Val,are you sure he said that ?
I still can't believe that he'd
done anything so idiotic
Well,for heavens sake find out
and do something about it
All right Val,don't worry I'll
do what I can,good bye
Sgt. Fraser
If anyone wants me I'll be in
Major Carrington's office at 24 Battery
He's not there,Ma'am,he's
riding at Sandown today
I know
If he doesn't pull off
the gold cup on Peter Pan
we'll have to call a new switchboard
Who drew Peter Pan in the
sweep-stake anyway?
Poor dribbling people,I know
them telling Capt.Rawlins
I wasn't listening I was just
checking the line
Crayshott Barracks
Good morning,Bombardier,is Sgt. Owen about?
-He's in charge,Ma'am,shall I fetch him?
-Never mind,I'll go
Good morning,Ma'am,well the major got
a nice day before him,doesn't he?
Yes
Anything wrong,Ma'am?
Sgt.Owen you keep the keys
to the Battery safe,don't you?
Yes,Ma'am
Do you happen to know how
much money should be in it?
Yes,Ma'am,I do
Would you mind counting it,now
Well
We,Ma'am?
Yes,Sgt.
Right
How much is missing?
125 £ Ma'am
Excuse me,Ma'am,Sgt.
I just spotted the adjutant coming this
way,looks like he's paying call -Thanks
I must go
-Owen,if it's about the money
-Don't you worry,Ma'am
Capt.Graham
I thought you'll be at
the race meeting there
I'm afraid I'll have some work to do
Well,you probably saved
yourself a lot of money
Sgt. Owen
I'll have a word with you
Jim
Hello,whatever happened?
You look like a ghost
We've got to warn Copper
Warn him? What about?
I'm afraid he's done something
terribly foolish
Can we get to him at Sandown
I need to speak to him
We might just make the last race,
he won't have left before then
What's wrong anyway?
Are you refusing to open the safe,Sgt.?
I've no right to open it Sir,
without the Major's permission
I'm acting for Col.Henniker,
you know that?
I'm sorry,Sr,but Maj. Carrington
is my commanding officer
Give me that key,that's an order
I'm sorry,Sir
Very well,you give me no choice
"Change of jockey in the
next race on number 7 "
-Larry
-Hello,Alison
So you made it after all
I thought old Henniker
would sneaking you in
Something about boy Copper
running away with Gold Cup
He won?
Did he not? Got himself a bit of boost too
Where is he? I must speak to him
You can't he's out on the court
-Is he riding this race too?
-Yes I thought he's pushing his luck
It's Copper
I heard about the Major,Ma'am,
he's not badly hurt,is he?
No,he'll be back in barracks tonight
Put this in the safe for him,will you?
I can't,Ma'am,I haven't got
the keys anymore
I'm under open arrest
Owen
I'm sorry,Ma'am, but the Col.
knows all about it
What did the Col.say?
Not much,yet
Col.Henniker,wanted on the telephone,please
-John,take that call from me,will you?
-Certainly,Col.
Good evening,Alan is Major
Carrington back yet?
No,Ma'am,I've been just up to his
room but I hear he's left the hospital
If you do see him you might
No,never mind,thank you Alan
Good night,Ma'am
-Excuse me,Sir
-Good evening
Might I have a word with you,Sir?
Can't it wait until morning?
No,Sir
My office is the proper place for business
We'll just spare me one moment,Sir
Excuse me
Major Carrington is back,Col.,
he's on his way to his quarters
-Shall I tell him that you want to see him?
-There's no hurry
Thanks
Capt.Graham
I've an idea what you want me to talk about
doesn't directly concern you
Not directly,Sir
In that case it can wait until the morning
"Introduce the telereporting of some
of this afternoon's race at Sandown park"
Why don't you stay and
watch the television?
Thank you,I don't think I will
Good night,Sir
Good night,Capt.Graham
"Race from the Royal a*tillery Gold Cup
"for which there were 22 runners
some like Fairy Glade and Phantom"
"with a number of victories
to their credit"
"and some like actual winner Peter
Pan ridden by Maj. Copper Carrington"
"who confounded the experts
that you will see for yourself"
"for now for the film"
"They are coming into
line very well indeed"
"Peter Pan taken his break from
the outside and they are off"
"Its a very good start and
Foron comes to the front now with.."
w*r Hero V.C. charged with fraud
Well,it makes fine reading,doesn't it?
You know,Copper
I still think you ought to
plug with legal rights business
Listen to this Chapter 6 paragraph 26
Oh,no,Jim,that's not our line
if wanted a legal privilege
we should hire a lawyer
And I still think we should have
Why?
I'm the only person who
knows what really happened
why pay somebody else to tell them
That'll be for us
Yes?
Major Carrington please,court's opening,Sir
Thank you,Sgt.
So you got stuck with
court orderly Sgt.Crane
I'm afraid that's a rotten charge
That's all right,Sir
I only wish there was something
I could do to help,Sir
Look here,Jim
you're quite naked without a belt
Jim,got your g*n?
Why?
You'd be a pretty foolish looking escort
if I decided to run for it
Come on,Copper,we can't keep them waiting
I don't know why not,nothing
certainly can't start without me
Hold it please
Major
One minute
Orders by Lt General Sir Wilford
Nicholas Blunt Dated 25th April London
The details of offices as mentioned below
will assemble at the Royal
a*tillery Barracks,Crayshott
on the 12th Day of May
for the purpose of trying
by General Court Martial
the accused person named in the margin
Brigadier A S Meadmore,
Commander of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order,
is appointed President
Members
Sir
Here,Sir
Here,Sir
Maj.EPM Broke-Smith of the 11th Hussars
Here,Sir
Mr A T Terry,that is myself,
is appointed Judge advocate
Major Carrington,do you object
to be tried by me as President?
Or by any of the officers
whose names you heard read over?
No,Sir
Can you tell me where they
are holding this Court Martial?
Yes,that building over there
with the pillars in front
Thanks
The witnesses will now withdraw
Major Carrington
have your rights under the Rules of
Procedure been fully explained to you?
Yes,Sir
I understand that you've chosen
to conduct your own defense
you realize you may be putting
yourself in a disadvantage
by not engaging Counsel
I'd rather have it this way,Sir
I simply want to tell
the court what happened
and leave the rest to them
That seems quite a sensible thing to do
Are you Major Charles ON Paul Carrington
Victoria Cross,Distinguished
Service Order,Royal a*tillery
an officer of the regular forces?
Yes,Sir
You are charged with First charge
Under Section 17 of the Army Act
when concerned in the
care of the public property
fraudulently misapplying the same
Hello cookie
Jay,they've started you can't go in yet
The Globe can go in anywhere
Are you guilty or not guilty
of the first charge against
you which you have heard read?
Not guilty,Sir
Second Charge under Section
15 1 of the Army Act
absenting yourself without leave?
You got Carrington,Walter?
Yes I've got Carrington and the President
You've got the girl yet
Which girl?
Captain Graham the little numbering
khaki they found in his bedroom
Third and last charge
Under Section 40 of the Army Act
conduit to the prejudice of good
order and military discipline
in that you at Crayshott
on the 7th of April
improperly entertained an officer
of the Women's Royal Army Corps
to which Capt. AL Graham in your
bedroom in the military barracks
are you guilty or not guilty
of the third charge against you,
of which you have heard read?
Not guilty,Sir
Maj. Carrington you may be seated
Thank you,Sir
Does the prosecutor propose
to make an opening address?
Yes,Sir
May it please record it will not
be necessary for me detain you long
Of the three charges
the first is the only one
on which I shall dwell
Up till April 7th this year
the accused was in command of
the 24th heavy antiaircraft battery
You will hear the evidence of
the pay Sgt of the battery
that shortly before noon on April the sixth
the sum of 140£ lot was drawn
from the bank for payment of a draft
due to leave for abroad that afternoon
You'll hear the evidence of Mr DA
Ashwell of Lloyd's Bank Crayshott
that on the morning of April the fifth
the accused,whose bank
account was overdrawn
paid in,in person a sum of
100 £ in one pound notes
And asked that this amount
should be transferred immediately
to the account of his wife in a London Bank
There is,as so often,where fraud is alleged
no direct evidence,no one saw the accused
take this money from the battery safe
but it will,I think be quite clear to you
when you've heard the evidence
that these 125£ notes were the same notes
which were drawn for the payment
of the draft of the previous pay
and lodged in the battery's safe
I turn now to the other two charges
In the second charge that
with absence without leave
you will hear the evidence of
the accused commanding officer
who expressly refused Maj. Carrington
leave of absence to ride in
the Royal a*tillery meeting
and you'll hear that the accused did so
absent himself for that very purpose
Touching the third charge
Col.Henniker had issued a regimental order
which you may think was a very
legitimate and reasonable order
that officers were not to entertain
members of the Woman's Royal Army Corps
in their single quarter in barracks
Evidence will show that the
accused disregarded this order
That's all I propose to say at this stage
with the court's permission I will
now proceed to call evidence
Call Sgt. Owen
Sir
Take the book in your right hand
and repeat the oath after me
-I swear by Almighty God
-I swear by Almighty God
The evidence before this court
should be the truth,the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
You are number 962473 Sgt.Owen
of 24th Heavy Antiaircraft
Battery Royal a*tillery?
