Men Leave Camp

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 June 1918, Page 1

Men Leave Camp

-— —«- — EXTRAORDINARY ACTION OF A REINFORCEMENT DRAFT. Monday's issue of the Clmstchureh "Press" contains the following: Some of the men of the next reinforcement draft to sail presently have been guilty of a serious offence.' Tliey •.vmv not given linal leave, and they have simply gone out of camp and taken it. Up till to-day,so per cent, of the strength of some units were absent without leave, and it was expected that, most of the remainder would be missing by to-morrow. This draft came into camp shortly beforo Easter. At that season the camps were almost, emptied of men and everybody had long leave. It nas stated at the time that this holiday would have to take the placc of the usual final leave given to men of all drafts on completion of their training. This was all so long ago that the men of this last draft consider they should now get linal leave to go to their hones. Tho whole reinforcement made a demonstration a few evenings ago in a body, approaching the Commandant. There was no rioting or misconduet, but, of coursc, from a military point of view, the affair was highly disorderly. The Commandant had a few words to sa,v to the officers and n.c.o.'s of the

j draft later about the kind of discipline J thai: made such an affair possible. No J one was punished. The men were refused- the extra leave which they dc- | mar.ded, and thoy have simply helped j themselves. It is probable that most of • the nwm will return to camp in a day or [ two: tWere is no suspicion that they in- | tend to desert.