| Notes: | MPSC. Middle East Force. 26/5/32 enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment, 25/3/44 transferred to CMP. 25/10/46 discharged, 8/1/47 re enlisted in MPSC, 2/6/50 discharged.
Ronald Herbert Daniel Wood.
Extract from the Rugby Advertiser, 26/10/56.
PAY FINE FOR GO TO JAIL. "It must have been planted on me" was the comment of Ronald Herbert Daniel Wood (43) home address 2 Alexander Grove, Fareham, Hampshire, when a 10s postal order, missing from a letter was found in his pocket, it was stated at an occasional court at Rugby on Friday. Chief Inspector Woodward said the accused was a steward at Coton House Hostel. Part of his duties was to collect mail and sort it. On Thursday afternoon he received a number of letters among which was a 10s postal order. When the letter reached Scales he found that it had been opened and the postal order removed. PC Dettmer said that when he saw Wood on Thursday evening he firs denied all knowledge of the theft. he did not object to being searched, and when the postal order was found in his pocket he said he could not think how it had got there. The Magistrate (Coun. W A Manning) remanded Wood in custody until Tuesday. When Wood was brought before the magistrates on Tuesday he pleaded guilty. STEAMED OPEN. Chief Insp. Woodwars said that Scales was an apprentice, and wood was a steward at Coton House. It was the practise for letters to be placed in the rack in the morning and those not collected then were sorted into blocks with the afternoon mail, by Wood. These letters were then collected by flock representatives. on October 18th the representative of Mr Scales's block Mr Whybrown, collected the letters and left one for Mr Scales in his room. Mr Scales had reason to believe that the letter should contain 10s and that it had been steamed open, so the warden Mr Jones reported to the police. PC Dettmer stated that Wood allowed him to search him and in Wood's breast pocket the witness found the postal order. It was obvious to him that the flap of the envelope had been opened and resealed. Wood said he hears about the money being missing, but "I would not dream of such a thing." He then said "I can't think why I did it. I must have made a bad enemy here and they have planted it on me. THE STATEMENT. After having appeared before the court on Friday, Wood mad a statement to the witness in which he said he had been a steward at Coton House since July. The mail was handed to him, and acting on an impulse, he decided to see i it was possible to detect enclosures in letters. After feeling some, he selected one and found that the gum was not very stuck. He opened it and discovered a 10s postal order, too it out and re-sealed the envelope. The reason he denied the theft at first was that he was aware that money had been missing and he thought he would be charged with that as well. Chief Insp. Woodward said that there was no record against Wood who was living apart from his wife. He served in the Hampshire Regiment from 1932 to 1943 and in the Corps of Military Police from 1943 to 1950. He was paid £5 per week with free meals and accommodation. Wood was fined £10 with the alternative of two months imprisonment. |