No,Sir
-I beg you pardon?
-Bombardier I am,Sir
His down on my list as a Sgt.,Sir
You are down on the list
of witnesses as Sgt.,Owen
Yes,Sir
Oh I see when this summary was taken
you were Sgt., and now you're bombardier
-Is that correct?
-Yes,that's quite correct,Sir
You are pay Sgt. or pay Bombardier
of the 24th Heavy Antiaircraft Battery?
-No,Sir
-No?
Bombardier Owen will you
take this in stages
On the 6th April this year were you
pay Sgt. of 24th Heavy Antiaircraft Battery?
-Yes,Sir
-Thank you
Yes,Sir
Yes,Sir
On the afternoon on the 6th of April
what the draft you to leave
the battery for overseas?
Yes,Sir
-Was the draft paid that day?
-No,Sir
-No,Sir
-Why not?
Their move was postponed,Sir
What happened to the money
which should have been drawn?
Put it back in the battery safe,Sir
So,there was,for the moment, more
money than usual in the battery safe?
Yes,Sir
-Who had the key?
-I did,Sir
Do you always keep the keep
the key of the battery safe?
Yes,Sir
-Is that usual?
-Couldn't say,Sir
Highly unusual and
strictly against regulations
Well,Sir,the Maj always said
he was more likely to lose the key
than I was to pinch the cash,Sir
Was the key continuously in your possession
from noon on 6th April until
say noon on the 7th?
No,Sir
What happened to it?
Don't look around with the accused,
please,just answer my question
The Maj borrowed it,Sir
To the court please,not to me
The major,you mean the accused?
Borrowed the key of the safe from you?
Yes,Sir
When did he borrow it?
Just after dinner,Sir,
that afternoon the 6th
-Did he give it back to you?
-Yes,Sir
What time was that?
At 930 the following morning,Sir,
just before he left for Sandown
Now we pass on to sudden two hours later
Did Capt. Graham of the
Woman's Royal Army Corps
come to the Battery office to speak to you?
She came to the battery office,Sir
-And spoke to you?
-Yes,Sir
In consequence of what she said
did you open the office safe
and checked the money in it?
Yes,Sir
I won't ask you any more about
that matter at the moment
but did shortly after that,did the
adjutant come to the office?
Yes,Sir
-Did he ask you for key of the safe?
-Yes,Sir
One moment,please,I don't know your name
I was speaking to your
escort,Maj Carrington
-Mitchell,Sir
-Major Mitchell
You are Maj Carrington's escort
your duty are to restrain him for flight
and to suppress any attempted
violence in his part
you're not there to assist in his defense
Sorry,Sir
You say the adjutant asked
you for your key of the safe?
Yes,Sir
-Did you give it to him?
-No,Sir-Why not?
I was responsible to my Battery
Commander for the contents of the safe,Sir
Did the Adjutant tell you
that he had Col.Henniker's
authority to open the safe?
Yes,Sir,but I was responsible to
my Battery Commander not to the Col.,Sir
Yes,what happened then?
When,Sir?
When you refused to give
the key to the adjutant
Well,Sir,there was a few words
passed and I found myself under arrest
That explains the missing
stripe on you,Owen
It's right,Sir
Did the adjutant eventually
opened the safe?
-Yes,Sir
-How
With the duplicate key
which in our Regiment is
kept in the Regimental Office
to fed all the Battery sites,
which was news to me
May I interrupt,Sir?
Certainly
Are we going to hear more about
this regimental key to the battery safe?
-May I say something on that,Sir?
-Certainly
I can assure the court
that key is not important
I'm not going to deny that
this money was missing
and I'm certainly not going to
suggest that the Adjutant took it
With respect,Sir,that is
not the point at issue
whatever the accused may choose to admit
the prosecution must still show
that the money was in the safe
at one time and then found to be missing
and for that we need the
evidence about the key
I quite agree
We can't rely on a casual
admission by the accused
to establish the prosecution's case
We'll take that evidence
If you please,Sir
-Now bombardier Owen
-One moment please
Mr Tester Terry I have some
news on this point
Yes,Sir
I like to discuss them with
you more privately,Court Orderly
Clear the court
One moment,Bombardier Owen
Sir
Please remember that you're giving evidence
you must not discuss this case
with anyone during the adjournment
Very good,Sir
It seems that I must remind you,Mr Terry
That there is only one
president of this Court Martial
Your decision to hear the
evidence about the key
is taken without reference to me
But surely the Judge advocate's responsible
for guiding the court on
purely legal points
Responsible to the President,Mr Terry
And he takes no decisions
Now shall we both glance
through the summary
and see where all this evidence
about this key is really necessary
-May we smoke,Sir?
-Certainly
Pretty careless trusting a pay Sgt.
with a key of the safe
I suppose we all have done it
sometimes depends on the pay Sgt.
May I borrow one of you?
Oh the worst lightning a pipe
Thanks so much
I was pay Sgt. once,no one
trusted me with the key of the safe
He just said it depends
on the pay Sgt.,old boy
Alison,you can't come in here
I'm in
You mustn't be,you're supposed
to be on the other side
If they find you in here
they'll sh**t the lot of us
No one saw me coming in
Look,Alison they'll only think
we're cooking up something
So I am
I've come to ask Copper
what he wants me to say
That's wonderful for
the prosecution witness
Just stick to facts don't
think up helpful answers
That should be easy for her
she's very unconvincing liar,
haven't you noticed?
No,so either I've never
heard her tell a lie
or she's not so unconvincing.Which?
BTW did you warn the other
witnesses what time they were wanted
Yes,Sir,yes I did,hello Winston,hello
BTW I told Col Henniker we would not
want him now until after lunch
-Seems a bit disappointed
-Oh,why?
He can't wait until get
into that witness box
q*eer bloke
What makes you say that?
Nothing just I can't stand him
Look at that third charge
Just because the poor girl got into
a flap and went to Carrington's room
Henniker ought to have known
there was nothing in there
not on Carrington side,every one else does
Have you been gossiping
about this case in the mess?
Who,me? Good Lord no,I'm a
blooming oyster,you know I am?
But I don't stop them talking to me
Winston,stop it
By them I suppose you mean that blonde
you sat next to her at dinner last night
Yes,what do you think of her?
Just your thought I thought
How swell,what a shape even in uniform,
this regiment can pick them
Yes I served her a glass of port
-You know what she told me?
-No
Carrington and the Colonel
had the best of six rounds in
Carrington's room that night
but Henniker had a beautiful
black eye next morning
A real shiner
You do get hold of some wonderful stories
Yes I somebody think in intelligence
might be my real line
Are we going to see this CO who
keeps keys to fit all the battery safes
Certainly
Is that a common habit in the
Royal Regiment of a*tillery,Col.?
Never heard of it in my life before
This chap like that
commands all the batteries
in the regimental office
Oh you know him,do you? What is he like?
Henniker,a proper b*stard in my opinion
-Col.Reeve
-Sir?
-You're making an improper remark
-Yes,Sir,it was,Sir
I'm sorry
I don't agree anyway
I was at staff college with Henniker
We thought he was quite outstanding
Stop,gentlemen
I really must ask you not to allow your
personal opinion of a witness
to influence your judgment of his evidence
Do you men,Sir
that even if you'd known a man for 20 years
you should assess his evidence only
what you've seen of him in the witness box?
Most certainly
That's the official view,Panton,
so I refrain from comment
Do I gather that you don't agree
I want the right answer,that's all
Carrington's whole future depends
upon the decision of this court
A true verdict,that's all that matters
Wish all the help we can get,
not calling any witnesses at our end
What do you mean?
-Isn't Valerie giving evidence?
-No
Why not?
A wife can give evidence,can't she?
She's not up to it
Is she ill again?
Not again,still
But let's ask for an adjournment until
she's well,they have to grant it
Look I don't want Val brought down here
Just don't want to her let in for all this
By God what good could she do it?
She'll only quote facts and figures
tell them about our fatal gap
between our income and expenses
I can do that
Show them your bankbook I suppose
It's all down there
Do you really think that a
lot of figures in a bank book
mean anything compared to
seeing your wife in court?
You know they don't
-Jim
-I said what I think
Copper it's not a lot to ask her?
Just to come down and
tell them herself what
hell these last two years
have been for her
For both of you
Why is that come out better
than my telling them
that she practically had a nervous
breakdown as a result of it
Because inside two minutes
if she puts her mind to it,she have
that court eating out of her hand
Now look the aim is to acquit me
because they believe that
I didn't steal this money
not because they'd fallen for my wife
Anyway she's not giving evidence
because she's not up to it
She can stand on her two feet,
she ought to come
So she would if I insisted
you can't drag a woman into court
Can't you?
