OPEN VERDICT GIVEN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20176, 20 February 1940, Page 11

OPEN VERDICT GIVEN

BOMBER CRASH VICTIMS EYE-WITNESSES’ STORIES PLANE’S TRAGIC DIVE (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The inquests into the deaths of the airmen who were killed when the Baffin bomber crashed into the sea at Waimairi on February 5, were held before Mr. E. L evvey, S.M., this morning. Tho victims were Flight-Lieuten-ant Arthur Darvall Poulton. aged 40. West Eyreton. Air Gunner William James Reynolds Strachan, Roxburgh and Aircraftsman (First Class! Douglas Haig Birbeck, Barbadoes street, Christchurch. An open verdict in. accordance with tlie medical evidence, was returned in each case by the coroner who stated that the men had died as a result of injuries they received when tlie aeroplane in which they were flying crashed into the sea. Explosion Before Crash George Whiting said he was almost opposite the aeroplane and he saw it circle two or three times. He saw the machine dive and there was an explosion preceded by a puff of smoke before the aeroplane hit the water. The airmen on the beach did everylui.irr possible to reach the aeroplane when it crashed.

The officer in charge of the Royal New Zealand Air Force party on the beach. Flight-Lieutenant Henderson, said that Flight-Lieutenant Poulton’? machine had been engaged in message dropping operations. He saw the machine make two complete circles and begin a third at a height of about 1000 ft. As the machine was turning left to the sea, he saw it nosedive about 300 or 400 ft, then make a complete spiral turn and crash about 500 or 600yds from the shore. The men went out to the machine which was still floating. Appeared Uncontrollable

A member of the- beach party, Norman Lewis Augustus Howard, said he saw the crash and the engine was going all the time. He heard a muffled explosion. There was nothing hanging front the machine to show it was not airworthy and the aeroplane appeared to go down completely out of control. After the machine had dropped all its signals it wont down the beach twice, said Allan Robert Osment, an air gunner. Tlie aeroplane turned and he thought it was making for the aerodrome when it turned and fell forward and down. After the crash there was an explosion. He swam out to the machine, but found the aeroplane had been so badly damaged that the men had been thrown out and he could find nq trace of them.