VERDICT OF SUICIDE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24742, 6 December 1945, Page 3

VERDICT OF SUICIDE

DISCHARGED AIRMAN'S DEATH

LETTER LEFT FOR CORONER (P-AO AUCKLAND, December 5. This is probably one of those cases where men are experiencing great difficulties in the transition period between w J"L sel 2?s e and rehabilitation." ccmmented the City Coroner, Mr A. Addison, when closing an -inquest into the death ot James Harold Ratcliffe. aged 41, married. a warrant officer in the Royal New Zea-, i. d A»F Force. Ratcliffe, who was on demobilisation leave, was found dead in his motor-car at Mechanics Bay on October 22 there being a tube leading from the exhaust pipe into the closed vehicle, flipped to the window of the car was a letter addressed to the police, instructing them to replace the car in Ratcliffe s garage, and to notify nis sister-in-law, as his wife was away. Ratcliffe also asKed them to deliver other letters to be found in his coat pocket. In order to avoid further grief and embarrassment for my wife, J would be ,"J ad .J f . y ? u w °uW accept the statements in this letter, thus making it unnecessary i?Sr her A° , a PP ear at the Inquest." Ratcliffe said in his letter to the Coroner, i m ? ved to takG mv Ufe on account of the futility of my attempts to rehabilitate myself after six years' service dur- '"§ } n * w ar- Though a reasonably successful man before this, my dozens of inquiries and contacts during the last tnree months have produced no one with sufficient interest to offer suitable employment. Might'l request that the findly§! a F d Publicity be as helpful as pos-

EMdence was given by Marjorie Ratcliffe wife of the dead man, that she and her husband had lived quite happily toaether since his release from the Air Force three months before. When she last saw him alive on October 20. before she left to spend a few days in the country, He seemed the same as usual, apart trom his disappointment at not getting employment. She could give no reason for his action, execept that he had con\l act £ d dengue fever while on service in .the Pacific. The witness said she had exp«rt „ ad Y ice that tWs disease had an after f5 e fu of l ? t avl Pß a feeling of melancholia J£ * i_ P a " en *. and she was of opinion that her husband was suffering from Lhat condition.

The Coroner said it seemed that the letter, coupled with Mrs Ratcliffe's evidence showed that Ratcliffe was disappointed about not having suitable employment.

A verdict was returned that the cause of death was suicide by. carbon monoxide poisoning while in a despondent state.