I'm being dragged I was ordered to attend
I know I'm terribly sorry about
that but that's the prosecution
They can't order Val to attend
No but you can
Look this is very nice of you and all that
but do you really think it's
quite your business?
-Do you?
-Yes
Yes I do,does that surprise you?
You can't expect your friends
not to care how this goes
Anyway I'm in it now it's much
too late to tell me to keep out
Once this is over I'll stand down
I know my place
But just for the moment
what at one thing and another
I think this is my business
So do I,I am sorry
Are you going to tell them
that Valerie phoned that morning
and demanded the money by return of post?
Yes,of course
And that she threatened to
commit suicide if she didn't get it?
No
Two minutes ago you were asking
me to tell them everything
-Not that side of it
-But that
That's the side to tell them
You needn't blame her,Copper,
no one wants you to do that
She got some bills she couldn't
pay and she was desperate
Anyone can get desperate
All right,don't
Don't lift a finger,don't even try
Stand up in court and a nice military man
and answer their questions
in a nice military way
and then start looking
for a nice civilian job
because that's what you're going to need
Major Carrington,Major Mitchell,
Sir,court reassembling
Thank you,Sgt.
-You must get out of here
-Now wait
We have to go in first,let's k*ll a couple
of minutes and the hall will be clear
All right
Copper
I'm sorry I spoke like this
-Ready
-Yes
Now Bombardier Owen
you've told the court that
on the morning April 7th
the accused borrowed the key
of the safe from you
Except that one occasion was the
key of the safe ever out of your possession
My key wasn't so but the duplicate key
was in the Regimental Office all that time
At least I suppose it was
Set your mind at rest,Bombardier
Owen,it was,under lock and key
Now cast your mind back
to the evening of that day
did Capt. Graham returned to the
office bringing with her some money?
-I don't know,Sir
-What do you mean,don't know?
Did she or didn't she?
Capt. Graham returned to the office
bringing with her an envelope
which she asked me to put in the safe,Sir
Didn't she tell you what
was in the envelope?
No,Sir
-What did she tell you?
-I beg you pardon,Sir
I am supposed to say
what Capt. Graham said to me?
I don't think he should answer
that question,Major Monson
Bombardier Owen evidently remembers
what the girl said to the
soldier isn't evidence
I'll put it in another way then
-Did Capt. Graham give you the envelope?
-Well,no Sir
Come on Bombardier
I don't want to extract this by tooth
by tooth,what did she do with it?
Nothing,because I told her that balloon
had gone up and it was too late
You told Capt. Graham it was too late
meaning that the money had
already been missed?
Yes,Sir
Please,speak up so that the
court can hear you answer
Is that what you meant
to tell Capt. Graham?
-That the money had already been missed?
-Yes,Sir
Thank you,that is all
Do you wish to cross examine
the witness,Major Carrington?
Yes,please
-Bombardier Owen
-Yes,Sir
Can you say when I first
joined 24th Battery?
Yes,Sir,June 10th 1952,Sir
I can produce posting orders
but I assure you Bombardier
Owen is quite infallible
-We take the Bombardier's word for it
-Thank you,Sir
In the course of your duty
did you help me to press
various claims for money
-due me from the Paymaster?
-Yes,Sir
Sgt.,close that window
Now Bombardier Owen
Can you quote then total
amount which I claimed?
Yes,Sir,207£ 3 4p
Can you say what's the money was
due for? Just the main headings
Yes,Sir, disturbance allowances
for three moves in 11 months
between July 1951 and June 52
Command pay in Hong Kong for
just over 5 months in 1952
Compensation for loss of kitchen
ware on HM Vanessa sunk in Aug 1950
and seven minor items,Sir
Can you say how many letters
we wrote between us about all this?
Yes,Sir,there was 33 proper letters,
Sir,not counting the 14 reminders
I'm afraid you put in a lot of overtime
on my private affairs,Bombardier Owen
I never minded that,Sir
I like to produce them so they
are copies from the battery
Exhibit H 1,Exhibit H 1 to 33
These will be signed by the President
and the text of the proceedings
Go on,please
Did the paymaster ever admit
liability of any part of our claim?
Yes,Sir,one of those letters
dated February 12
for missing claims for 190 £ and 4 p,Sir
Did the pay on that date?
No,Sir,the letter said that they
had yet not verified the Part 2 order
posting in Hong Kong 1950,
Sir,so they send them along
One more question,Bombardier Owen
On the 7th of April
when you and Capt. Graham found
that this money was missing
you did your best to cover up the loss
-Well,Sir
-That was very friendly of you both
Would you please tell the court
had I asked you to do that?
No,Sir,you hadn't you weren't even there
We did it on our own,Sir
-Thank you Bombardier Owen,that's all
-Thank you Sir
Do you wish to reexamine,Maj Monson?
No thank you,Sir
-Have you any questions,Sir?
-No,thank you-Any questions from the court?
No
Very well,Bombardier Owen
you may stand down
Call Capt. Graham please
Sgt.
Sir
-What is your name?
Sgt. Crane,Sir
Well,Sgt. Crane
could you please refrain
from making quite such a clatter
in the court of your duties?
Yes,Sir
Very sorry,Sir
Quite possible to be smart without stamping
A barbaric habit introduced quite in
recent times by Her Majesty Foot guards
One small point,Major Monson
Do you think your overworked assistant
could arrange a supply of
drinking water for me?
Certainly,Sir,would you mind?
Take the book in your right hand
and repeat the oath after me
-Oh,Sgt.
-Sir
Our President is thirsty,can you
get him something to drink?
-Pardon?
-Oh,just water
Yes,Sir,right away,Sir
Earlier that day
you had a telephone call from
Mrs Carrington,who was in London?
Yes,Sir
As a result of that telephone
conversation what did you do?
I went to Major Carrington's battery office
One moment please
This telephone call
I realize of course that we
can't get from Capt. Graham
what Mrs Carrington said but I
presume we should her more later
That is not for the Prosecutor to say so
I'm not calling my wife for she is
not well enough to give evidence
Can I help you?
I was looking for the Court Martial room?
I'll show you I'm just
going in their myself
Are you member of the court?
Nothing so grand I'm afraid
I'm just Prosecutor's assistant
Are you friend of Major Carrington?
I'm his wife
You were saying Capt. Graham
-One moment please,Sgt. Crane
-Sir
Settle the glass with the left hand
Thank you
Capt. Graham
you say you went to Major Carrington's
office,what did you do there?
I saw the pay Sgt. and asked him
to check the cash in the safe
Did he find the cash correct?
No,Sir
There were 125£ missing
What did you do then?
I went away and got 125 £
-I was going to
-Please
You went away and got 125£
Where from?
From my Battery commander Major Holt
He was holding some
money for Major Carrington
I see,so you got this money
from Major Holt and then?
I took it back to the 24th Battery
meaning to put it in the safe
But the money had already been missed
It had
Oh,Capt. Graham later that
same evening the accused
The accused came out of hospital
and returned to the mess
Did you see him on his return?
Yes
Where did you see him?
In his room
The accused was then
occupying single court in the mess?
Yes,Sir
Capt. Graham you know the regimental order
against officers entertaining
members of the
Women's Royal Army Corps
in their single quarters?
Major Carrington wasn't entertaining me
He didn't ask me to go to see him I went
I had to talk to him
Did he ask you to leave?
Yes,at once
He told me that I had no right to be
there and he begged me to go away
But he made no effort
to compel you to leave?
Compel me?
Didn't shout for help
if that what you mean
One moment,please,Major Carrington
You told me just now that you
won't asking your wife to give
evidence because she was ill?
That's right,Sir
I got the impression apart from
that you would have called her?
Yes,Sir
Is that your wife who just come into court?
Yes,Sir
If you do mean to call her as
witness she shouldn't be in court
My husband doesn't mean
to call me as a witness
Can I take that as quite
definite Major Carrington?
Well if there's any doubt
why not discuss it with your
wife during the next adjournment?
Very well,Sir
In that case,Mrs Carrington,
I must ask you to withdraw
Sgt. Crane show Mrs Carrington
where she can wait
Go on,please, Major Monson
Capt. Graham you say you went
to the accused's room to talk to him
But what did you want to say?
I wanted to tell him what had happened
and what I had done about the money
And I wanted to tell him
that Col Henniker was out to get him
-Capt. Graham
-I'm sorry,Sir
The prosecutor asked me what
I said to Major Carrington and I told him
-Here you are,Ma'am
-Thank you
Major shouldn't be long
Shall I light the fire,Ma'am?
Oh,no,no but I wonder
if you could get me some cigarettes,
I know I've run out
Take these,Ma'am,just to go along with
But what about you?
Will be all right until lunchtime
You're not allowed to smoke in there anyway
You must let me pay for this
Oh no please there’s only
one or two in it,you know
I'd rather not
Very well,thank you Sgt.
How long were you in the
accused's court room that night?
