DESERTED TO THE ENEMY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1602, 24 August 1916, Page 3

DESERTED TO THE ENEMY.

SOLDIER. OF A WELLINGTON BATTALION. SERIOUS RESULTS. The following is from the New Zealand Herald’s Loudon correspondent, under date 13ih July: — “It is not pleasant: to have to mention any shortcoming on the part: of any of the soldiers who have made New Zealand's name famous and respected in the war, nor would a person setting out to (bid causes of complaint against, our soldiers have found it an easy task. Their cunduet throughout had been almost without, blemish, and the verdict of the people of England coincides with that of distinguished commanders who have praised them in the held. Jt is this fact which makes it, almost a duty to state 1 lie circumstances under which one man wearing the New Zealand uniform proved false to his oaths and untrue to his salt, bringing not only disgrace but also minor disaster in the held upon his comrades. The man referred Lo has been posted in orders as dismissed from the service, having deserted lo the enemy. “Enlisted from Wellington province in an infantry battalion, Ids record of conduct was not altogether good, and in June he came

under disciplinary punishment lor misconduct, lie appeal's to have smarted under lids correction, and to have set his mind upon •getting even’ with his superiors, even at the expense of the lives of his comrades. On the night of the last (Saturday in June his battalion was in the trenches, and the brigade command was making complete arrangements for launching a gas attack against the Germans. The man continued to sulk, and he saw in these preparations a chance of getting his revenge. About 3 o’clock in the morning, apparently when things are usually at their quietest, he escaped from his comrades and stole out past the wire into No Man’s Land, and, before anyone could realise his intentions, had made good his escape into the German trenches. There are more or less artistic descriptions of how this was effected. One story is that he ran at the top of his speed across the ground, carrying a white handkerchief as a token of surrender, and his comrades only realised his intention in time to send a few bullets after him before

ho got over the Boche parapet. The Minis! er for Defence has probably received official accounts which will enable him (o say all that is known. At any rale, there is no doubt that (he traitor made good his escape to the enemy, and there is equally no doubt that lie gave them informal ion highly prejudicial to our plans, tor with daylight the German guns, which had paid no particular attention to our front line tor some days, commenced a hot bombardment of our trenches, inflicting considerable casualties on the New Zealanders, and further, by shelling headquarters, upset the plans for a gas attack, which had to be abandoned. All parlies agree that this is substantially what, occurred.

“The only bright spot in the whole miserable story of the soldier’s treason is (he fact that Ihe traitor is not of British extraction. Though brought up in (he Donrnion, lie is. I believe, not even a hyphenated New Zealander, inasmuch as both his father and mother arc from the Continent of Europe, one of them being German. Possibly this may assure him a warmer welcome in the Fatherland than he would ever again receive in New Zealand. “The ease is a. very painful one, and the traitor’s comrades feel most keenly the slur mist upon their battalion.”