Daily Record, Glasgow, 13 May 1966

I was spanked, sailor claims

A JUNIOR seaman claimed yesterday that when he made a mistake an officer would take him over his knee and spank him in front of his shipmates.

Junior seaman first class Peter Smith, 17, of H.M.S. Zulu made the allegation yesterday when the officer appeared at a court-martial at H.M.S. Cochrane, Rosyth, Fife.

He was Acting Sub-Lieut. Peter Allen, Gunnery officer of the Zulu, who denied striking Smith between March 14 and 31 and a charge of indecency against Smith in his cabin on March 31.

Smith said he was a member of the accused officer's gunners' party and also acted as his cabin boy.

Escape

Smith said: "When action stations were piped I was with Sub-Lieut. Allen's party which was to close up at the transmitting station.

"If I did anything wrong, he used to take me over his knee and spank me in front of the rest of the action station crew.

"Lieut. Allen seemed to think it was funny but I got fed up with it."

While cleaning the accused's cabin on March 31, Sub-Lieut. Allen asked Smith how he would escape from his cabin.

Smith said: "When I replied that I would scream, Lieut. Allen said he would gag me."

Later Smith was ordered to go to Sub-Lieutenant Allen's cabin in the evening for mathematics instruction.

'A pat'

It was then Smith alleged an act of indecency occurred. He added: "I was too frightened to resist, because he was an officer and I'm just a junior seaman."

Afterwards Smith reported the matter.

In evidence Sub-Lieutenant Allen, 32, agreed that on four occasions he could remember he had asked smith to bend over and had "given him a pat."

He added: "It was done in a playful way and I thought it would make him remember his mistakes. It was done for the good of the boy.

"At no time did Smith ever complain about this patting or smacking. When I gave him mathematics instructions I sometimes tweaked his ear or shook him by the neck."

He said the indecency allegations were a figment of Smith's imagination.

The court martial continues today.

Corpun file 5909

Evening Times, Glasgow, 13 May 1966

Officer spanked boy: dismissed his ship

A Naval officer, Acting Sub-Lieut. Peter Allen (32), of H.M.S. Zulu, was ordered to be dismissed his ship and severely reprimanded at a court martial at H.M.S. Cochrane, Rosyth, to-day, for striking a 17-year-old junior seaman on board the Zulu by putting him over his knee and spanking him.

He was found guilty of this charge, but not guilty of a charge of committing an act of indecency against the junior seaman, Peter Smith.

In his speech to the court martial board, the defending solicitor, Mr Donald McWilliam, of Edinburgh, told the board the spanking of Smith had taken place not in earnest, but because he believed this was "best for the boy."

Smith's account of the indecency charge had been "made up" with a motive of revenge for his being detained by Allen for mast instruction when he had arranged to go ashore.