About half an hour I think
Till Col Henniker came in
And what happened then
Well,he came in,he burst
in,he didn't even knock
I think he hoped to he might
surprise us in bed or something
Capt. Graham by now you'd know
better than to make remark like that
Col Henniker was very rude to me,Sir
he said some quite outrageous things
I think you must regard that as one
of the risk of your profession,Capt. Graham
-Just tell the court what happened
-I can't,Sir
He and Major Carrington started
an argument and I left the room
As a matter of fact I was
sent out of the room
Thank you,Capt. Graham
That is all
Capt. Graham on 7th of April
when you found that I'd
taken 125 £ from my battery safe
you went to lot of trouble to put it back
-Yes
-Please don't think I'm not grateful but
Had I asked you to do that?
No you hadn't
You didn't know anything
of what I was doing
Thank you
Now you say that when you
came to my room that night
I told you that I'd taken this money
Yes
Have you ever heard
me saying I might do that?
Yes,but I haven't believed you
Will you please tell the court
about that conversation
It was the day before in the
morning about at 11 o'clock
I met you coming out
of Col Henniker's office
You said that you had another row with him
about the money the government owed you
Go on
You said he wasn't doing a
thing to back up your claim
and you were sick of waiting
You said you told him that
and you told him that you were going
to take the money out of the battery safe
Are you quite sure?
I mean that I told Col Henniker
I was going to take that money
Perfectly sure
Thank you,oh,there was one more question
The court has heard that I was
riding in the Royal a*tillery meetings
Can you say whether I was
riding my own horses?
I know you weren't
You don't own any horses nowadays
I'm sorry,Sir,I was just
correct the impression
I was careering around Sandown Park
on my own expensive animals
We take your point,Mr Carrington
Thank you Capt. that was all
Major Monson
No thank you,Sir
-Any questions,Sir
-No thank you
Capt. Graham,you may go
Will you take Major Holt now Sir?
I think we might
-If that suits you,Sir?
-Just as you like,Mr Terry
We could take Major Holt or
-We could take luncheon
-As you please,Sir
Luncheon I think
The court is adjourned we resume at 2 15
Hello,hello love
Hello
You are a surprise I didn't know
that you were up and about
Darling,you haven't even
keeping me in touch
I crawled out of bed the
day before yesterday
How are you? Where are the handcuffs?
They trust Jim to look after me
Nice to you both
How goes it Jim?
In court?
We've just finished Alison evidence
and adjourned for lunch
-Is Alison doing her stuff?
-Well,she's pretty good
Sorry,I wouldn't let you
stop and see the show
you really ought not to have come at all
Every one else thought I ought to
Everyone meaning your father?
Well,you did say you didn't want
me to come,darling,I told him that
I said that nobody forced you to come
Nobody forced me
Just said ,he thought it looked better
I thought you might be pleased to see me
Of course I am
Just wished the circumstances
were different
So do I
Now you are here how do
you feel about giving evidence?
But you said that you didn't want me to
-I didn't think you were fit
-I'm not
If you like I produce a
doctor's certificate
That won't be necessary
What sort of evidence do you mean anyway?
What about?
Nothing personal a difficult gesture
Given them the facts of life about the army
tell them about the gap
between what they paid us
and what we they forced us to spend
But you can tell them that?
He's not so well on the economic subject
as you are,I've heard you
Good Heavens,you don't need
eloquence,just give them the figures
Tell them what 6 months in a furnished
flat in Singapore did to our w*r savings
The year in a hotel in Hong Kong
with a wife and two children cost
just twice as much as they paid us
Tell them the whole thing half k*lled me
That's your stuff,that's
what we want you to say
But why can't Copper say it?
But I don't look right,I don't
look that anything half k*lled me
I'm sorry Copper but I can't
I know it's futile and wicked of me
I can't
Valerie,it wouldn't take ten
minutes,it wouldn't take five
-You've seen the court
-Leave it Jim
-Look now let me explain
-Leave it
All right,I'll expect you can do without me
I'm going to see what they
are doing about our food
Oh,BTW I saw Nora Holt
that came out of court
she said will you lunch with them
Valerie if you haven't fixed anything else
-I couldn't face anyone
-Why not?
What have you done?
I suppose you think I ought to have
rung around and telling
everyone not hide all this
No,that'll be overdoing it
Jim,all right
Tell Nora I'd love to come say
I'll be over in ten minutes
-Right
-And honestly
You couldn't think less than I do
I think the whole thing
has been very hard on you
I'm sorry about that Val
Copper
-What's the matter with me?
-It's that you're not well yet,that's all
Well,anyone else had taken it
pull themselves together
somehow,why can't I?
Oh,I'll give evidence if I
could,of course I would
But I know when the moment
came I just run out on you
You wouldn't want that to happen
No
How're the boys?
I think you ought to write to them
I do not what to say
It's very unfair isn't it?
They shouldn't made of your
responsible especially for a stepfather
Val,look,I know I promised I keep
you out of this thing as far as possible
You must realize I shall
have to tell the court why
I took the money
and I shall have to refer to your
telephone call and and the letter
Do you mean you're going
to put the whole blame on me?
No,no,my whole case is that
the paymaster owned us money
which she wouldn't pay in the
end there was no fault of our own
we go to a point where we
couldn't wait any longer
Can't you just say you've being pressed
for money for the boy's school bill?
Press so hard I had to take
the money that same day?
So you are going to say that it was
what I said that made you do it
I will put it that way
Would it be so unfair if I did?
Yes,of course it would
I was frantic when I made that phone call
I'd no other to say
of course I'd never k*ll myself,
how could I leave the boys
I told that in my letter
But your letter didn't
arrive until afterward
and I didn't feel inclined to take the risk
if I see you won't go into the box
I shall have to refer to the letter
But that letter was private
any letter is private,
you've no right to read it all in public
Read it all out in public
You really think I'll do that?
You remember the sort of
things you said in this letter?
Tear it up,please if that letter gets
read out in court I'll think I'll die
Promise you won't let them see it
Look all I'm going to do is this
I'm going to them that you rung me
and said you had to had
the money within 24 hours
I shall explain you're ill and
made some dire threat
If they insist on confirmation then
I read it through sentences,that's all
I can't stand it
I can't stand private affairs being
read out in court for everyone to hear
Isn't it a little late to be so sensitive?
at the moment I don't have any private
affairs I'm not allowed to have
But I do,I'm not in the dock
I didn't take any money
I'm sorry
I shouldn't have said that
Look,there's one thing
you have to understand
I haven't done anything I'm ashamed of
And I haven't got quite a case you know
What's going to happen?
-Tell me honestly
-I'm going to get off,of course
They can't make this charge stick
I took the money openly
I told Henniker I'm going to
take it and then I took it
whatever that was,it wasn't fraudulent
Suppose you do get off what will we do?
There's only one thing to do pick
ourselves up and start again
-In the army?
-Yes,of course
Copper give up the army
Val,the only thing I know,
is the only thing I want to do
But why?
Look at the army nowadays,
look at the things they do to you?
I know
Go on tell me what's the attraction?
Or left turn,right turn
and the barracks square
Oh no,there's more to it than that
it's something I can do and
people like Henniker can never do
no matter of dizzy heights they reach
We also certainly never reach
any dizzy heights after this
Won't you always be the man
who pinched cash and got away with it?
And wasn't it something about another woman
Nobody taken that third charge seriously
not even prosecution
That's lucky for you
that I am not,isn't it?
Alison
That would be the last straw
Oh,well more of the wondering
what's happened to me
Val
When this is over,what about us?
They go on as they are I suppose
No,no not as they are,another path
I'm sure they are bound to move me
and somehow get married quarters
and quarters we could live
No Copper we shouldn't
stand a chance not in the army
What you're saying is
that you are prepared to live
with me when things are easy
but you're not prepared to make
an effort when they are not
I suppose so I dare say that's it
Perhaps if you wanted it,postwar army
career you married the wrong woman
I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that
You will come back,won't you?
I mean this afternoon?
Just think it over and just
to be around,you know
All right,I'll come back
-Sugar,Sir?
-No thank you
-May we smoke,Sir?
-Certainly
May I?
Sorry old boy,I really
will buy some tomorrow
If we are here tomorrow
which I sincerely hope not
That doesn't depend on us,I'm afraid
I'd like to get away today if I can
I'm quite ready to sit late in this setting
Thank you
What's your hurry,Broke-Smith?
Don't tell me they make the
cavalry work at this time of the year
Oh,Lord no we finished
the point-to-pointing feeding
we've got nothing on until Ascot
How do you like this idea of
paying yourself out of impress
when the paymaster is slow
in dealing with your claims
Well,it's original anyway
Can you call it fraudulent
misapplication,Sir
if you've given a fair warning
what you are going to do
Quite possibly not
But we don't know yet
that he did give warning
He told the Graham girl that
he warned the Colonel
So she says,he doesn't seem
been telling anyone else
We don't know that either
Well,it will be in character anyway
Carrington wouldn't sneak
the money out of the safe,never
Flying off for handling,taking
it for gesture of defiance
that's something different
Am I wrong,Mr Terry are
you looking a little cynical?
