DOUBLE TRAGEDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22349, 21 February 1936, Page 11

DOUBLE TRAGEDY

ROYAL AIR FORCE > BOMBERS WRECKED SIX AIRMEN KILLED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON. Feb. 19 The winter exercises of the Royal Air Force, inaugurated this year, opened with a disaster to-day. Two bombers crashed, one on the Sussex Downs near Petersfield and the other in the Channel, less than a mile from Le Havre. The first machine, which was attached to the 10th Squadron, caught fire immediately it struck the ground, at about 1 a.m. A sergeant who was piloting the aeroplane was thrown out. Ho staggered to a neighbouring farm, where he collapsed. The other three occupants were killed. A similar fate befell the crew of the second bomber, which was forced down on the sea, near St. Addussee. One man swam ashore, but three are missing. An intensive search for them is being made at sea. This aeroplane sent out distress signals owing to shortage of petrol and headed for Le Havre, but it failed to make the coast. A well-known local swimmer named Tanguy saw the aeroplane circling in search of a landing place when it was forced down. He immediately launched a canoe in a high sea and found the pilot, Captain Page. As the canoe was rapidly filling with water, he was obliged to return with the rescued officer to the shore, although he saw two other airmen some distance away. Tanguy made three attempts to find these men but each time the canoe filled so rapidly that he was obliged to return to shore in order to empty the water. The canoe finally capsized. The rescuer was exhausted and was forced to give up his attempts. . Captain Page stated that he had lost his way in the fog. The three missing men must have been drowned by the weight of their clothes. A diver has been making an attempt to recover the bodies but has not been successful, and it is feared the rising tide has carried the bodies out to sea. The French Minister of Marine, M. Pietri, has ordered naval officials at Cherbourg to take charge of the salvage operations. The chief object of the air exercises was to test the efficiency of the control and intelligence organisations under ideal winter conditiohs. Thick, moving clouds and gusty winds, which reached a velocity of 50 to 60 miles an hour, presented problems which were not experienced during the summer manoeuvres. Some raiders were intercepted, but others attained their objectives and successfully "bombed" aerodromes and reservoirs in London.

OFFICIAL REPORT i LE HARVE ACCIDENT THE MACHINE LOCATED British Wireless RUGBY. Feb. 19 In the House of Commons to-day Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air, gave particulars of the two flying accidents which occurred early to-day. He said that the aircraft in one case was engaged in night operations and failed to return to the base. Later notification was received from Le Bourget, France, thct an Air Force machine and a crew of four had alighted on the sea off Le Havre. One member of the crew was picked up and the search was being cQntinued. The machine had been located 200 yards from the shore. Sir Philip expressed sympathy with the relatives of the deceased.