Australian Military Regulations (Amendment)

Administered by Department of Defence

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STATUTORY RULES.

1943. No. 72.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1941.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1941.

 

Dated this twenty-third day of March, 1943.

GOWRIE

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

 

F. M. FORDE

Minister of State for the Army.

______________

Amendments of the Australian Military Regulations.

Modification of R.P. in their application to Military Forces.

1. Regulation 9 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended by inserting in sub-regulation (2b), before the figures “88”, the figures and letter “53a,”.

Precedence of Corps.

2. Regulation 68 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended by inserting in sub-regulation (1.), after the words “The Australian Army Ordnance Corps,”, the words—

“The Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers,

The Australian Army Catering Corps,”.

When discharge requiring confirmation takes effect.

3. Regulation 188 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended by adding at the end of sub-regulation (1.) the words “or from such later date as the confirming authority directs”.

False statements to secure exemption, leave, etc.

4. Regulation 203a of the Australian Military Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (2.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“(2.) Any averment by the prosecution that the statement or representation attributed to the accused was false and was made with intent to deceive shall be prima facie evidence of such falsity and intent.”.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 25th March, 1943.

† Statutory Rules 1927, No. 149, an amended by Statutory Rules 1928, Nos. 23, 28 and 126; 1929, No. 123; 1930, Nos. 26, 67 and 92; 1931, No. 13; 1932, Nos. 80, 87 and 125; 1933, Nos. 49 and 77; 1934, Nos. 26 and 80; 1935, Nos. 99 and 109; 1936, Nos. 21, 44 and 100; 1937, No. 45; 1938, Nos. 75, 90 and 93; 1939, Nos. 31, 51, 58, 115, 123, 134, 160 and 173; 1940, Nos. 2, 16, 29, 59, 150, 183, 184, 185, 186, 199, 237, 252, 272 and 273; 1941, Nos. 3, 4, 14, 43, 135, 153, 155, 205, 245, 246, 260 and 311; 1942, Nos. 35, 59, 60, 85, 114, 166, 179, 211, 231, 289, 333, 334, 350, 417, 477, 506, 508, 521, 522, 555 and 556; and 1943, No. 17.


Fines to defray loss, &c., not on war service.

5. Regulation 256 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting from paragraph (f) of sub-regulation (2.) the words “Subject to sub-regulation (10.) of this regulation, for” and inserting in their stead the word “For”;

(b) by omitting from that paragraph the words “sufficient to make good ” and inserting in their stead the words “, not exceeding Five pounds, for the purpose of defraying the whole or part of”; and

(c) by omitting sub-regulation (10.).

6. Regulation 290 of the Australian Military Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

Attestation on which a soldier fraudulently enlisted is to serve.

“290.—(1.) When a soldier who has fraudulently enlisted is held to serve, he may, by direction of a competent military authority, be required to serve on his last or on any prior attestation on which he remains liable to serve:

“Provided that, when a soldier is required to serve on any attestation other than the first attestation on which he remains liable to serve, no service prior to the attestation on which he is required to serve shall count towards discharge.

“(2.) For the purposes of this regulation, ‘a competent military authority’ means the Military Board, the Adjutant-General, a formation, &c., commander, or the officer in chief command of a body of the Military Forces out of the Commonwealth.”.

Composition of court material.

7. Regulation 303 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting the words “and not to” and inserting in their stead the words “Forces or”; and

(b) by omitting the word “Citizen” (last occurring).

Documentary evidence.

8. Regulation 388 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended by inserting in paragraph (i), after the words “officer or soldier” (last occurring), the words “and the fact and date of the delivery of the officer or soldier into military custody”.

9. After regulation 595 of the Australian Military Regulations the following regulation is inserted:—

Deputy Chaplains-general.

“595A.—(1.) If, in time of war, any chaplain-general is not engaged on full time duty, the Military Board, on the recommendation of that chaplain-general, may appoint a deputy chaplain-general to act for him:

Provided that, if that chaplain-general becomes engaged on full time duty, the appointment of his deputy chaplain-general shall be terminated by the Military Board forthwith.

“(2.) The classification of a deputy chaplain-general shall, for precedence, correspond with the rank of Major-General.

“(3.) Deputy chaplains-general shall have precedence and command in accordance with A.M.R. 53.”.


10. Regulation 785 of the Australian Military Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

Debts to messes, &c.

“785.—(1.) The amount of any regimental debt owing by an officer or soldier may, with the approval of the formation, &c., commander, be deducted from any pay and allowances due, or to become due, to the officer or soldier.

