Moriarty.-