25. Any person subject to this Act who, on active service-(a) without orders from his superior officer leaves the ranks in order to secure prisoners, animals or materials, or on pretence of taking wounded men to the rear; or(b) without orders from his superior officer, wilfully destroys or damages any property; or(c) is taken prisoner for want of due precaution or through disobedience of orders a wilful neglect of duty, or, having been taken prisoner, fails to rejoin his service when able to do so; or(d) without due authority, either holds correspondence with, or communicates intelligence, or sends a flag of truce, to the enemy; or(e) by word of mouth, or in writing, or by signals, or otherwise spreads reports calculated to create alarm or despondency; or(f) in action, or previously to going into action, uses words calculated to create alarm or despondency;shall, on conviction by court martial, be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years, or with such less punishment as is in this Act mentioned.