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Soldier of fortune
wed too often
A "soldier of fortune" was sentenced
months' gaol on. each of two counts of
bigamy.
Bernard Leonard De Melnotte, 56, of Union
Road, Balwyn, engineer, pleaded guilty to having
bigairiously married Laura Margaret White, at
Canterbury, on January 11, 1941, and Joan Grice,
at West Melbourne, on December 17, 1948, while
being married to Elizabeth Magdelene De
JVieinGi/SS.
Mr J. Galbally for Mel
notte told the Court:
De Melnotte was bbrn in
New Zealand. His . father
was an Army . officef. When
he was 13, he went to Eng
land and joined the Royal
Navy. He served in China.
On returning home, Mel
notte joined tne New Zea
land Expeditionary Force.
He fought on. Gallipoli
(MC), and in France
(Croix de Guerre).
.In 1916, he joined the
Royal Flying Corps and
won the Russian Order of
St. George (second class).
In White Army
At the end of the First
World War; Melnotte went
to Russia with the White
Army.
After that he1 moved to
South America. He' became
a pilot with a pioneer civil
airline.
Then he went to the
United States, where he
flew and worked as an en
gineer.
In 1924, or 1925, Melnotte
came to Australia and
worked as an engineer in
the Queensland outback.
"Not happy"
In 1926, on November 27,
he married Elizabeth Mag
delene, reared a family,
deserted her in 1940 and
joined the air force. In
1941, he met and married
Miss . White.
In 1946, Melnotte and
Miss White bought a farm
at Mirboo North.
At odd intervals, Mel
notte drove to Bairnsdale
to spend week-ends with
Miss Grice, who had a flat.
He married Miss Grice
in 1948, and kept up ap
pearances of marriage with
both women.
He was arrested after
Miss Grice's father made
inquiries.
Later, Melnotte abscond
ed from bail, and estab
lished a home in Balwyn
with Miss Grice, who went
to work and kept him.
Mr Galbally urged Mr
Justice Martin to take into
consideration Melnotte's
service as a "brave war
rior."
Wife "betrayed"
Mr Justice Martin said
it appeared that the first
woman (Elizabeth Magda
lene) Melnotte betrayed
threw open her home to
entertain servicemen of
the First World War-
She had shown Melnotte
hospitality, fallen in love
with him, and had given
up her home to live in the
country with. him.
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