It's possible
I've never served on the jury until
I joined the Judge Advocates branch
I've never heard of a case
discussed in closed court
And you find it a painful experience
In a way,yes
As an advocate one labored
long hours over one's brief
Marshaled the evidence presented
did this way or that and ended
with an impassioned address
Why?
To what purpose
I know now that any juror man in any court
is moved solely by his personal prejudices
Modified by whether or not
he likes the look of the witness in the box
Gentlemen,we seem to have destroyed
Mr Terry's faith in the law
Oh,not at all
I believe that despite of their methods
almost every court
specially perhaps the court martial
reach a just and proper verdict in the end
That's help,we shan't be
the court that disappoint you
I feel quite sure you won't
Major Monson
I've been looking for you
I was just on my way across
-May I walk with you?
-Please
What can I do for you?
I was wandering if I might be allowed
to leave the barracks this afternoon
Going to Crayshott
I'm sorry the moment I let you
go some new point would come up
And the president wants to recall you?
Is it very urgent?
Your reason for wanting to go
To be quite honest just wanted to get away
I find this harrowing
Yes,I'm sure you do
No one is enjoying it
Don't let them throw him out
You know very well that
doesn't rest with me
Not in theory no
Not in any way it's for the court to decide
When they've heard the evidence
But you can't want to see him chucked out?
I don't,my duty as a Prosecutor
is simply to behave impartially
and to bring the whole
transaction before the court
-You know of the whole transaction?
-Not yet
I've only heard one side of it
Not even that just the bare bone
of one small bit of one sided
Oh I know he behaved like
an idiot,so does he
But he's not like that way
Do you want to know where
he really worked for?
Stop anyone of those men
of those men and ask them
Capt. Graham,you're wasting your talent
it's the court you should attack not me
-You're coming in?
-No
As I can't do anything with you
I'll go back to my office and try
and get some useful work done
Anyway thanks for rejecting
my advances so nicely
Very unusual experience for you I am sure
-If,if there's anything else
-No thank you
Right
-Oh yes
-Yes
I’m supposed to set an example in barracks
When you're asking our commanding officer
what happened to Major Carrington
in his room that night
would you let it make it clear
that the accused and I were
not cuddled up in bed together?
That's a reasonable
request,all right I'll do that
Thank you
Oh Capt. Graham
Yes
-One question
-Yes
You said this morning that Major Carrington
told you he was warned Col Henniker
he was going to take the money,
did Major Carrington say that?
Yes
Are you quite sure of that?
Perfectly sure
What started the trouble
between Major Carrington and his Col.?
Jealousy
You?
Good Heavens no,not a woman
Nothing so reasonable
What was Col Henniker doing during the w*r?
Yes that's more like it
Antiaircraft command for a whole company
He never got overseas
No,Woolwich,Chatham and
all the bases to Dover
Never out of touch with Southern Railways
Well,you don't blame him for that,do you?
Me?
I blame him for everything
Hello,Col.,have you been waiting for me?
I just came to find out at
what time I'll be wanted
Well,Sir,you'll be the last my witnesses
I'll say three o'clock
or ten to might be safer
I'll be outside the court
room a quarter to three
-All going smoothly?
-Yes I think so
Oh, one point came out this morning
What then?
A witness gave evidence
that Carrington told you beforehand
he meant to take the money
from the battery safe
This point is of importance
Is it? Why? He still took the money
Yes,but if he gave you prior warning
it alters the whole character
of the defense
Really? If a bank clerk
helps himself out of the till
and says"Oh,I told my manager"
-Ah,if the bank owed him money
-You mean he'll get away with it?
No I don't say that
But obviously,still thinking
of your bank clerk
It's one thing to take
money surreptitiously
but quite another if he takes it openly
After a dispute with the manager
over the bank's debt to him
Which witness said this?
Or shouldn't I ask?
Capt. Graham
I see,did she hear Carrington tell me?
No,she heard it from him
-Isn't that hearsay?
-No,it came from the accused
Well,I suppose it's a line of defense
You know,Col,this case worries me
I find the whole defense out of character
In an officer with Carrington's background
Background? What background?
You're not dazzled by his V.C. are you?
I wouldn't say so
That's the real trouble
the blaze of adulation,that surrounds
the V.C. and the rest of his service
I don't say that it's his fault,
Carrington spoiled
Anything he wants he
feels he has the right to
If he wants leave he takes it
but he wants to ask a
woman up to is quarters
he ignores all orders against it
Background or no background
he was short of money so he helped himself
As simple as that?
He just throws away his
career pension for 125£
No,if he'd won at Sandown he
meant to slip the money back
He lost,well he'll get away with a summons
Something will turn up,
someone rallied around and help
He's got plenty of friends
Look here,Carrington's whole reputation
was made up,so I had to book in 10 minutes
He took over the g*n layer hid on 25 pounds
from a wounded Lance bombardier
and knocked out five German tanks
Well,that's more than most of us could do
Very few of us get the chance
Well,I don't underweight what he did
But I didn't want a g*n layer again
I didn't even want a w*r hero
I wanted a battery commander
for a highly technical unit
And they gave me Carrington
Still he's not been
tried for inefficiency,is he?
No
Your entitled to impute efficiency
as a reason for refusing his leave
That was my reason,of course
And my only one
-A quarter to three then
-Yes,please
You'll be prepared to answer
that question if it's put to you?
Which question? Oh,about whether he
confided his intentions with me or not
Certainly
Cause Henniker hated my
guts since the moment I joined
You'll be honest you never
wasted much tact on him
That's why we are here
Come in
Excuse me Sir,I thought
you'd better have this
-But the accused doesn't wear a belt
-I know,Sir,for afterward
Hallam,you're an incurable optimist
Fine piece of leather this
Belonged to my father
Is it time for Val back?
Yes,if she wants to be here
when the court reopens
There's Henniker now
Strutting across the square
and he is on his way to
torment the regimental office
Good Lord,he's showing
Sgt. Connolly how to salute
In front of the recruit squad he's
supposed to be instructing
I can't look
You ought to do be able
to do better than that
Don't you know how to
keep your wrist straight?
Like this,see
Now let's see you do it
And again
That's better,now get on with it
-Good bye Larry,thank you so much
-Good bye Val
Excuse me is Capt. Graham here?
-Hello there
-Alison,what if you could help me
I can try
I told Copper I'd come back this afternoon
-but I can't face it just hanging around
-I can understand that
How can I help?
Would you tell him,you can
say it so he'll understand
-You see if I go now I could catch the 2 50
-Have you called a taxi?
No,I thought perhaps that you
might traveling to the station
They won't let me leave the barracks
Before six o'clock somehow
I'm just going over to transport
Ah,Mrs Carrington just the
person I'm looking for
Oh I'm so sorry,who are you?
My name is Evans,Morning Globe
What do you want Mr Evans?
Just a word with Mrs Carrington
nothing to worry her,we shan't
publishing anything you don't like
We don't want you to
publish anything at all
But your husband is a public figure
They are taken in great deal
of interest in this case
You can hear the whole story in court
I never covered a case yet,Capt. Graham
in which the court heard half of the story
Take your own evidence for instance
the moment you began to
interest me you stopped
Now this fight
this fight in Major Carrington's bedroom
of the night he was arrested,
I want to hear more about that
What fight?
The fight between your husband
and colonel Henniker
what is it about?Who is it about?
I'm afraid you've been misinformed,Mr Evans
There was no fight
Capt. Graham you try to tell me
that Col.Henniker got his
black eye of a swing door
and Major Carrington bathed his
knuckles and shut his window
-I'm not trying to tell you anything
-All right perhaps it happened that way
I don't think so,and nor
does the mess waiter
nor does Col. Henniker's butler
-Your train,Valerie,you'll be late
-Why haven't I heard about this fight
You haven’t heard about it?
You haven't heard about it
because there wasn't one
Mr Evans you have no right go around
All right maybe I was wrong
maybe it wasn't a fight,I'm sorry
Mrs Carrington I must got it wrong
Yes,yes perhaps,perhaps you must have
I'll phone you in London the
moment we hear anything
-Oh,yes,please do
-You have to hurry now
-All right
-Good bye,Alison
-Bye
-And thank you
I'm sorry,I'm sorry if I asked
the right question the wrong time
What did you do then?
Then I went up to Major
Carrington's quarters
Where I found Capt. Graham
-And the accused?
-Yes
The accused was in bed
Was he still suffering from
the effects of his fall at Sandown?
I suppose so
When you entered the room
what was Capt. Graham doing?
She was sitting in a chair
In a chair by the bed?
No by the window
Was she in uniform?
Yes
Was she fully dressed?
Yes
Was there anything in
their attitude or demeanor
that suggested that they've
behaving improperly in any way?
No
What happened then?
I pointed out to the accused
in having Capt. Graham in his room
he was directly disobeying my order
And I asked for an explanation
Did he give any explanation?
No
Go on,please
Well,he seemed to resent my
presence in his quarters
Became rather truculent
In the end I ordered Capt.
