| Notes: | Provost Officer. General List. Discharged to Commission. London Gazette 35337, page 6430, 7/11/41. General List. The undermentioned to be 2/Lt's. 4/10/41. Sgt Guy Francis Wiggington from CMP. 24/8/43 to 4 Div Pro Coy. 18/8/44 OC 49 Company (TC). Italy. 8/44 "T" Pro Coy, Italy.
Extract from the Hampshire Telegraph, 20/6/1940. Bench Praises "Very Smart Work."
Sergeant Guy Wiggington, of the Military Police formerly a constable in the City Police Force and Police Sergeant Chittenden were commended by the Portsmouth Magistrates (Mr A J Stedman, Mrs H W Pearce and Mr C E Smith) for "a very smart piece of work" which led to the capture of a man who had been a deserter from the Royal Artillery since October 1940.
Gunner John Smith (22), described as of no fixed home, but who had recently been living with a family named Carter, at 7, Hamilton Road, Porchester, was charged with being a deserter from the Army; with taking away without the permission of the owner, Leonard Carter, a motor van; with driving it without being the holder of a licence, and without having in force a policy of motor insurance: with theft of an identity card values 1s: and with falsely representing that he was Eli Carter, to whom the card related.
Smith admitted the offences with the exception of those concerning the identity card, stating that "he only borrowed it for a few minutes."
It was stated that Sergt. Wigginton was riding his motorcycle along the Sputhampton Road, Paulsgrove, on Saturday when he saw Smith, in civilian clothes, driving the van towards Cosham. He recognised him as a deserter.
After having been questioned Smith made a statement that he was a soldier, but the Carters did not know that, and that he took the van to get a pair of shoes at Cosham.
John William Carter (1*), son of the owner of the van, charged with abetting Smith to take away the van, was discharged, and when the Chairman announced they had decided to convict Smith on other charges the police did not proceed with a joint charge against Smith and John William Carter for stealing the identity card.
The Magistrates ordered that Smith should be handed over to a military escort, and imposed fines amounting to £%. He was also disqualified for 12 months from driving a motor vehicle unless required to do so by the Army. |
