AIR CRASH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23807, 13 May 1939, Page 14

AIR CRASH

THE WIGRAM BOMBER A THREE-FOLD TRAGEDY ALL VICTIMS NOW DEAD (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, May 12. The three occupants of the Royal New Zealand Air Force bomber which crashed at the Wigram aerodrome last night are now all dead. Acting Pilot Officer Reginald James McCrorie was killed immediately as a result of the plane falling on him. Pilot Officer William Fredeiick Dawson was taken to the Christchurch Hospital suffering from severe burns and he expired at an early hour this morning. The third victim of the accident, Leading Aircraftsman George West, died in the Christchurch Hospital from severe burns at 6.10 to-night. A Court of Inquiry into the accident has been commenced by the Air Department and will be held on Monday. PROMISING CAREER ENDED (Special to Daily Times) BALCLUTHA, May 12. Deep regret was experienced in Balclutha this morning when it became known that Pilot-officer Dawson had died of his injuries in the Christchurch Hospital

The deceased was the second son of Mr A. C. Dawson, postmaster at Balclutha, and was educated at the South Otago High School, where he gained his matriculation certificate. Leaving school, he joined the staff of the Bank of New Zealand at Balclutha as a junior clerk. He was a very promising lad and a successful career in the bank appeared to be assured. But he felt the call to a more adventurous life, and qualified for admission to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He enrolled for training at Wigram, where he gained a pilot's certificate and for some time was employed on the ground engineering staff at the aerodrome. Latterly he had been an instructor. He would have been 21 years old next August. On one of his recent visits to Balclutha he spoke enthusiastically of the joys of flying, and said he had experienced a great " thrill" from night flying exercises.

A POPULAR AIRMAN (Special to Daily Times) CHRISTCHURCH, May 12. Leading-aircraftsman West, who came from Bluff, was 25 years of age, and joined the Air Force Station at Wigram in April, 1937, after his preliminary recruit training at Trentham. He was employed in the trade of fitter. He was an accomplished musician, and took a leading part in the various entertainments at the station. Of a particularly happy and pleasing disposition, he was descended from an old and very respected Maori family. Both Pilotofficer Dawson and Leading-air-craftsman West were very popular among the officers and airmen at Wigram, and the authority states that their death is a great loss to the service. Military Funerals Pilot-officer Dawson will receive a military funeral at the Waimairi Cemetery to-morrow. Acting-pilot-officer McCrorie will be accorded a military funeral at Wanganui on Monday, and Leading-aircraftsman West will also probably be buried on Monday.