Graham to leave the room
and I put Mr Carrington under arrest
Thank you Col. Henniker,that is all
Do you wish to cross
examine Major Carrington?
Yes,Sir
One moment Major Carrington,Sgt. Crane
Sir
It's a dog,Sir
I'm glad we agree
-Please silence it
-Very good,Sir
Sgt. Crane is improving
Now then Major Carrington
Col.Henniker,let's start with
a simple question
Can you explain why you dislike me so much?
You mean personally or as
a battery commander?
Personally
I don't admit that I do
dislike you personally
But I've never given that
matter much thought
No,I think we'll admit we
never get on very well
Certainly, we have very different
views about our army duties for instance
Yes we have indeed,let's see how and why
We agree that on the 28th of March
you told me that you proposed
holding a training exercise
of my battery staff on the 7th of April
I did,your battery staff needed training
So badly they couldn't waited one more day?
Haven't you known for at least six weeks
I was riding at Sandown
on the 7th of April?
Isn't that a rather an
odd way of putting it?
Had you applied for leave?
No rather stupid perhaps I haven't
Do you know how many officers out
of your regiment attended that race meting?
I have no idea
I tell you 18,18 out of 34 you know as
well as I do it's a regimental custom
You know how many applied
for leave officially?
I'll tell you not one of them
my two fellow battery commander
Holt and Mitchell both went
Did they ask for leave?
I knew they were going
My question was did they ask for leave?
My answer was not officially
but I knew they were going
You didn't know I was is t
hat what you mean?
Yes
Do you remember a guest night
towards the end of February when
we dined the new garrison commander?
Yes
We sat one on either side of him,didn't we?
Yes
And discussed at some length my chances
of winning the Gold Cup on Peter Pan
I don't remember
You should,you joined in
I can call the garrison commander,you know
I don't remember discussing it
it is not likely that I would remember it,
it's not a subject that
would interest me much
Let's try another line
As a bachelor do you dine
in the mess fairly often?
Yes,more often than not
Were you dining in regularly in
the weeks before Royal a*tillery meeting?
Probably
I can prove it that you were
I can also call four officers
who repeat conversation they
had with you during that time
about my chances in the Gold Cup
I don't want waste the time of the court
but if you forced me to
call them I'll call them
Now you still say as
late as the 28th March
you hadn't heard that I was riding
in the Royal a*tillery meeting?
I may have heard,I probably did but I
still say it made no impression on me
The moment you told me officially
that you meant to ride I
told you that you couldn't
And I told you why
A training exercise for my
battery staff arranged 10 days
before the meeting for one
purpose stopping me riding
No,for the better legitimate purpose,
increasing the efficiency of your battery
I shall ask the court to
accept my explanations
Mine doesn't suit your case I admit
Mine doesn't twist the facts
-Gentlemen
-I'm sorry,Sir
Col. Henniker you started that
your remark was provocative
I'm sorry,Sir
Major Carrington the court will
protect you from innuendo
You can put away your g*n
Thank you,Sir
Let us go on to the third charge,the one
about Capt. Graham's visit to my quarters
She's told us herself
why she came into room that night
can you say why you came?
Why I came to your room?
At 10 pm,yes please
You didn't report your return
from hospital that evening
I only heard more or less
by chance that you were back
What time did you hear that?
At about nine o'clock in the mess
But you didn't come into
my room until ten,why?
I didn't intend to come at all that night
I had plenty to say to you but I
decided it was better left till the morning
What made you change your mind?
I had reason to believe that
Capt. Graham had gone to your room
What made you think that?
I saw her going upstairs
for the officer's quarters
Why not say so,what time was that?
About quarter past nine I should say
Quarter past nine so you wired forty five
minutes before you followed her?
Why?
I was hoping she'd come down again
and I could have overlooked the matter
You hoping that you could overlook
a breach of discipline by me,
I must square that one
Let's take the remaining charge
the one about the money
Here I admit I behaved very foolishly
I gave you a magnificent opening
and you took full advantage of it
Is that remark in order,Sir?
No
Major Carrington I don't want to hamper
your cross examination but if you can't
I'm sorry,Sir
Col. Henniker this charge of
fraudulent misapplication
Let's go back to the 6th of April
last about 11 o'clock
did I come to your office and
talked to you about my finances?
Yes
Did I tell you that I was unable
to meet my debts?
Yes
Did we discuss the money
the government owed me?
Yes a subject we'd often discussed before
Yes we certainly had
When I asked you the paymaster
had acknowledge my last letter
did you tell me that you hadn't sent it on?
Yes,I thought it was a bad
letter,rude and exaggerated
You didn't say it when I showed it to you?
No I only read it later
I see
Did you refuse that morning once
more to take urgent action?
I refused to ring up the w*r Office
or to send a series of personal telegrams
which was your other suggestion
I pointed out that all reasonable steps
had already been taken by my staff
Did I tell you I was desperate that
morning that things had come to a head?
You told me at some length
about your stepsons school bills
and your wife's breakdown in health
You appeared to blame me for all that
Certainly not as my commanding
officer it was your job to help me
I had to press my claim through you
And I was doing what I could
The paymaster was slow
but that's nothing new
I pointed out that you should have known
there would be a delay,manage
reserves accordingly
Manage my affairs accordingly?
Col. Henniker for the last four years
I've been kicked around the world
never more than six months
in anyone station
never given government married quarters
paying through the nose for furnished
rooms and hotels never mind
Major Carrington I don't want
to keep interrupting you
but you have an opportunity
to give your evidence later
I'm sorry,Sir
Let's say we had one more
row about the money
Now I come to a vital point
To me the one point in this
whole case that really matters
When you told me that you
were unwilling or unable
to take any further steps on my behalf
I told you to that I intended
to help myself out of funds
do you remember my saying that?
No
Or anything like that?
Nothing at all I vet
When I read your evidence of the summary
I noticed that you hadn't mention that
and thought perhaps you'd overlooked it
or didn't think it was important
I didn't think that you've might
have forgotten it all together
I still don't think so
You never said any such thing
I repeat my very words I said:
If they won't pay me I'll pay myself out
of funds and see what they'll say to that
You don't remember that?
No
And you won't remember your answer?
I actually don't
I'll remind you
You said: then I shall have great
pleasure in seeing you court martial
Now,did I make that up?
Did I?
No
Those your exact words weren't they?
Yes as far as I can remember,yes
Then how is that you don't
remember what I said?
You're quoting me in the wrong context
What do you mean by that?
You told me you were going to Sandown the next day with or without my permission
And if you did I have you court martialed
That speech of yours is
the answer to my threat
to take the money do you deny that?
I do
Let's start again
The draft which was originally
supposed to leave that day
didn't come from my battery,did it?
No,it was made up equally
from the three batteries
Exactly but on the morning of the 7th
you send the adjutant to my battery office
to check to see that the money
to pay that draft was still there?
I did
Did you send the note to the 47th Battery?
No
Did you send them to the 21st battery?
No
Then why to the 24th?
If you deny I told you I
was going to take the money
why then my battery and my battery only?
Was it my criminal record?
No
Or my criminal appearance?
No
Then can you tell the court
what made you pick on my
battery and my battery only?
Certainly
Because only in the morning before
you told me that you had no money at all
And yet at the same evening in the mess
I heard you were placing a sizable
bet on yourself to win at Sandown
I was rather anxious to find out
where you got the money to bet with
I still want to know
what made you think the money
came out of my battery safe?
That is a difficult question
to answer,isn't it? Can I help you?
You weren't afraid the money wasn't there
but if I told you I was
going to take it and
you knew damned well it wasn't there
But you were afraid that made
you to do something quickly
I might win at Sandown
and put the money back
Is that a question?
No but this is?
Do you still say I didn't tell you
that I was going to take the money?
I do
Then I have only one more question
How do like knowing that I
know that you are lying?
You don't have to answer that
Thank you that's all
Do you wish to reexamine Major Monson?
No thank you,Sir
Any questions,Sir?
No thank you
No
Thank you Col.Henniker
That concludes the case
for the prosecution,Sir
Thank you,Major Monson
Major Carrington the time has
come to you to make your defense
you've heard what the prosecution say
and you may make your reply
in one or several ways
you may if you wish but
only if you wish give evidence upon oath
That's what I want,Sir
One moment please or you may
make a statement not on oath
but I'm bound to warn you that
it does not carry the same weight
Lastly bearing in mind
that it is for the prosecution
to prove your guilt
and not for you to prove your
innocence you may remain silent
-Are you sure you understand
-Yes,Sir
I want to give evidence on oath
And do you intend to
call any other witnesses?
Only one,Sir
I intend to call my wife
That train is gone the stationmaster
swears she wasn't on it
She must have missed it,
you said she was late starting out
Well,why isn't she at the station now,
there is another one in twenty minutes
I can't understand it just going
off without saying a word
-But she told Alison
-What do we do now?
