A YOUNG GERMAN.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 199, 11 August 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

A YOUNG GERMAN.

WHO DESERTED THREE ARMIES

The adventurous career of n yomis, Gorman was d : sclosed as a result of his appearance in the dock at Marlhorough Street Police Court last week. His nanus as it appeared on the charge sheet, is Reno Ghiot Mivc Kohler. He was horn in Germany of Gorman parents twenty-sis years ago. He has jomed at on? time or other the Geiinan, the French and the Belgian Armies, and deserted from all three. Max Kohler—that is h:s real name—is a well-educated man, and speaks Lngl'.sh, French, r.nd German fluently, and has such a command of the three languages that he rarely betrays himself in conversation. . All that happened in court was that Inspector Jacobs, the aliens officer at Vino Street, formally asked the Mag:>trate Mr. Mend, to discharge Kohler in order that ho might be handed over to the military authorities to be transferred to the French authorities. \ a previous hearing Jnspecor Jacob;, said that on May (3 he arrested Kohler at a house in Church treet. Soho where ho was residing with Ins English wife. He «a : d his name wr.s Rene Ghiot, and that he was born at Ixeltes, near Brussels, but on being charged with contravening a deportation order and with be■i\c an alien enemv, he confessed that he was a German, and that ho ws>.s born at Saulgau, Wurtenihenr. DESERTED THE GERMAN ARM\ The "Daily Express' - has gathered details of Kuhbr's amazing life story. There <-s no doubt of his pure German or'gin All Irs family are Germans, and two of his sisters :\re married t > German officers. At the age o« twenty ho was called up for service in the Uerman Armr, but after a few weeks service he deserted from the army and made his way to England and then to \meriea. From America he went to France, and for some tin* Ural 'n Pairs A few months before wr-r broke out h* marred a French girl n Paris, and sh9 is still living. Then, on the declaration of war,he joined'the rrencli Army, and was among the first troops to be sent to the front. On the very first day he was in action \ugust 22. 1914—he was reported to |„. missing, and later it was found tha,t ho had deserted and had beeri taken bv the Germans at Charleroi. Ke toM them he was a German, and persuaded them to allow him to ranke Us way through Belgium to Holland. Late. he posed as a Belffnn rerugee, and .... Mien boarded a steamer came to 1.1uuv and «as duly admitted as i Ran He vis ; tod wvera towns :n Endand and Scotland and finally setHod down in Newcastle, who he obtainvd employment in a tfUuoy munitonworks. lluUwas.n leear. part of 1915. 3* months lat.i h married a daughter of a foreman ,t the munit'on works.

ON THE TORPEDOED SUSSEX. Last March lie- was am-sted by the po & for Wi.B a deserter from the French Annv and handed ov.m to a Frendi military escort m the straroc. „£xl March 4 last. While crossing L Chanel tho Susm'x .w,w t««r«lo^ va (Wmansubma, me, and about ff> w weiv lost. managed, in to escape from lmm Itnrv ecort, and .lumped into the *-. H- was rescued w. : tli other survivors b> ? British destroyer and taken mto K,>lke<toiH>. As ho spoke English fluently and with no tiace ot J f nlV Mrn accent, lie wa- able to man. Ho nam wen , Newcastle and explain*! n.« ' tur n to the g:rl whom he HTmarrWl»vstat-nK«-ntt«oanW-I "VS made a uptake ,U «vrcst..n» !, n Vnn' -,n.w,f the vVtims of tbeSu- ..,:,. nudhc was adroitly traeod froono ~lac to another. For a few da>s , Armv, for which h* wa« duly passed as nhvsically fit.