NOTES ON THE VICTIMS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1930, Page 10

NOTES ON THE VICTIMS

The late Mi1. Minehin's parents live at Broadwood, Hokianga. He was the first pupil entered by the Te Awamutu Aero Club. He had accompanied Captain Saunders from Hamilton yesterday, and was-to have returned with him. He was eager to obtain all the experience he could,-and had been "stunt" flying •with Captain. Saunders just before the tragedy. It was his intcntioii to obtain an airman's certificate in New Zealand and proceed to America to engage in commercial aviation. Captain Saunders was a distinguished pilot; He served in France with the60th Squadron, and among M 3 col^ leagues were the famous, aviators Ball, M'Cudden, and Bishop. His "bag" included ten German aeroplanes, and he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. At the cessation of activities he was King's Courier for a time, bearing dispatches from Great Britain to Berlin. For a year ho was engaged by the Lithuanian Government on special air service. He then served three years with the Air Force in India. From 1923,t0 1928 Captain Saunders was engaged in commercial flying. He was a pilot with Imperial Airways, and later came to Australia, where he served with West Australian Airways, Limited. Ho was a pioneer' pilot in the air mail service. He arrived in Auckland in May. ' The machine concerned was a Ue Havilaud Gipsy Moth, which was purchased three' months ago in Auckland from Mr. Chalmers, of Fiji. It was one of a fleet of machines purchased by D V. Bryant, of Hamilton, on behalf of the Bryant House Air Service an organisation formed for the purpose of raising funds with which to finance Bryant Hoase and other philanthropic schemes originated by Mr. Bryant.