TRAGIC EXPLOSION
26 SOLDIERS KILLED SYDNEY,'May 22. Twenty-six soldiers were killed yesterday in a tragic explosion at a military training camp near Wagga, New South Wales. Two others, the remaining members of a party of 28, were injured. The party was receiving instruction in demolition work, and the victims included the instructors. The names of the 28 men have been withheld by the military authorities pending notification of their next-of-kin. A military court of inquiry will be opened to-day. The brief official report indicated that the men were in a dug-out at the time of the explosion, but it is not known whether they were killed instantly or buried in the dug-out. No damage was caused to camp property.
A headquarters officer said he understood the only men capable of saying exactly what happened were those who had been injured. These men will not be questioned until they have fully recovered from the shock. The worst previous explosion in an Australian military camp occurred in Western Australia in April, 1943, when an officer and 13 men were killed in a mortar bomb accident.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19450523.2.99
Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 25851, 23 May 1945, Page 6
Word Count
183TRAGIC EXPLOSION Otago Daily Times, Issue 25851, 23 May 1945, Page 6
Using This Item
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Daily Times. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.