HMS Ganges Attempted Murder

HMS GANGES ATTEMPTED MURDER

In early 1965

Written by Godfrey Dykes

© RN Communications Branch Museum/Library

This rather sad head line hit the newspapers OFFICER ACCUSED OF MURDER ATTEMPT

At that time Ganges was ten years or so away from closing, although for it biggest customer, the Communications Branch, they upped and left in the 1972/3 period when part 2 training shifted to HMS Mercury at Leydene East Meon Hampshire. So by 1965, Ganges was a much lesser place that it had been for its most productive years, the majority of its time in commission.

Despite this, to those trainees staff and ship's company starting the Winter Term of 1965, this story must have triggered shock, first and foremost, intrigue certainly, and for the trainees the breaking of a myth that officers were whiter than white, moralists and shining lights on how one should conduct oneself. Rating staff were used to be heard ranting and raving using obscenities and not a few expletives, but an officer, never. Not even the establishment's gunnery officer Lieutenant Commander Gerald Edward Sampson RN (who retired as a captain in 1975) whose tall trim figure daily mounted the dias running parallel with the access wall of Nelson Hall, bawling out commands at the top of his voice to divisional officers after the order was given to fall in on the vast parade ground immediately in front of the petty officers mess, could tarnish the image of a naval officer. Officers were, by and large, gentlemen, and for what it is worth, although I could never call my own dear father a gentleman, never did a swear word ever pass his lips and I was quite comfortable when men didn't resort to such profanity.

Now an accusation of attempted murder suggested that officers could be fallible. Apart from the main gate gangway/security staff who received Mrs Moriarty at the end of her short walk from their married quarter (or more likely a naval hiring) on Bristol Hill after the attack made upon her, and the duty sick quarters staff in the RNSQ just a stones throw from the wardroom, nothing was known of this incident except for wild stories (called buzzes in the navy) and buzzes were nearly always incorrect and misleading. The wardoom would have access to newspapers although I am not sure which paper this story came from, a daily national or a weekly local, and would have been briefed by the wardroom mess president the commander. It is also feasible that the senior rate instructors would have been told officially and warned against buzz spreading, and it would have spread like wild fire throughout both married patches, officers and ratings, both some distance away from the establishment behind the annexe and the large expanse of the sports pitches in front of and at the side of Nelson Hall, either side of the main road the B1456 ratings off to left as one travelled towards the Royal Hospital School (RHS Holbrook) onto the MQ access road called Great Harlings, and officers to the right of the road accessed via Gate Farm Road. The mention of the word jealousy could suggest that Mrs Moriarty was having an affair or that she was being fancied by a suitor without attempting to discourage his amorous intentions. That we shall never know - fortunately!

Newspaper-wise the story had gone to ground and the next thing that came into HMS Ganges' view was this newspaper story of March 1965 with a headline of NAVAL OFFICER SAID TO BE EPILEPTIC - the report goes on to say that the officer changes his plea of Not Guilty to Guilty to the charge of GBH and the prosecution dropped the charge of attempted murder. The officer was found guilty of GBH.

This leads us onto the the proverbial way the navy treats those found guilty of a crime by a civilian court especially a high Crown Court involving a judge and jury. GBH is a very serious crime and to plead guilty to the offence leaves little room for mitigation to save the culprit. The naval system is called, at least for ratings, consequential naval penalties, effectively being punished twice for the same event/outcome. In the worst possible cases it could lead to dismissal from the navy as an undesirable, but even for a lesser crime, CNP could harm the pocket of the person or chances of advancement or loss of certain medals. CNP's are almost wholly dealt with as summarily punishments, i.e. in ones own ship by the commanding officer.

Officers on the other hand would almost certainly be either court martialled, or be given a MOD(N) notification of an administrative procedure severe enough to affects an officers career from that point on. I have found no court martial nor any MOD(N) administrative documents associated with this officer.

Finally that lead me to searching the Navy List for details of this officer. To my surprise bearing in mind the Guilty verdict to a very severe charge, I found him retained in the navy for four years after the 1965 charge retiring to civilian life as late as 1969.

I have no guidelines to the treatment of a criminal found guilty of GBH back in 1965 but by todays standards w.e.f. 2011 the punishment, even for a relatively mild Harm done to the culprit known as Class 3 (see step 1) in file below it is 4 years in jail (see step 2) in file below! I would imagine GBH against a defenseless female would be viewed by a judge with more gravity.

My question in the total lack of steerable data on the internet is this.

Would it have been possible for the MOD(N) - one of their first actions, the Admiralty having been disbanded in 1964 - to place Instructor Lieutenant Moriarty on the complement list of HMS Daedalus for four years 1965 to 1969 during which time the officer was really in prison? An act allowing him, under house arrest, to be hidden from the press and unsympathetic jail birds he might have share a cellblock with!

GBH Levels and corresponding time in jail for each of three levels

I guess I'll have to put this conundrum to bed which I don't believe I can answer fully to my satisfaction. I can be sure that Ganges needed a new Schoolie and that Shotley Gate had a house going empty looking for new lodgers!

Just another story from the hallow grounds of the HMS Ganges footprint.