DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 April 1943, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS

BODY IN HARBOUR WELLINGTON, April 21.

A body found floating in the har/bour yesterday has been identified as Sidney Arthur George Lansbury, 45, seaman in the Royal N.Z. Navy, who ,has been missing for some days. He was married, with three children. His ■home is at Otakau, Dunedin.

SERGT.-MAJOR’S THEFTS WANGANUI, April 21. Charged at the Magistrate’s Court with the theft of £2OB/10/8, while employed in the Wanganui Army Area Office, William Albert Rusden, Sergeant-Major, pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. Bail was allowed. The offences were committed between August. 1942, and March 31, 1943. . ANOTHER AERIAL ACCIDENT WELLINGTON, April 21. Two members of the Royal l\ew Zealand Air Force were reported slightly injured when an aircraft from a North Island air station crashed ’this morning. The personnel involved were Pilot Officer Maxwell Scannell (father, Dr. W. G. Scannell, Christchurch), and Sergt. George Louis Vaughan (father, Mr L. B. Vaughan, Putaruru).

AERIAL CRASH. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 20

An inquest into the deaths of four members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, who were killed in an aircraft accident at Omata on January 25, was concluded at New Plymouth to-day. The victims were Flight Lieutenant John Humfrey Deans, Pilot Officer James Derrick Phi Ison, Sergeant Hugh Winton Steel, and Sergeant John Andrews Power. The .finding of the Coroner (Mr. AV. H. Woodward, S.M.) was that the four men died when the aircraft, in which they were making a service flight struck high ground near the foreshore during very dense fog and was wrecked and burnt. Death was probably instantaneous.

AUCKLAND FIRE AAV ARD AUCKLAND, April 21

Judgment in favour of the Public /Trustee, as executor of the will of Francis Harold Baker, employee of John Burns and Co., who met his |fleath in the fire in the Company’s premises on August 19. 1941, was given by Judge Fair to-day, against two defendants, namely the Auckland /Electric Power Board and John Burns & Co., for the sum of £4,028/15/'with costs. The amount claimed in the action was £4,050 against three defendants, the third being H. K. Brown and Co.

The jury which heard the case assessed the damages at £4,000 genera] and £2B/15/- special. The rJudge upheld the verdict of the jury. Motions for non-suit and for judgment were reviewed by His Honor in 25 pages. Costs were awarded araimt tho two defendants according to scale and the Judge also certified for nine additional days at £l2/12/- daily and for second counsel 10 days at £7/7/- daily. He also allowed £3 3/- for discovery, £2l for inspection, £7/7/- for summons and £2l for interrogatories.

AIRMAN DROAVNED. AUCKLAND, April 21

When an amphibian plane crashed, making a forced landing at an air base near Auckland, on tb.e night of March 18, one of the crew, Pilot Officer Norris Mclntyre Boe, single, 23 of AVairoa was drowned. At the inquest, to-day, police evidence showed the aircraft was carrying out routine flying exercises, taking off and landing on a flare path. About 8.30 p.m., the plane bounced and hit the water with a crash. , A launch was on the scene m few minutes, and found the nose of the plane submerged, and the tail in the air. The two occupants were rescued but artificial respiration on Bee was ineffective.

Sergt. Pilot Derek Aylmer , Leslie, who was in charge of the plane at t.hn time, said the motor failed when 100 feet in the air, and there was a loud bang which might have been an explosion, then the machine hit the water. The cockpit was badly smashed. He had considerable difficulty in getting out, and could not find Bee, while struggling to get clear. The Coroner (Mr. Hunt) returned a verdict of accidental drowning caused by the plane in which Bee was a crew member, accidentally crashing.