SMALL BOY KILLED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 138, 23 March 1948, Page 2

SMALL BOY KILLED

Explosion of Shell

SEVEN OTHERS INJURED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 22. A five-year-old boy was killed instantly and seven small children were injured, two seriously, when ammunition, believed to be one or more shrapnel shells, exploded in a concrete tool shed at the back of a State house at Onehunga this afternoon.. The victims were: Killed William Howard Fry, aged f», son of Petty Officer and Mrs J, 11. Fry, of Onehunga. Injured Malcolm Clewett, aged 8, son of Mr and Mrs J. F. Clewett, condition fairly serious. Kenneth Clewett, aged 4, condition serious. Eric Clewett, aged 6, condition satisfactory. Norman John Fry, aged 2, son of Petty Officer and Mrs Fry, condition not serious. Lorna Garvie, aged G, daughter of Mrs E. J. Garvie, condition satisfactory. Margiaret Fricker, aged G, condition satisfactory. Carol Fricker, aged 5, condition satisfactory.' The Fricker girls were staying with Mrs Garvie.

The cause of the explosion was still uncertain to-night, but it is believed that a group of children playing in a round concrete shed found some ammunition. They played with it and it is thought possible that one or more shrapnel shells might have exploded. A dead shell about Sin in diameter and more than Gin long was found later.

The explosion rocked houses nearby and could be heard nearly a quarter of a mile away. The screams of injured children brought neighbours rushing to the scene. Petty Officer Fry was working on his car on the lawn on his home next door when the explosion occurred. He and his wife ran to the shed and Petty Officer Fry lifted the email victims outside. William Fry received head, body, arm, and leg injuries. The other children, suffering mainly from abdomen and leg injuries, were taken to hospital. Pieces of metal were embedded in heir ■‘bodies and others were found on the floor of the shed.

In spite of the noise of the explosion the small shed seven feet ftign and seven feet wide was practically undamaged. A small window wa-s blown out, but the Avails and roof were not cracked. E\ r en bottles on the floor were not disturbed.