TRAGIC NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 281, 26 October 1934, Page 2

TRAGIC NEWS

CENTENARY RACE TRAGEDY. HEARD IN MORNING BROADCAST. AUCKLAND, Oct. 24. "When one of the family was reading aloud from the morning paper the fact that all the New Zealanders were still in the race, the blunt announcement came from the radio in the home of Flight-Lieutenant Gilman’s mother that ho and his co-pilot had been killed. Little news had been received by the airman's family of his progress since the race started. Every radio announcement was listened to eagerly, but with a certain degree of anxiety in the home of Mrs A. Macredie, of 51 Clarence Street, Devonport, the airman’s mother. Two younger sisters and a young brother crowded round the radio for every announcement. At 7 o’clock yesterday morning, when the first announcement of the day came over the air, no mention was made of Gilman and Baines. The last word his mother had was that the aviator and his companion had arrived at Athens and had left for Baghdad. Even that must have been wrong, for the airmen were killed in Italy. Anxiously, the little family group waited for the eight o’clock relay from Wellington. Word of Scott first came over the air—then a pause. Again came the voice of the 2YA announcer to say that the two pilots had been killed. There were no details. “It was a most cruel way to learn that he had gone,” said the mother .yesterday. “Although we were naturally anxious, we always thought that he would get through. He was a splendid flier and had never, had an accident of any kind. I don’t know what we will do without him. He was a wonderful son.” FINANCE ARRANGED.

Tt was with considerable pride that Flight-Lieutenant Gilman’s family learned that he was to be a starter in the race. He had written every week to his mother and told of his hopes. When Mr J. A. C. Allum, of Auckland, and Mr T. Lamont, a former Mayor of Devonport, were in London last year, the airman had dinner with them, and on their return to Auckland they tried to arrange financial backing for the young airman’s venture in the big race. He was the first to suggest that New Zealand should be represented. When the two Auckland men failed to find finance for Lieutenant Gilman, he made contact with Mr Baines, and it was the. father of Mr Baines, a retired Indian Army colonel, who found the money. Flight-Lieutenant Gilman was the eldest son of the late Mr Henry Gilman, of Wellington, and Mi's A. McOredie, of Devonport. He was the eldest of a family of two girls and two sons. He had been granted four months’ leave of absence from the Royal Air Force to take part in the Centenary flight and had arranged to handle some business connections of his late father in Australia before coming to Auckland to see his family. “He had said that if the ’plane went well on the flight to Australia he would probably fly to New Zealand,” said his mother. “Now it is over ” MR BAINES’S CAREER. A message from Taihape states that Mr Baines was born in Norfolk, England, 29 years ago. His brother, in the R.A.F., was killed near the end of the war. Mr Baines had been in New Zealand for 13 years. He was employed by Mr R. M. Smith, exM.P., on a farm at Ohalrune. Later he sold timber for the Uepango Sawmilling Co., Ltd., of Taumarunui. He worked at the Ngamatea station, between Taihape anrd Hawke’s Bay, as a mechanic.

He learnt flying with the Manawatu Aero Club under Squadron-Leader McGregor, and also under Captain Talbot Lechmann, and under Lieutenant J. Buckeridge, of Wairarapa. He left for England last February, and when in Sydney he announced his intention of competing in the race.

He was a prominent member of the Taihape Amateur Swimming Club. It is believed he had retired from the radio section of the Navy, due to ear trouble, betore coming to New Zealand.