Demand a further adjournment
until we find her
Shall I remind them in London
and leave a message in case
she's gone some other way
Would you? Kensington 4591
I settle with you later
With my girls on the switchboard,
the government will stand you that
Thank heavens you've come back
We're going to be all right
What on earth,Val what happens
I changed my mind on the way to the station
You've heard about the adjournment
Oh,yes I went to the court room first
Will you give evidence?
You did promise you wouldn’t call me
I know but things have changed
You see Henniker came out with a fat lie
gave us an opening which
we can't afford to lose
-What do you want me to say?
-Just tell the court the truth
What about?
Tell them what I said when I rung you up
and told you that I've sent
you the hindered pounds
But you've taken them
from the battery safe?
Yes and I told Henniker that
I was going to take it and
he's threatened to have me
court martialed if I did
that's all I want from you Valerie,we got
to convince the court that Henniker is lying
Copper
Did you and Henniker
had a fight that night?
Of a sort,yes
So you did
What about?
Well among other he said
some things about Alison
that I didn't very much like so
I called him a liar a dirty minded
snooper and he didn't very much like that
Go on,tell me what happened
Well,he sort of slapped at me and I
lost my temper and knocked him down
It wasn't much of a fight really
wouldn't have filled the Albert Hall
And you where there?
Yes
People have all the luck I wish I'd seen it
What was he said about you?
You know the sort of things he'd say
He thought he'd ventured
into an amorous scene
Oh,no even Henniker couldn't
have thought that
He started up again
about the time he got stranded
on our way back from Manover
Did I hear about that?
Yes,you heard about that
In February,remember?
On our way back from Command Conference
when we got snowbound and
spend the night in the pub
Oh,yes I remember
I don't see the connections
You wouldn't but Henniker
thought that he did
Copper,we'd better get back,
we're holding things up
Yes do you want to go the mess and
have tea I haven't given my evidence yet
Oh no I'll wait here with Alison
I take down to my quarters
you'll be more comfortable there
That's a good idea,thank
you for coming back
Your hands are like ice are
you sure that you're all right?
I'm fine
Don't worry about won't take more
than two and three minutes
Even if they cross examined
Force of habit
BTW don't talk to me talk
to the old boy in the wig
Coming dear?
Yes
I took this money but I took it openly,
I was saying I was going to take it
I took it to advertise a grievance
Openly to advertise a grievance?
Well,Major Carrington,let's see if you did
After your interview with
Col. Henniker that morning
you went back to your office borrowed
the key of the safe from Bombardier Owen
-and took out 125£
-Yes
-Did anyone see you take it?
-No
If you tell Bombardier
Owen you've taken it?
No
-Not even when you gave him back the key?
-Not even then
Did you tell any of your fellow
officers that you've taken it?
I didn't tell Bombardier
Owen or anyone else
having a row with my commanding officer
because I didn't want to stir
up feeling against him
That would seem to me to be rather cheap
Surely does your credit Major Carrington
but to someone who wanted
to advertise grievance
don't you think you were going
remarkably reticent?
Even secretive?
I told Col. Henniker that I
was going to take the money
The Court has heard Col. Henniker deny that
I also told Capt.Graham she doesn't deny it
You told her you had a row with him
Wasn't that cheap?
Yes I think it was
This advertising when
was it going to start?
When were you're going to
tell anyone you've taken this money?
As soon as the order to pay
the draft came through
I was going to ring up
the regimental office
and tell Col. Henniker that
the cupboard was bare
I was rather looking forward to that
Meanwhile you said nothing to anyone
Except my wife
Sorry I've been so long now
I've organized tea it'll
be here in a moment
Giving evidence is nothing,Valerie,
certainly won't be for you
They know you've been ill
they're be telling themselves no matter
what they do they mustn't upset you
Come in
Thank you so much
Tell me how did you and Copper
happen to go to Manover?
We were ordered to go,it was a conference
Just you two?
No five us went it was Copper,
Mary and I,Doc Mc Kenzie and Col. Henniker
Did you all get stranded?
-No,sugar?
-No thank you
We were on our way back it was snowing
The other three were hid in the
Col.'s car and and Copper and I was in his
And the driver of course
Yes go on
Well,going up on a weird Welsh slope,
the car started to cough
It stopped nothing let it ever start again
So we had to go backward
hill to the bottom
Fortunately there was a
village or at least a pub
Fortunately
Well,when it got dark it was still snowing
the driver was still tinkering with the car
So we all stayed the night
Where was this?
A little place called,Polgethnig,
"Tremarthern Arms"
Don't ever go there,the
landlord doesn't like visitors
I said my bed was damped
so in revenge they put me
in room with a bat in it
bat came to life when I went to bed
between us we knocked over
parasol-lamp and moved the furniture
Copper had to come and rescue me
Did he get rid of the bat?
Yes,I left him he had to
get rid of the landlord too
And then his way back to bed
Yes
To his own bed?
Val,what's wrong with you?
Did you not think I wouldn't know
the moment I saw you together?
There's nothing to know
You are all on edge
I'll tell you what happened that night
and save you the trouble of lying about it
-Val,let's stop this
-I'll stop it when I get the truth
Until then I refuse to go
into that court room
You can't do that to him
Tell Copper I've gone back to
London and tell him why
All right
We did spend that night together
But only that night and
that's all that was to it
You tell who was to blame
and end of that and it did
It led nowhere,never could have led anywhere
Copper loves you
He always has
And I suppose he always will
He certainly doesn't love me
Nor you him I suppose
Oh,yes
I love him
But that needn't worry you
You would never had known
if you hadn't left him
So it's all my fault
It's no one's fault
It's the way things are
Heaven know I've change them if I could
Come in
Excuse me,Ma'am,they are
asking for Mrs Carrington
Thank you
Val
You won't hold it against him will you?
And don't stay away from him again
he'll so lonely and miserable,
he doesn’t care what happens
you won't do that,will you?
Val
-I swear by Almighty God
-I swear by Almighty God
that the evidence which I
shall give before this court
that the evidence which I
shall give before this court
shall be the truth,the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
shall be the truth,the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
-Sgt. Crane
-Sir
Get Mrs Carrington a chair
By the table
-All right
-Yes
I won't keep you long..
One moment Major Carrington we have
to establish the identity of the witness
Oh yes I'm sorry
You are Mrs Valerie Diana Carrington
and my wife,aren't you?
I am
On the 6th April last where were you?
In London
To the court,Val
In London
Did you get a telephone
call from me that afternoon?
About 3 o'clock
Yes
Can you remember what is was all about?
Yes I think so
Can you tell the court quite
shortly what we said to each other?
About the money you mean?
Yes,start with the money
You said you just told your
bank to send me 100£
Yes
I think I asked you were
you got it,didn't I?
Yes,you did
You said you've taken it
from the battery safe
Go on
I didn't believe you
I think I told you were mad
Yes,but what did I say?
I don't remember
I know I told you to go and put
it back at once I begged you to
Yes
-You said you wouldn’t
-Yes
Yes,Val,and then what did I say?
Did I mention Col. Henniker?
We talked for sometime
Yes
Do you remember what I
said about Col. Henniker?
Try to think,this is important
Didn't I tell you that I had differences
of opinion with Col. Henniker?
No,really we can't have that
You mustn't lead the
witness Major Carrington
Did we talk about Col.Henniker
No I don't think we mentioned him
What's this Val?
I don't think so,I can't remember
You can't remember what?
I can't remember what it is
you wanted me to say
I simply want you to tell the truth
what I said,is that so difficult?
I am telling the truth
Are you telling this court on oath
you don't remember one word I
said about my row with Col. Henniker?
No I don't
You know what you are doing?
Yes and I still don't remember
It's all,Sir,no more questions
-Do you wish to cross examine Major Monson?
-No,Sir
Mrs Carrington
Your husband has told this court upon oath
that he warned Col. Henniker that he meant
to take the money from his battery safe
and he called you with apparent
confidence to support that statement
please put right out of your mind
any discussion you may have had
with him about your evidence
but are you sure he did not
tell you on the telephone
that he had said that to Col.Henniker?
Quite sure
Any questions?
May I reexamine,Sir?
On the question of what you told your wife?
-Yes,Sir
-Certainly
That same day
presumably a short time after we
spoke together on the telephone
you sat down and you wrote me a letter
Yes
In this letter among other things
you refer to the money I sent you
Yes I acknowledge it
You also referred to a row
I had with Col. Henniker
What row?
The row I had with Col.Henniker
when I told him I was going
to take the money out of the safe
I didn't mention Col. Henniker
or your row with him
How could I when I didn't
know anything about it
Major Carrington are you
producing that letter?
I'm just going to quote parts of it
If you're going to quote from the letter
it must be produced for the
inspection of the court
I doubt my wife would think that fair
Major Carrington is that all?
Yes,Sir,that's all
Any questions?
Tank you Mrs Carrington that's all
Val
Hold it please,thank you
And finally,gentlemen
I remind you that I am your adviser
of matters of procedure and the Law
But you and you alone
are judges of the facts
and now,Sir I leave it to
your deliberations
Court orderly,clear the court
Well,gentlemen
If we find Carrington guilty of
a charge involving fraud,Sir
he'll have to be dismissed or cashiered
won't he?
