GUNNERS KILLED BY SHELL

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28821, 16 February 1959, Page 10

GUNNERS KILLED BY SHELL

Two Dead, Three Injured In Waiouru Exercise (New Zealand Press .Association) WELLINGTON, February 15. The premature explosion of a 25-pounder shell killed two of the gun crew and wounded three during an artillery shoot near Waiouru Camp at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday. All five men came from Taranaki and were members of the New Plymouth battery of 2nd Field Regiment. The men killed were: Gunner Garry Winston Churchill, aged 20, son of Mr and Mrs V. Churchill, Newall road, Okato. Gunner Brian Ronald Haskell, aged 19, son of Mr and Mrs R. Haskell, 94 Pioneer road, New Plymouth. > The funerals of both men will be held in their home towns today.

. The wounded are: Gunner R. J. Ansley, whose father lives at 136 Courtenay Street, New Plymouth, chest injuries; Gunner A. W. Lyes, whose mother lives at 15 Newton street, Fitzroy, New Plymouth, injuries to a hand; Gunner D. W. Herbert, whose mother lives at Korito, Mangorei R.D., New Plymouth, shock. Gunners Ansley and Lyes are in Taihape Hospital and Gunner Herbert is in the Waiouru Camp hospital.

The accident occurred about 200 yards from the Desert road and about eight miles north of Waiouru Camp. The guns—all dug in—had been firing since about 7 a.m.

The shell exploded in the breech of the gun. The men killed were in the firing ipositions of No. 2 and No. 3 on either side of the breech. No. 2 is the man who rams the projectile into the breech. No. 3 is the man who sits to the left pf the breech, by the dial-sight, and who actually fires the gun. One of the men who was wounded was standing immediately behind the gun. Part of the gun was thrown 300 yards. Medical officers were at the scene within three or four minutes, and made preparations for the wounded to be removed to hospital. There were no near escapes from injury by other gun crews. The battery, in accordance with normal artillery plan, was well spaced, and only the five men manning the exploding gun were affected by the blast. The exercise was halted immediately, and all shooting of the particular brand of 25pounder ammunition has been suspended by the Army. Army Ordnance officers inspected the scene on Saturday, and again today. None of the injured is in a serious condition. The Minister of Defence (Mr Connolly) tonight expressed the Government’s sympathy for the next-of-kin of the men killed. He said the findings of an inquiry into the cause of the accident would be released as soon as possible. YOUTH DROWNED IN BATHS (New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Feb. 15. A 17-year-old Otama. youth was drowned in the Mataura swimming baths this afternoon. He was Alan Steward Jaff ray. He had been in Mataura for about a fortnight and was employed at the Mataura freezing works. Jaffray was seen to jump into the baths before 3 o’clock and some nearby children noticed that he did not come up again. They informed the baths official and the water was immediately cleared. Because of the murky water the body could not be seen, and four youths dived in to find it. Artificial respiration was applied without success.

Small Girl Falls From Car When a small girl fell from a car driven by her father in Marshland road about 2.30 p.m. yesterday she suffered head injuries. She is Lorraine Mary Bell, aged two, who was taken by St. John ambulance to the Christchurch Public Hospital and admitted. The driver of the car was Mr C. Bell, of Clifton terrace. The girl’s condition was reported last evening as satisfactory.