THIRD DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 5

THIRD DEATH.

SYDNEY AIR CRASH. NEW ZEALAND VICTIM. I " GREAT FIGHT FOR LIFE." With the death of the Xew Zealander, Mr. Raymond Law son. the fatality roll ; ( in last Sunday's air crash at Liverpool. I near Sydney, mounted to-day to three. |, Mr. Law-son's relatives in Devonport , this morning received from a brother. Mr. Eric Lawson, a cablegram which said that the injured man had made a i great fight for his life, but lie liad failed to regain consciousness. A military fun- : eral would be accorded him, the message added. The death of Mr. Lawson was also reported by the Press Association from Sydney this morning, correcting earlier information to tlie effect that it was Mr. .Tolin Gordon, another of the three injured men, who had died. The machine which crashed was an Air Force Avro Anson bomber. The 'plane was engaged in bombing practice over the Greenhills aerodrome on Sunday afternoon, and when apparently Hying low or making a forced landing it struck the ground and ploughed up the earth for a considerable distance. Smashed to Atoms. The bomber was smashed to atoms. Of the five occupants, all of whom were members of the Citizens' Air Force, Flight-Lieutenant M. Allsop, aged 37, was killed outright, and Corporal W. A. Lockwood, aged 22, died after admission to hospital. The late Mr. Lawson. Mr. Gordon and Mr. James Maekey were found to be gravely injured. According to this morning's Press Association message, however, Messrs. Gordon and Maekey have shown a slight improvement. Mr. Lawson was a brother of Mr. L. W. Lawson, of ]5. Lake Road, Devonport, and Mrs. E. S. Holmes, of Buchanan Street, Devonport. He was 33 years of age, married, and had one son. He was born in New Zealand and was educated at tlie Te Awamutu Public School and Hamilton High School. After leaving the latter school he joined the firm of Turnbull and Jones. He went to Australia in 1925, and travelled as a radio engineer. He was president of the Tamworth Gliding Club. Two years ago he joined the Australian Air Force, and became a member of the City of Sydney bombing squadron. His other brother, Mr. Eric Lawson, has taken a prominent part in aviation in Sydney.