SECOND ACCIDENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20526, 9 April 1941, Page 12

SECOND ACCIDENT

CORPORAL KILLED ESCAPE OF BOTH PILOTS CANBERRA, April 4. When two Royal Australian Air Force aeroplanes collided and crashed near Government House, Canberra, this afternoon, both pilots, one ol whom was flying solo, parachuted to safety, but Corporal William Barry, aged 86, married, of Redfern, crashed with his machine and was killed. In Government House, the Gover-nor-General, Lord Gowrie, the Acting Prime Minister, Mr. Fadden, and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air ChiefMarshal Sir Charles Burnett, heard the crash and ran to the wrecked aeroplanes.

The pilots, who were admitted to hospital with shock, were FlyingOfficer Barry Mortimer Cox, aged 25, married, and Pilot-Officer Alan Rupert Baster, aged 24, married. Officially announcing the crash, Central Headquarters stated that about 5.5 p.m. Pilot-Officer Baster, flying solo, took off from Canberra aerodrome and flew westward into the sun. Still climbing, he apparently lost sight of three aircraft which were returning from Narrandera. About 2000tt. above Red Hill, near Government House, his aeroplane collided with the aeroplane on the left-hand side o£ the formation, which was flown by FlyingOfficer Cox, with Corporal Ramsay as crew. Baster and Cox left their aircraft by parachute, but Corporal Ramsay was either pinned in by the crash or knocked unconscious.