AUSTRALIAN LOSS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 192, 14 August 1940, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN LOSS

Army Chief Among Ten Dead In Wrecked Plane (United Press Association.—Copyright.—Rec. 12.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, this day.

Three Federal Ministers, two high army officers and five others were killed near Canberra yesterday in an appalling air disaster. All the ten people in the aeroplane were burned to death, as the fierce flames drove off the rescuers. The victims were: The Hon. G. A. Street, Minister of the Army. The Hon. J. V. Fair bairn, Minister of Air. The Hon. Sir Henry Gullett, vice president of the Executive Council. Lieutenant-General Sir Brudenell White, Chief of the Australian.General Staff. Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Thornthwaite, of Army headquarters. Mr. R. E. Elford, private secretary to Mr. Fairbairn. Flight-Lieutenant R. Hitchcock. Pilot-Officer R. Wiesner. Corporal J. Palmer, wireless operator. Aircraftsman C. Crosdale. Eye-witnesses suggest that the 'plane made a forced landing without serious damage and that the explosion which followed was responsible for the deaths. This view-is confirmed by experts, who found the remains of the 'plane in a compact mass pn the only clear level space on a wooded spur, instead of in scattered fragments as usually happens when a 'plane crashes out of control. The machine came to'rest against a log 2ift thick. Some of those who were first on the scene are of opinion that if the machine's landing wheels had not met this obstruction the pilot might have made a safe landing.