AIRMEN KILLED

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1929, Page 12

AIRMEN KILLED

AUSTRALIAN PLANE CRASHES. (By Oable—Prees Assn.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, December 1. Crashing three thousand feet at Grenfell yesterday, a Westland Widgeon monoplane burst into flames, and was reduced to ashes and a tangle of ironwork, while the two occupants’ bodies were so mangled that portions were strewn over the roadway in Forbes Street Hundreds of people watched, horror stricken, the plane’s awful spiral dive to disaster.

The pilot was Captain H. A. Young,, and he had as passenger Raymond Gilmour, of Bathurst, who was the heir to a fortune, and who recently purchased this machine, which, after repairs in Sydney had just been taken over by the new owner. Strangely enough, both these men were in the plane when it met with a minor accident in the country six weeks ago, which led to the Sydney repair job. The ’plane had been doing fancy turns over Grenfell yesterday, when its wings suddenly seemed to fold back. The machine then nose-dived, and it struck a macadamised road surface with a terrific crash, narrowly missing three residences and some children, who were playing close to the fatal spot, and who had a frightful shock. Gilmour was a popular, and daring car driver, and while he was serving in the Light Horse in Egypt and Palestine, in wai’ time, he was noted for his daring. Captain Young served in war time as a Flying Instructor. He also did much/commercial .flying in Australia an'd New Guinea, where he transported gold by ’plane. NON-STOP RECORD. PARIS, November 30. The French Aero Club has officially recorded Costes’ flight from Le Bourget to Manchuria in September, a distance of 4941 miles, as the world’s record for a non-stop flight. R.lOl OVERHAUL. (Received December 2, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 30. R.lOl moved from the mooring mast and was housed in the hangar without incident, after three-quarters of an hour’s work. It is understood that it will bo' deflated, overhauled and examined with a view to modifications increasing the lifting capacity.

SYDNEY’S LIGHTHOUSE SYDNEY, December 1. The first air lighthouse in Australia, which is erected on top of one of the new city theatres, was officially opened by the Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin, last night. The beacon is placed 250 feet above the ground, and it has a visibility range of fifty miles. N.Z. AIR FORCE. WELLINGTON, November 29. The rates of pay per annum for officers of the New Zealand Permanent Air Force have been gazetted as follows: —

*£sls per annum after eight years. Temporary personnel will be paid £3O per annum less than the above rates.

Rank Min. £ After After 2yrs. 4yrs. £ £ Wing-Commander 650 700 765 Squadron-Leader 515 565 615 ♦Flight-Lieutenant 400 440 485 Flying-Officei 1 300 340 385 Pilot Officer 300 340 385