TWO COURTS-MARTIAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 613, 18 August 1933, Page 2

TWO COURTS-MARTIAL

CHARGES CONCERNING MEMBER OF WINDSOR UASTLE GUARD. Two charges relating to the guard at Windsor Castle were heard before courts-mar.tial at Windsor recen-tly. An allegation that he was asleep on sentry duty was made against Guardsman A. Harris, of the 1st Welsh' Guards, who was charged with leaving his post without being properly relieved, says the Daily Mail. Lance-Corporal Barnett said that Harris was at No. 7 post under the Brunswick Towei- on the midnight to 2 a.m. relief. Sergeant McDonald said that when he visited the post he could not see the sentry. He found Harris sitting on the steps leading to the East Terrace Gardens asleep. Idle PuHed to him but he did not answer at first. When- hedid he said he was ill. Harris' rifle and bayonet were leaning against a pillar at the top of the steps. Harris, in evidence, said he felt something come over him, and everything went black. It was a case of falling down or sitting down, and he sat down and rested his head between his knees without taking off his bearskins. He had been suhject to fits of fainting ever since he was a child. He heard the patrol c-oming, -but was too ill to speak or open his eyes. When he told the sergeant he was ill the sergeant replied that he was pretending. Harris' company officer said that he was one of the best men he had under him. At the other court-martial a charge of failing to send out patrols and failing to see that the relief guard was ready aij the castle four days later was brought against Lance-Sergeant Forest, of the same regiment. He pleaded not guilty. Company Quartermaster - Sergt. Giles, senior sergeant of the castle guard, said that at midnight he handed over to Forest the .duties of par.ading the patrols, visiting the sentries, iand parading the reliefs. At 4 a.m. a castle poliecman told him that reliefhad not been posted. He went to wake the men and saw Forest get up from his bed with a hook in his hand. Forest, in -evidence, said he was not aware that the senior sergeant's duties had been handed over to him a.s he had not been so informed. C.Q.M.S. Giles was asleep at midnight at the time he said he handed over the duties.