CITY’S SYMPATHY

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 30, 29 October 1932, Page 12

CITY’S SYMPATHY

Many Attend Funeral of Two Airmen VICTIMS OF CRASH Between 3000 and 4000 people assembled in Taranaki Street yesterday afternoon to witness the funeral of the late Mr. Francis Gresser and the late Mr. George Bourne Stephen King, who lost their lives on Tuesday in the aeroplane crash near Tawa Flat. Such was the congregation of motor-cars and the public that traffic had to be controlled for more than half an hour before the cortege left the Morris memorial chapel for the Karori cemetery. Through the city streets many thousands showed their respect and sympathy for the young men and their l>ereffved relatives by standing bare-head-ed while the long cortege proceeded westward. There was no mistaking the significance of the funeral, as each hearse was surmounted with floral aeroplanes composed of white azaleas and red marigolds, which were forwarded by the social sub-committee of the Wellington Aero Club. The chief mourners for the late Mr. King were his widow and her father, Mr. Woolcox; also his brother, Mr. A. M. King and Mrs. A. M. King. The funeral was attended by the Wellington company of the Legion of Frontiersmen, to the aviation section of which both victims of the accident belonged. Captain W. Nicholls, 0.C., was in command, and Lieutenant E. Lloyd controlled the aviation section. Frontiersmen P. R. Berryman, V. T. Dimock, A. J. Goodhall, L. Dwan, K. A. Maxwell, and C. Hart, acted as pall-bearers, a duty which was shared, in respect to Mr. Gresser, by Messrs. R. T. Lowry, A. E. Tilley, R. Durant, V. Goatham, L. Matthews, and J. Gilbert, of the staff bf Messrs. Crawley and Ridley, for whom Mr. Gresser was foreman. The Government was represented by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe), the New Zealand Air Force by Squadron-Leader T. M. Wilkes and Lieutenant Neville, and the Wellington Aero Club by the president (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) and secretary (Mr. A. Nisbet). The Wellington Navy League was re- £ resented by the local secretary (Mr. R. tarrock). There were also present Mr. W. L. and J. Buckeridge, president and instructor respectively of the Auckland Aero Club; Lt.-Colonel J. Hargest, M.P., Invercargill club; Messrs). Sampson and Newton, New Plymouth club; Mr. Frank lyn, Wanganui club; and Mr. Beaushiel, Auckland club. The service at the memorial Chapel and at the graveside were conducted by the Rev. A. T. B. Page, of St. Mark’s