N.Z. Air Tragedies Investigated

Northern Advocate, 25 September 1943, Page 5

N.Z. Air Tragedies Investigated

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The coroner (Mr. W. V. Mellish) said at inquests held in Wellington yesterday on a number of R.N.Z.A.F. personnel, who lost their lives on operations in or off Ne w Zealand, that the whole evidence had been submitted to the Solicitor-Genera) (Mr. Cornish), who had authorised the holding of inquests. In each case the verdict was one oi deatli through loss of aircraft in which the men concerned were members of the crew. A summary of each case follows: Donald Hugh McKenzie and Jack Trevor Villers took off from a South Island air station at 7 a.m. on January 21. 1942, on a flight to Lake Grasmere. Miss Rutland, at Cape Campbell, heard a loud engine roar, followed by an explosion m the direction of the sea, about 8 a.m.

Flying-Officer Harry Kinder, FlyingOfficer Charles Neville Turnbull, and Sergeant Nepia Stewart, in a plane took off at 2.22 p.m. on December 8, 1942. to search for an unidentified merchant ship reported off the East Coast, and were expected back at 5.30 p.m. The last signal from the plane was at 4.44 p.m. Selwyn Allen Sinclair took off from a ■South Island air station on May 29, 1941, for Otaki, and was never heard of again. Leading-Aircraftman John Ronald Orbed failed to return from a flight from a South Island air station on August 18. 1942.