AIRMEN’S FIRE SECTION MADE ITS OWN FIRES

Evening Star, Issue 26153, 15 July 1947, Page 8

AIRMEN’S FIRE SECTION MADE ITS OWN FIRES

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 14. How members of tho- R.X.Z. A.F. fire section at Whenuapai Air Station decided it was time they had a fire, and tossed a coin to determine who should light it, was described in'statements by two young aircraftmen who, charged with arson, appeared before Messrs D. Parton, J.P., and J. Melling, J.P., this morning. The accused were L.A.C. Douglas Gordon Robertson, aged 19 (Mr Reed), and A. 0.1 Douglas Albert Edward Major, aged 23 (Mr Aekins). They were charged jointly with committing arson by setting fire to a hut at “X ” camp, Whenuapai, oil October 27, 1946, and by setting fire to bathing sheds at Whenuapai in January last. Robertson was also charged with attempting to commit arson by setting fire to a quantity of kits in a barrack store at Whenuapai. Both accused pleaded guilty, and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. f TOSS OF COIN. In a statement made to the police about the fire in October, 1946, (Robertson said that one night he was sitting in the recreation room at the fire section with other members _of the fire crew. “We were talking about fires, and someone said jokingly, 1 Why can’t we have a fire?’' or some similar words,’’ said Robertson. It was not arranged at the time to light a fire, but later in the evening about four of us got together and finally decided to set fire to one of the huts in X camp. Major and I were two of tho four, but I cannot remember who the other two were.” Robertson said a coin was tossed and it fell to the lot of Major and himself to light the fire. Major set the fire with kerosene and a Randle. In January a coin was again tossed to determine who should set a fire. On June 19 the accused acted on an impulse and took a kerosene-soaked cloth to the barrack store and lit it. The statement made by Robertson concerning offences’with which he and Major were jointly charged were corroborated in a statement by Major produced in court. _ “ The reason I took part in the setting of the fires was that I was fed up with doing nothing, and felt I would like a bit of excitement,” he said.