THE ALLEGED DESERTER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 29, 1 September 1916, Page 3

THE ALLEGED DESERTER.

TWO STORIES. ONLY A PRISONER-OF-WAR. A Prtss Association telegram from Wellington to-day states: The reported desertion to the enemy of a member of the' New Zealand Expeditionary Force, is now officially stated not to have been a case of desertion at all. The man in question, Private IT. Nimot, of Carterton, is officially reported to be a prisoner-of-war along with five other New Zealanders at Dnlmp, Westphalia, Germany. In view of the circumstances, the Minister of Defence has cabled Home, ordering a thorough 'investigation and report.

WOUNDED NEW ZEALANDER’S REPORT. “It was owing to tho treachery oi a German bom in New Zealand that our casualties were heavy at the end of June and beginning of July (writes a New Zealand soldier from a London hospital). Ho was acting as a stretcher-bearer, and had obtained a good deal of information as to the location of batteries, etc. His ruse was rather clever. Looking over the parapet, he made out that he saw somebody lying in No Man’s Land,

and said that he would investigate. The members of his platoon thought him the essence of gameucss as ho hopped over our parapet, and crawled out. When about half-way between the hues, he rose, and, waving a white Hag, bolted to the German line. Everyone was so surprised that lie was over the enemy’s parapet before a shot was fired. From t| ie n on we were bombarded with deadly effect. So much for a Now Zealander bom of German parents.