GENERAL CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1938, Page 5

GENERAL CABLES

GERMAN SOLDIER CONTINGENT. (Per British Official Wireless). RUGBY, September 19. A large contingent of former German servicemen is expected to arrive in London on Thursday. There will be more than 800 in the party, which will include former soldiers from all parts of Germany. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, president of the union of German former servicemen’s organisations, is coming with the party, and will march with them and members of the British Legion to the Cenotaph on Saturday, when the Germans will place a wreath. On arrival in London they will attend a Government reception at Westminster Hall.

IN 1000 ft. DIVE TO EARTH. LONDON, September 16. Diving from 1000 ft., a Hawker Hurricane fighting plane struck the earth at 400 m.p.h. The pilot, John Hindmarsh, was killed instantly. He was one of the ace test pilots of the R.A.F.

The petrol tank burst like a bomb and within a second .of striking the ground, the smashed machine was blazing furiously. One theory is that Hindmarsh became unconscious as he banked the plane at more than 300 m.p.h., and that lie fell on the controls. NEW SAFETY TANK.

Newspapers carrying the story of the tragedy also published details of an invention which, it'is claimed, will prevent many crash deaths by reducing fire risk to the minimum.

The invention is a seamless, rivetless fuel tank, with an internal construction which permits extreme distortion without bursting. Full tanks, dropped from a great height by R.A.F. test pilots, did not fracture or leak.

The invention has been officially approved for training craft.

It is known as Henderson’s Safety Tank, named after the retired Air Ministry official who created it.