Or sent to prison
That is for us to decide if and
when we find him guilty
At the moment we're considering the verdict
And the question of what
sentence may follow
should not effect our decision in any way
Shouldn't be difficult for them to decide
who to believe Mr Deaf,Dumb
and Blind and Stupid
Henniker may get away with
m*rder in the witness box
but he's not going to get away
trying to teach me how to salute
in the middle of the barracks square
That's right,Sgt.,you sort him out,
and then you'd left your stripes like us
They wanted to send someone tomorrow
but I said Friday would be better
Or next week
I suggested Monday subject to your approval
What did you say?
I firmly believe that Carrington
did warn Henniker
that he was going to take the money
Col.Henniker swears he didn't
-Will you believe him?
-Yes why should he lie
Why on earth should he?
What's he get out of it?
-May I?
-I should that have thought was obvious
The old story of the backroom
boy versus a regimental officer
Anyone who had fighting in the late contest
starts off on the wrong foot with Henniker
Carrington V.C. would make him see red
His popularity with the troops
would make him see redder
Are you serious? I think he
goes so far to perjury himself?
No need to call it perjury
by this time his version is probably
the only one he believes
Well,I don't mind calling it perjury
Look we found Carrington guilty
of absence without leave
and improperly entertaining the girl
at least you all found him guilty I didn't
but I still say that no sane and
balanced commanding officer
would have put up a man like
Carrington for court martial
on emotive charges that's why
I don't believe one word
he said about this one
In other words you're saying
I don't care what he did but
I don't like his commanding officer
You beastly about (?)I'll vote not guilty
You could put it that way if it amuses you
That's nonsense
the Colonel had to put him up for
court martial he couldn't do anything else
Look, Carrington said he had good
reasons to take the money
Who hasn't?
Who hasn't been swindled and sat
down by the blasted treasurer
ever since he joined the
service,I know I have
but I haven't paid myself back
out of the safe not yet
Carrington's story doesn't
hold water anywhere
Look at that 125£ he says he took 100 £
and sent to his wife and 25£ to bet with
That was an afterthought spit
in the eye for the paymaster
An afterthought?
25 £ was just about what he needed
to let him put the whole
lot back if he'd won
Does sounds like an afterthought?
You're going on talking as
if he sat down weeks before
and worked it all out but he didn't
he was in trouble over money
he was in trouble over his wife
He had a flaming row with
Henniker he went up in smoke
I don't say he wasn't a fool
but I'm certain he isn't a thief
Hear,hear,hear
Gentlemen,gentlemen,gentlemen
The more you talk the more you wonder
Major Carrington had admitted
taking the money
Prosecution claims he took it
secretly and dishonestly
if you believe that then he's guilty of
fraudulent misapplication as charged
Carrington says he took it openly
but chose to advertise his wrongs
if you believe that the he is not guilty
It is simple as that
Now I shall review the
testimony of the wife
-Can I come in?
-Do
Anything happened yet?
No nothing
Copper I must talk to you?
Do you mind,Jim?
Well,don't run away,Copper,I'll be outside
She found out about us,didn't she?
Yes
I did my best but she knew,
there was no way to warn you
Copper,what if it goes against you?
I don't know
What about Valerie?
Val and I are through
How can you say that
when you were willing to chuck
away your whole career
just to save her face?
That wasn't to save her face
Then why?
Why did you do it?
You know I'm no good at
saying why or why not
In this whole business
tearing up that letter
is one thing I do wish I'm quite
sure I'll never regret
It was like paying off a
debt something I owed
-To Val?
-Yes
Not being the man the newspaper
told her I was when we married
The gallant V.C. with a brilliant
career ahead of him in the army
That's not being someone
who could take the place of
the man she ever really did love
The one who was k*lled before he
had time to disappoint her
-Copper
-I'm not blaming Val
She never pretended,she even warned me
So now all I had to do stop
thinking I can't live without her
and proof to myself that I can
After all I had plenty of practice lately
Copper
I'm not forgetting that I
made most of the running
But would you have
spent that night with me
if you would still be in love her?
I am not as innocent as that
sounds, lots would I know
But not you
At least I never thought so
I must go I'm on duty
Copper
Down there in Polgethnig you said
there was was no future in it for us
No
I said an affair wasn't good enough for you
That's not the same thing
That's what I thought you said
I
I'll be late
But he could have proved his wife
was lying by producing the letter
But he didn't produce it
-He tore it up
-Yes
Because he didn't want to
show her up for what she is
-A liar and...
-No romantic nonsense
chaps you're making it up people
don't behave like that nowadays
Not enough of them I grant you
When they stop all together
it'll be a bad day for the world
We can all start running
for the nearest sugar
Your guess maybe right
It's quite possible that Carrington's
decision reflect great credit on him
But I don't think he can
escape its consequences
Listen to this from the manual
A member of court martial must remember
that their findings must be based
upon the evidence given before them
The word evidence is in italics
Now a letter that is not
produced is not evidence
And I am sure that any court of law
and court martial is a court of law
which decided that the accused
could have proved his case
but didn't and yet acquitted him
is on very dangerous ground
we've sworn to try Carrington
without partiality
favor or affection
Let's be sure with that
And now remembering
that in a court martial a
majority verdict is sufficient
I'll take your votes
Guilty or not guilty of the charge
of fraudulent misapplication
Major Broke-Smith
Not guilty,Sir
Major Panton
Guilty,Sir
Guilty,Sir
Not guilty,Sir
A verdict depending on my word
Major Charles R Porter Carrington
V.C.,DSO,Royal a*tillery
The court found that you
were guilty of the first charge
guilty of the second charge and
guilty of the third charge
These findings are subject to confirmation
You'd better have this Jim
instead of that tin of yours
You're still wanted
What for? Fancy dress?
Nonsense,sentence has to be confirmed
How did it go? What happened to him?
What did he get?
Reprimand or what?
What did he get?
Dismiss of service
Dismissed?
They should have some
of us up there as witnesses
Well,I'd never thought I lived to see
the day when I felt sorry for an officer
Of course he didn't stand a chance
not after that bee of is wife told them
he never mentioned Henniker's
name on the phone that morning
Couldn't they tell she was lying?
Court can't tell anything,
they have to be told
Your London call Cap.Fischer
I've could have told them "clayshott barracks one moment please"
Told them what?
I put that call through to
Major Carrington I heard him
Heard him what?
That he told Col. Henniker that
he was going to take that money
Michie
Well,I wasn't listening I
was just taking the line
Do you realize what you are saying?
I just come along to see you
is there anything I could do?
I don't think so but thank you for coming
Copper you're going to
fight this aren't you?
-Fight it?
-Appeal against their verdict and sentence
Oh that's a waste of time
from what I heard in that court
they are bound to find me
guilty and kick me out
If you appeal they will have
another look at the evidence
Yes and the appeal court might
have more sense than this one
I can't think of one reason why they should
Let's forget about the whole thing
No Copper that's not good enough
Why not?
When these things started
you said you were glad because you
thought the case might do some good
-Did I?
-Yes,it was to advertise grievance
Just as you said in court
I can play the advertising didn't I?
It so happened one of those
times that advertising didn't pay
That's to be the end of it
Honestly I don't know
Copper,please,all I want you to
do is to say that you won't give up
Even if they do confirm the
sentence you'll go on fighting
Let's talk about it some other time
Capt Graham
Excuse me Ma'am
-What is it Greta?
-Could I have a word with you a moment?
-Now?
-It's important,Ma'am
I think you should hear
what Patti Smith just told me
Beg you pardon,Sir
I know you don't want me just now,but
some of the battery asked
me to have a word with you,Sir
That's all right,Owen
Well,Sir
Take lucky to know that there
is not one last joined recruit
that don't know better
than that court martial
as a matter of fact there's a
movement to let the Col.. know
what we think of him as a start of it
For heavens sake stop that
I know,Sir,Sgt. made a shot on that
But there's nothing to prevent
me to telling you what I think
Of all the damned idiotic mess I
had come across in 12 year army service
that's plenty,that verdict and
that sentence is just about tops the lot
Well,that's they think,Sir,and
we would like you to know
That's all,Sir
-Thank you Sgt Owen,Bombardier Owen
-Gunner Owen,Sir
-What
-Well,that's what it will be
I met the Adjutant on the way over
and we had a word or so
on the line I just told about
Owen
I know Sir,I'm under open arrest
again but don't you worry
I'll be monies worth this time
Good luck,Sir
The Major
All right I'll lodge my appeal
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Court Martial (1954)
Moderators: Maskath3, GabrielAlejo2341, sidolanters, Maskath3, GabrielAlejo2341, sidolanters
Watch on Amazon Merchandise Collectables
The older Classic's that just won't die. Everything from before 1960's.
The older Classic's that just won't die. Everything from before 1960's.