First Air Race Disaster

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 248, 24 October 1934, Page 6

First Air Race Disaster

Baines and Gilman Crash in South Italy BOTH MEN INCINERATED United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, Oct. 22. The Faircy Fox, flying from Borne to Athens, crashed in the perilous mountain region of Palazzo dl San Gervasio, 90 mile afroni Foggia. The machine burst into flames when it struck the ground and Gilman and Baines were burnt to death. A peasant eye-witness summoned the carabinieri officials at the Grottaglie Aerodrome. They rushed to the scene, but were powerless to help the men, who were already dead. It is believed that the machine lost flying spoM over the Apennines, where they were only !>0 feet above the mountain tops, subsequently plunging in a ghastly nosedive 5000 feet to earth. The bodies were not recognisable. The aeroplane crashed only a handled yards from a provisional landing ground on a small plateau, which the flyers were apparently trying to reach owing to engine trouble. Colonel Berncrbi. commandant of the Grottaglie air detachment, .superintended the removal of the bodies to a small cottage near a cemetery, where, surrounded with flowers and lighted candles, the remains of tho dead airmen were accorded reverent honours by the villagers. The bodies lie in an improvised cliapello ardentc. The authorities are endeavouring to find rings and personal belongings in order, to distinguish one body from the other. The only unburnt portion of a tangle of metal representing the aeroplane is the tail, on which No. 02 stands out boldly, providing, as it were the airman’s epitaph. The bodies will probably be sealed in zinc, coffins pending the arrival of relatives. . The British Air Attache at Borne is arranging to convey the remains to Foggia on the main line in order to fa'-ilile.te Ihe presence of relatives. The sympathetic consideration of the Italian authorities is comparable with their gracious conduct, when disaster overtook the late Bert Hinkler. Gilman had 1500 flying hours to his credit. His mother and sister are in Melbourne, where they intended to see the finish of the race. Gilman was a single man, born and educated in New Zealand. He was a popular and enthusiastic‘pilot officer an n bombing squadron of the Royal Air Force, of which he was promoted adjutant Inst year. Baines, aged 2.0. was born in England. He was a single man and was an experienced -air-mail pilot, in Hawke’s Bay. He had flown 2000 hours and obtained three months’ leave to enter the race. His parents live at. Shoreham-on-Rea. Baines owned the machine, which ho bought cheaply from •the Air Ministry because it was unsuitable for civil pumosos, Ho and Gilman were sharing the expenses.’ The machine was seven or eight, years old. The Fairev Aviation Compnnv was not connected with the entry, and had ■nothing to do with its condition. It was flie last tvric of such aircraft turned out in 1920-27. The father of the dead airman. Genfain Be.lner, saw Heines efr on October 20. His mother, who had just heard of the death, after te’enlioning the Aero Club for nows, said: "'' r v sou had a lot. of trouble preparing the aeroplane, and experienced ma.nv setbacks. He had not slept for nights.” The victim is the third son lost in tragic circumstances. One was killed in a flying accident and another in a gun exnl.or.ion. The Fairev Fox was dogged by misfortune throughout. Thev were forced to land near Lyons owing to engine trouble and a split -tail. When the aviators made an carlv start to-day after spending the night sloening beside the machine, it made a sudden halfturn when taxiing across the aerodrome and nearly overturned.

Pilots Asked Too Much of Their Machine

Received Tuesday, 8.20 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 23. A realisation that, despite the glamour attendant on the courageous achievements in the air race, the risk of sudden tragedy is never absent, spread throughout Britain with the news of tho disaster to the 'plane piloted by Gilman and Baines. They were tho 13th in the field at the time of the occurrence, the site of which is locally known "as the field of fortune."

The Daily Express says: "Gallant Baines and Gilman—they asked too much of their machine, like many other pilots in this race, but we honour the offenders. The sea has been bridled and the sky will bo subdued by men who no more hope for success than Baines and Gilman."

Messages of Sympathy

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Oct. 23. The Gj , ernor-General and Lady P-lqdisloe, who arrive in Wellington by the Wanganelb. from Australia to-day. have sent messages to the next-of-kin of airmen Baines and Gilman of deep sympathy with the two families in their sorrow. The Deputy-Governor-General, Sir Michael Myers, also sent a message of sympathy to the Marquess of Londonderry. The Secretary of State for Air has telegraphed to the Governor-General, "I deeply regret to learn of the loss New Zealand has suffered by the deaths of Flight-Lieutenant J. K. Baines and Flying-Officer H. D. Gilman, as the result of a flying accident which occurred in Italy. Please convey to relatives of these officers my most sincere sympathy with them in their bereavement." The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs lias also telegraphed to the Governor-General r~ follows: —"I deeply regret to hear of the disaster to tho

Faircy Fox ’plaine and the loss of two gallant New Zealand airmen. Please convey to both families an expression of my most sincere sympathy.”

Careers of the Two Men Harold Darwin Gilman, who was 27 years of age, was a native of Auckland. He attended St. Lee’s Convent, Dcvonport, and later King’s College. He took the name of his stepfather, Macreadie, but later adopted his own father’s name at the school. He was regarded as a fine type of young man and was quiet and reliable and popular with his master-. Up till the end of 1930 he was with the Yorkshire Insurance Company but iu tbe interim went to England. Ho became a lieutenant in the Auckland regiment in 1929. On going to England he gained a commission iu a jffolk Regiment, afterwards being transferred to the Royal Air Force. In Juno last he was appointed instructor commander of No. IS Squadron, Wiltshire. He won the endurance test last year in a flight round England. He was prominently connected with aerial pageants and had never had the slightest mishap. His mother, who resides in Auckland, received the news over the radio yesterday morning.

James Keith Charles Baines was in his twenty-eighth year, being the third son of Captain and Mrs. L. C. Baines, of Norfolk, England. He arrived in New Zealand about twelve years ago with his eldest brother, Hugli Campbell Baines, both brothers becoming interested in flying. Towards tho end of 1932 he interested himself in aviation, and some months ago ho left for England on a visit to his parents. He was a member of the Wairarapn Aero Club. The late Mr. Baines’s father served in the Great War, as also did a brother who was killed in an aeroplane crash during the war. A younger brother was killed in May last in Canada as tho result of an accident when cleaning a rifle. The eldest brother, Mr. 11. C. Baines, is farming at Newbury line, near Feilding. Tho late Mr. Baines this year purchased an Avro-Avian ’plane from tho Wellington Aero Club and subsequently sold the machine (ZK-AAN) to Sir. L. ’McGaffin. of Palmerston North. Prior to the salo Mr. Baines, who was resident. in Palmerston North at the time, flew it to Marton and then to Taihape, where he ran into some telegraph wires when landing in a field and damaged it. Although the two outer wing struts were damaged and the propeller broken tho late Mr. Baines made a remarkably fine landing and escaped injury. Subsequently Major G. A. C. Cowper, of Palmerston North, flew the ’plane back to the city after effecting repairs. Ttnwas in March of this year.