“(2.) In this regulation, ‘regimental debt’ means any debt owing to a naval, military or air force mess, canteen or institute.”.

11. Regulation 799 of the Australian Military Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

Forfeiture of war medals.

“799. The Military Board may, in its discretion, order to be forfeited any war medal, awarded to any person in connexion with his service in the Australian Military Forces, which is in his possession or to which he is entitled, if—

(a) in the case of an officer—

(i) he is, by sentence of court-martial, sentenced to death, cashiered or dismissed from His Majesty’s Service or from the Defence Force;

(ii) he is, by sentence of a civil court, sentenced to death, penal servitude or imprisonment; or

(iii) his commission is cancelled for misconduct; and

(b) in the case of a soldier, he is—

(i) by sentence of court-martial, sentenced to death, penal servitude, imprisonment, discharge with ignominy from His Majesty’s Service or discharge from the Defence Force; or

(ii) by sentence of a civil court, sentenced to death, penal servitude or imprisonment.”.

_____________________

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

Statutory Rules 1943, No. 72, titled "Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1941," were enacted to make amendments to the Australian Military Regulations in response to the urgent needs of the Australian Military Forces during World War II. This legislative instrument was issued under the authority of the Governor-General in Council, acting on the advice of the Minister of State for the Army. The primary objective of these regulations was to adapt and refine the administrative and disciplinary measures applicable to military personnel in the context of wartime exigencies. The regulations address various aspects such as the precedence of military corps, the modification of discharge requirements, and the consequences for making false statements to secure exemptions or leave. Moreover, they introduce provisions concerning the composition of courts-martial, the treatment of debts to messes, and the forfeiture of war medals under specific circumstances.

Scope and Application

The Statutory Rules 1943 No. 72, which amend the Australian Military Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1941, apply to the Australian Military Forces and encompass various aspects of military conduct and administration. These regulations affect military personnel, including officers and soldiers, and govern their duties, entitlements, and disciplinary measures. The regulations also address the appointment of deputy chaplains-general during times of war, the forfeiture of war medals, and the handling of regimental debts. These regulations have a national reach, applying across all jurisdictions within the Commonwealth of Australia. Notably, the regulations do not explicitly outline exclusions or thresholds but rather provide specific provisions for various military scenarios. The application and interpretation of these regulations may be further detailed through subordinate instruments, which can offer additional guidance or clarification on certain provisions.

Key Provisions

The Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1941, primarily modify the Australian Military Regulations in several ways. Firstly, Regulation 9 is amended to include a new entry "53a" in sub-regulation (2b) (paragraph 1). Secondly, Regulation 68 is amended to add new entries for the Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the Australian Army Catering Corps after the Australian Army Ordnance Corps in sub-regulation (1) (paragraph 2). Thirdly, Regulation 188 is modified to allow for a discharge date to be set by the confirming authority, in addition to the previously stipulated dates (paragraph 3). Furthermore, Regulation 203a is amended to establish that any assertion by the prosecution about the falsity and deceptive intent of a statement or representation attributed to the accused is considered prima facie evidence of such falsity and intent (paragraph 4). These Regulations impose specific obligations and requirements on military personnel and authorities. For instance, the inclusion of the new entries in Regulations 9 and 68 dictates the precedence of certain military corps. Regulation 290 allows a soldier who has fraudulently enlisted to be required to serve on any prior attestation on which they remain liable to serve, with service prior to the attestation on which they are required to serve not counting towards discharge. Regulation 595A permits the Military Board to appoint a deputy chaplain-general if the chaplain-general is not engaged on full-time duty during wartime. Regulation 785 allows the deduction of regimental debts from an officer's or soldier's pay and allowances with the approval of the formation commander. Regulation 799 gives the Military Board the authority to order the forfeiture of war medals under certain disciplinary and legal circumstances. Breaches of these Regulations can lead to various consequences. For example, making false statements to secure exemptions, leave, or other benefits can be considered a criminal offence with associated penalties. The Regulations also specify financial penalties for certain infractions, such as fines not exceeding five pounds for defraying losses not related to war service (Regulation 256). Additionally, the forfeiture of war medals is a potential penalty for officers and soldiers who are sentenced to severe punishments or imprisonment (Regulation 799). The exact penalties for breaches are not specified within the Regulations themselves but would typically be outlined in the relevant sections of the Defence Act 1903-1941 or other applicable laws.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.