NATIONAL RESERVIST’S DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 23968, 20 August 1941, Page 3

NATIONAL RESERVIST’S DEATH

COLLAPSE AT MAtUEUVRES COMMENT ON MEDICAL TEST POST-MORTEM REVELATION (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 19. “ I was astonished that this man should have been passed in his medical test as fit for service,” said Dr A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Public Hospital, giving evidence to-day at the inquest into the death of John’ Henry Knowles, a polish manufacturer, aged 51, who collapsed and died while on manoeuvres on Scarborough Hill as a member of the National Military Reserve. Dr Pearson made his statement in answer to questions from the coroner, Mr K. C. Levvey. S.M. A post mortem examination had shown, that Knowles had been suffering from -degeneration of the arteries of the heart. Francis Moran Woods gave evidence that on Sunday, June 13, he was accompanying Knowles as a member of a National Military Reserve unit which began walking to Taylor’s Mistake over the hills from Evan’s Pass. After a climb lasting about 20 minutes on one hill, the unit stopped for a spell at the top. While they were halted, witness added, Knowles remarked that he found ft fairly hard_ going, and said he was very nearly going to give up the climb, as he had been short of breath. Ho did not complain of feeling ill, and after a spell of about five minutes said he was all right. Soon afterwards he Ml forward and died. Alexander MTvor (Brosnan said he was the platoon officer of the signalling section of the 3rd Battalion, National Military Reserve, which was carrying out manosuvres. At 11.55 a.m. his unit halted. He spoke to Knowles, who soon afterwards fell forward. Witness feflt his pulse and realised that he was dead. To the coroner, Brosnan said that the men were ' medically examined before they were posted to units in the National Military Reserve. The Coroner: ! have the pathologist’s report here, and a rather extraordinary position has cropped up. Your office files should show the findings of the medical examination. Brosnan said that if the medical reports showed that the man was not fit ho _ would not have been posted to a unit. The reports must have shown Knowles as fit if he was put on the unit’s strength. The Coroner asked Dr Pearson whether it was his considered opinion that Knowles should not have been posted to the unit. “ I will say that I am astonished that he should have been,” Dr Pearson said. “ Well, that’s as strong as one can ask,” the Coroner said. “In view of Dr Pearson’s statement, I make no comment whatsoever.” A verdict was returned of death from heart failure.