KILLED BY AEROPLANE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 41, 20 February 1929, Page 9

KILLED BY AEROPLANE

' ORCHARDIST AT WJNDSOR

WIDOW'S CLAIM ON DEFENCE

DEPARTMENT

United -Prut AuocUtloo—By GltctrtC Ttto-

cripb—Copyright

SYDNEY, 19th February.

The widow and children of Albert Smith, tho orehardist who was killed by an Air Force aeroplane at Windsor recently, are claiming £10,000 compensation from the, Defence Department.

, While making a forced landing in farm lands at Windsor, near Bichmond, a Moth aeroplane owned by the Government struck down and killed Alfred Smith, a well-known orehardist, on 21st January, while hoeing weeds. Smith was almost decapitated, and he suffered terrible body and leg, injuries. The pilot, Robert Somervillo, and a mechanic, Lea Milgate, were rescued from the burning aeroplane by Smith's son. Somerville, who happened to be a ffriend of the family, was -so overcome by tho tragic occurrence'that he was sent to hospital.

Sensational evidence was heard at the Coroner's inquiry into the death of Alfred Smith. The evidence was that aeroplanes from the Richmond aerodrome had often flown only twelve to fifteen feet above the heads of fruitpickers in tho- Windsor and Richmond district.' ' '

Sarah Woods, a local resident; said tha.t she saw Somervillo 's aeroplane fly ten feet over the deceased's head just prior to the accident. Deceased took off. his hat and/waved to the airman. Ou the second odcasioa tho machine swooped down and killed!him.

Malcolni Smith, the eighteen-year-old son of the deceased, said that he did not actually see his father killed, but he saw the aeroplane touch the ground and burst into flames. Somerville some time ago had told him that certain airmen were in the habit of flying low over the Chinese gardens "to 1 scare the Chows." ';]

At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Coroner committed Robert Somerville for trial on a charge of feloniously ■laying Alfred Smith.