The AIF Project

War service: Western Front

Found guilty, at sea, 15 November 1916, of breaking ranks without necessity: awarded 24 hours' detention.

Found guilty, at sea, of (1) breaking ship; (2) being absent without leave from Tattoo; (3) drunkenness: awarded 96 hours' detention.

Found guilty, at sea, 2 December 1916, of using obscene language, and insolence to a N.C.O.: awarded 14 days' detention.

Found guilty, at sea, 7 January 1917, of (1) creating a disturbance in the detention cells; (2) conduct to the prejudice of good order and Military Discipline, i.e. using filthy and obscene language when on parade: awarded 72 hours' detention and 48 hours' detention.

Disembarked England, 30 January 1917.

Released from detention, 10 March 1917.

Admitted to hospital, 11 March 1917; discharged from hospital, 13 April 1917.

Found guilty, 7 May 1917, of conduct to the prejudice of good order and Military Discipline: awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Found guilty, 10 May 1917, of (1) failing to answer defaulters' parade; (2) being absent without leave from Tattoo roll call on 10 May 1917: awarded 10 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Found guilty, 12 May 1917, of neglecting to fall in on defaulters' parade after being duly warned to do so: awarded 21 days' detention.

Found guilty, 28 June 1917, of being absent without leave, 4-26 June 1917: awarded 20 days' detention.

Proceeded overseas to France, 2 July 1917; taken on strength, 36th Bn, in the field, 10 July 1917.

Found guilty, 2 December 1917, of 'malingering, in that, on 25-26 November 1917, he pretended that he could not walk to the trenches whereas he was perfectly able to do so': awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Tried by Field General Court Martial, 16 February 1918, of disobeying in such a manner as to show wilful defiance of authority, in that when he was personally ordered by A/CSM Wilthew to get out of bed and go on fatigue parade did not do so, at the same time saying, 'I'm not going to get up - you can go and fuck yourself': found guilty, awarded 12 months' Imprisonment with Hard Labour.

Admitted to Field Punishment Compound, 21 February 1918.

Embarked for England, 28 March 1918.

Marched into No 4 Command Depot, 12 April 1918.

Tried by District Court Martial, 14 May 1918, on charge of assault: found guilty, awarded 1 year's detention; 6 months' remitted.

Marched into Lewes Detention Barracks, 3 June 1918.

Marched into Training Bn from detention, 12 November 1918.

Admitted to King George Hospital, 22 February 1919 (influenza); marched into Training Bn from hospital, 12 March 1918.

Commenced return to Australia, 22 September 1919.

On leave in Capetown, South Africa, arrested by Civil Police, 16 October 1919, on charge of robbery, and remanded until 29 October 1919; sentenced to 4 months' imprisonment with hard labour; released from gaol and handed over to AIF authorities.

Found guilty, 6 April 1920, of drunkenness and fighting: awarded 14 days' detention.

Embarked for Australia under detention, 18 April 1920.

Found guilty, at sea, 23 April 1920, of conduct to the prejudice etc, i.e. failing to report when ordered: awarded 48 hours' detention.

Disembarked, Sydney, 14 May 1920; discharged (termination of period of enlistment), 7 July 1920.

Standing Medals Board ruled that 'owing to the excessive number of offences and the fact of his having embarked under detention for return to Australia, he should have been discharged as a disciplinary case. War Medals are therefore automatically forfeited.'